by Daniel
Australia
08/06/2013
We recently went on a trip to the jungle with Ruber. It was an unforgettable journey, and a definite highlight of our trip to South America.
Landing in Iquitos, we got beautiful views of jungle tributaries from within the aircraft cabin during our descent. We met Ruber outside the tiny complex, where a motokar (a motorised rickshaw) was waiting for us. Ruber, my girlfriend Véra, and I all jumped in with our two massive suitcases stuffed in the back, and set off. Zooming through Iquitos in the open seat of a motokar was the perfect introduction to our trip; it gave us an eye-opening cross section of the jungle, the colonial architecture, the colourful streets, and the hustle-bustle madness that makes up this charming river city.
We arrived at the port, and a single man took both our suitcases down a narrow, rickety, wooden staircase to the triple-decked river barge that was waiting at the bottom. Ruber ushered us into the boat, and showed us to our cabin. On deck we met various members of Ruber’s large family, including his father, don Juan, and don Juan’s wife, Lady, who were to take excellent care of us over the course of our trip. We set off to Genaro Herrera soon after. The size of the Amazon river is truly awesome, and it was wonderful to drink in the scenery from our seats in the boat. It was also handy that we speak a bit of Spanish, as this allowed us to get to know the rest of his family a bit better. After nightfall we retired to our respective cabins.
09/06/2013
At approximately 4 am we arrived at Genaro Herrera, a small pueblo on the bank of the river Ucayali, and disembarked. Don Juan led us to a hotel so that we could nap whilst waiting for the dawn. When we awoke, we had breakfast with don Juan and were led to a large motor-canoe, which took us the remaining three hours to base camp on the Aucayacu tributary. It was on this trip that we penetrated the true jungle. Base camp was well furnished, with comfortable wooden cabins on raised legs, and a porcelain toilet. There was also an open-air kitchen and a main house where I supposed that they must hold large medicine ceremonies. In the kitchen there lived a friendly baby monkey named ‘Tania’, with whom we spent much of our spare time.
After settling in, Ruber took us to see animals in his canoe. We also saw the house of Jairo, the family medicine man.
10/06/2013
After breakfast we went collecting ingredients for Ayahuasca with Ruber and Jairo. I held a deep sense of admiration for Jairo, as he has the air of a true man of knowledge about him, and he always seems tranquil. When we collected the vine, Jairo smoked the damaged plant with mapachos and buried unlit ones in the soil to help the plant recover. Back at base camp Ruber took us on a short walk to look at monkeys, whilst Jairo and don Juan started preparing the medicine in a large cauldron.
Later we went out to look for sloths, and we managed to see a couple from a distance. We also checked a fishing net they had put out a few days earlier – there was a young anaconda trapped in it. Even though it was almost dead, we made some effort to revive it, but ultimately it died. Back at camp, we relaxed until the first Ayahuasca ceremony.
During our first ceremony, Véra and I sat on mats on the floor, and Jairo in a chair. Ruber was there to take care of us but did not participate. Jairo anointed himself with agua florida and camphor, and opened the bottle of ayahuasca, smoking the medicine with mapacho. He then started to sing an icaro into the medicine, and when he was finished, he poured it. I was the first to take it. The flavour was unusual and smoky, and Véra later likened it to drinking incense. Our lanterns were then snuffed, and we lay back. Jairo sang many icaros and shook his shacapa (leaf rattle) for many hours. Even though neither of us felt any significant effect, it was an interesting experience, and at around midnight the ceremony ended.
11/06/2013
We went fishing after a nice breakfast. George – another guide and medicine man – caught two piranhas, and Véra caught a small catfish. We got back and after a decent rest we were administered sapo. The medicine is kept as a dry resin on the surface of a small, paddle-like stick. Using a twig, Ruber made three small burns on my left arm. He then applied his own saliva to the sapo to create a paste and applied it to my burns. A few seconds later my heart began to beat much more forcefully than usual. I then felt a constriction in the throat, and found it difficult to breathe. My vision went white, and I lay back, struggling to keep it together. Soon I had to sit up to vomit, and afterwards my face and lips were puffy from this violent purge. Véra was then applied two points of sapo.
After I had recovered, Ruber, George, and I went searching for the frog from which they extract the sapo medicine. They hunt the frogs by imitating their sound, to which the frog replies, and this allows them to locate the animal. We caught seven that night.
12/06/2013
We had the opportunity of watching George extract sapo. They tie each of the frog’s legs to a stick, and then poke and prod the animal until it secretes its defensive toxin, which they coat on to the sticks. Then the frog is released.
Later we went on a hike through muddy terrain, which was hard but satisfying work. When we returned, we relaxed until the second ayahuasca ceremony.
This ceremony began in the same way as the first, however Jairo told us that he had concentrated the medicine. After drinking I started to have subtle visions, and when I saw a faceless creature stuck and struggling in a swamp, I asked ayahuasca directly to help me to purge. Immediately I needed to vomit, after which visions came thick and fast, flitting by often too rapidly to commit them to memory. I felt as though I was separated into three distinct layers; the physical, the realm of thought, and the higher realm wherein the visions resided. Time becomes truly strange during such an experience, and after what seemed like an eternity our ceremony ended. Ruber and Jairo made sure we were ok, we embraced, and they left. Véra and I spoke long into the night about our respective experiences, and gave our sincere thanks to the medicine.
13/06/2013
We visited a nearby pueblo to buy unique, artesanal products hand-made by local people. In the evening we went to the entrance of the Ucayali to see river dolphins. We saw many grey ones, and despite being told that the famous pink river dolphins are too heavy to breach, we were lucky enough to see an adolescent one come up for air. They are incredible creatures.
14/06/13
We went for a hike with don Juan, who told us about the various medicinal plants in the region. He also collected palmito, the edible core of a specific tree, and a dry tree sap which is like a natural candle wax. He demonstrated its flammability by simply setting it on fire.
We then set off in a motor boat to begin camping in the jungle for two nights. On the way we got a really close-up view of a sloth, which was a very special experience. When we got to the camp site Ruber and George set up a hammock for each of us, protected by a mosquito-net and a tarp for the rain, after which we went fishing.
15/06/2013
We moved campsite, and on the way got a glimpse of a family of giant river otters. We had plans to go spear fishing later, but heavy rain made this impossible.
16/06/2013
On this day we started the long trip back to Iquitos. We first returned to base camp for breakfast, and then to Genaro Herrera, where we boarded the triple-decked boat back to Iquitos. We tried psilocybin mushrooms during the night on the boat, which was an incredibly entertaining experience.
17/06/2013
We arrived in the early morning in Iquitos, and took a motokar to the hotel room that don Juan had booked for us. Later that day Ruber met with us and we went on a walking tour of Iquitos. This tour included a look at some of the historical colonial architechture, and a stroll through a hectic marketplace. The marketplace was fascinating, as one could purchase the meat of virtually any kind of creature from that region, as well as various jungle medicines. Ruber then took us for a tour of the Iquitos zoo, and we got a chance to see all the jungle animals that we missed in the wild; leopards, ocelots, and so on. In the evening we all went out for drinks.
It was an amazing, unforgettable trip, and we have every intention of returning.
