The Shaman

Hola Amigos! So, where do I start? It's only been a couple of months but I am starting to suffer withdrawal symptoms from some good old English comfort food! In particular Bangers & Mash (with Gravy), Roast Potatoes (with Gravy), Chicken Jalfrezi with a Garlic Nan and Sag Paneer... oh, the things I'd do for a good curry right now!!! I hear the food in Peru is good - I hope so - I'm looking forward to spit roasted guinea pig ;)

We ended up spending nearly a month in Colombia, sacrificing any real time in Ecuador. We figure it is better to spend more time in fewer countries than try to do them all justice and fail miserably! Even after a month however I would loved to have spent more time there - so many places that still we did not have time to go and visit. Colombia is a real gem of a country, beautiful lush green landscape and wonderful architecture everywhere you go. The people are among the friendliest I have met anywhere in the world and of course the coffee is great (though typically it is brewed up a bit too weak).

In our last week or so in Colombia, we spent a lot of time with a really nice Colombian couple in a stunning town called Popayan. Their English was about as good as our Spanish so it was difficult to converse, but we managed OK and it was fun nevertheless. The guy is a Shaman (medicine doctor) and although he wouldn't be given half a chance in England, he seemed very well liked and respected everywhere we went. I paid (a small sum) for a ceremony with the Shaman which was supposed to cure all my problems (for 8 days!!). The ceremony was performed on the grassy area at the back of the hotel he was staying in and involved drinking a hallucinogenic brew called Ayahuasca that originates (I think) from tribes in the Amazon.

The brew was a thick black liquid, really disgusting, but just about drinkable! After a couple of hours I started feeling the effects and the Shaman went about his business of chanting, waving stuff around and calling up the spirits! The effects were actually a lot milder than I expected (even though I was on a double dose!) - some auditory and visual hallucinations with colourful geometric patterns when my eyes were closed. However, the overriding feeling was an almost unbelievable sense of tranquility and calm. Ayahuasca apparently has proven results in psychotherapy and I can understand why... I felt completely at peace! It wore off pretty quickly though and soon everything was back to reality!

The next day we headed down to the Ecuadorian border for our final bit of Colombian sightseeing - the amazing Santuario de las Lajas. Our 6 year anniversary passed by mostly on the 7 hour bus ride to the border town of Ipiales, but when we got there we did get a bit pissed, had a great meal in a posh hotel restaurant and then finished off the night in a pool club!

Today is our first day in Otavalo in Ecuador. It's certainly not as impressive as Popayan in Colombia (not even close) although the setting is amazing, but we're here for a few days, maybe some mountain biking, and of course for the famous indigenous market on Saturday. From here we have to get to Quito for a 5 day 20 hour intensive Spanish course we've arranged, and then it's straight to Peru where we want to spend a substantial amount of time.