The journey into the rainforest/jungle, call it what you will, was not too arduous, although I did feel a bit like Sheen in Apocolypse Now for a while, taking a motarised narrow boat up the Rio Napa. However, the lodge was luxurious, the guides great and a generally relaxing time was had by all. Saw a fair bit of the flora and fauna also, which was good.
One afternoon we took a small trip down the tributary the lodge was situated on to a local's house. We had a quick tour around the outside, looking at the subsistance crops he was growing and then had a quick shufti around inside. After that, we all had a go at using a blowpipe (not too bad, but not 180 quality) . We were then told he was the local Shaman, and we could go back in the evening for a "cleansing". How could we say no?
So, back we went at around 8pm (it gets dark very quickly at around 6 hereabouts). We made out way back up the stairs carved out of a tree trunk into the Shaman's house, and sat in respectful silence. Through an interpreter, he then told us of the medicines he made using the natural abundance of flora that was available to him all around. Then he said it was time for the cleansing.
Aparently, this would take away all our woes (didn't have many to start with to be honest). There was ten of us there, and first up to the post was Jackie. She's a very pleasent young New Zealand woman, and she took her position cross legged infront to the Shaman, with her back to him. The candles were extinguished, and so he began.
From the blackness came the sound of a bunch of leaves being russled vigorously. Then came an earie whistling. And more shaking. And then a strange intonation, sung loudly. And more shaking of leaves. Then a moments silence. Was that it? By no means. More russling, more whistling, more singing. By this time most of us would have been starting to look at our watches, had we had them on, and had it not been pitch black. This was taking some time. Had the Shamen percieved some great ill that Jackie had done, and was requiring extra special max cleansing? Still it went on. Then, the climax. The Shamen reached for a jar of specially prepared concoction, took a swig, and then reverentially spat it over Jackie's head. A word from the Shaman, and the lights went up. Hoorah, Jackie was cleansed. And it had taken about six minutes. And there were another nine of us to go. And I was last in line. Bugger!
So, by the time it got round to me, he certainly managed to cure me of one thing: my aching bum. Apart from that, it seemed designed with the leaves and the whistling and the singing and the dark as a sensory deprevation experience, which could have made an impact on some people, but apparently not on us savvy 21st Century people.
We all coughed up $5 for the experience. Aparantly he makes use of this within the community, so much as I loathe giving to religion I guess I could square it with myself this time.
So we all left, but not before he told our fortunes. Usually he does this individually, but in this case he felt that all of us were good people, we were all going to be successful in studies or work, we would all be safe on this journey, and our loved ones would be glad to have us back when we returned. Which was nice.
I'm in Baños at the moment, under a smoking volcano. Just been horse riding on one of the most unresponsive orenry crittures I've ever ridden. Still, went into some beaut countryside, so there was an upside. Hopefully I'll get my first load of washing done tomorrow (washing fact for those who expressed an interest before I went) as I'm almost down to wearing things inside out.
