Welcome to the jungle, we've got fun and games... Well, mostly just deet
Man oh man was this a fun and interesting week. We left last Monday for Santo Domingo de Los Colorados to do a field study on an indigenous tribe, called Tsáchila. It took about 3 hours to get there, and this we spent going up and back down the Western Andes, cars passing each other on curves and almost wrecking because a cow was crossing the road (on the way down the mountain). Santo Domingo is HUMID and sticky. We checked into our "hotel" (it was REALLY mildewey smelling, though I'm not sure that's even a word) and headed out to this nearby pueblo. We drove on a dirt road for about an hour, passing pineapple fields, papaya trees, etc.
The exerience was really cool in seeing a bunch of different traditions practiced by the Tsáchila. The men all wear blue skirt type things with white stripes and their hair is combed forward with this vibrant red color that comes from a plant called achote. Once, long ago there was a sickness and achote has good energy. So, they initially put this all over the body to rid of all the bad/negative energy in the body. So, now, they just do the hair for the same effect. After this, we went and got the opportunity to participate in a cleansing. Luckily for me, this did not involve having a guinea pig rubbed on my body, but what it did entail, we me taking my shirt off. (No, I was not completely topless!) Katie and I were allowed to do it as the same time, so we now like to say that we are Tsáchila sisters. Oh, we also were all given tribal names, and my name is Curoo. They threw out a few different names, at which the entire tribe LAUGHED at, including curoo. I found out it's some type of animal that resembles a prairie dog or rat. Wonderful. :) Then cleansing was an incredible experience though, and I knew that had I not done it, I would never get the opportunity again. First off, it was performed on a Shaman (called Poné in Tsáchila) who has to know at LEAST 200 different plants and their capabilites. So, the Shaman put rocks in my hands, spit some special mixture onto the rocks and was whistling the whole time. He would hit rocks together all around my body, and then hit an instrument which would vibrate on your skin. He then put these incredibly amazing smelling herbs in your hands and had you smell them, and then put some more of this secretive liquid on the herbs. We rubbed the herbs all over our body, and then he sprayed the liquid on our body by spitted it onto us. (May not sound too thrilling to anyone else,) but it really was a relaxing, peaceful experience. I felt at ease after it, as if I had no worries. We were told we couldn't shower until the next morning, and we weren't allowed to eat fish, pig, nuts, or anything spicy. We then saw a typical food preparation which would include banana, rice and potatoes. (i'm beginning to get a little sick of rice, potatoes and bread.--it's included in EVERY meal). They then did a traditional dance, and we tried some fruit which I still don't know the name of and I bought a bracelet and a really cool wooden lanza thing. :) Fruit, like I've said before is AMAZING here. I'm obsessed.
Then next day we hiked out to a sacred ceremonial spot for the Tsáchila and they did a different type of cleansing, which I did not participate in this one. All of the cleansings are done in order to get rid of bad energy and to bring in positive energy. This one was with a plant, which he flicked the herb mixture onto people. Everyone was SOAKED, and attracting mosquitos. Oh yes, the reason I say deet in my title, is because deet is my life saver. So far, I've been fortunate enough to only get 3 bites after spending nearly the entire week in bug infested territory. The best part for me about this day was learning about the health in this community. They have this guy named Leonitas who works with the Ministery of Health here to collaboarate and have an intercultural health system. So, approximately 50% of pregnant women chose to stay in the village to give birth because it is less expensive, more spiritual, and there is little to no transportation. They would have to walk 10 to 30km to the nearest healthcare center. So, Leonitas is teaching midwives and Shamans how to more appropriately deal with pregnancies/prenatal checkups. Privacy is a huge importance for the Tsáchila, so this is violated when they go to a Western hospital. There is a lot of anemia, malnutrition, diarrhea, parasitic diseases and respiratory diseases. It is really, really sad. Oh, by the way, I totally ate S*** down a really, slippery hill. We then came back Tuesday night to Quito and on Wednesdsay went to nearby cities to see more traditional medicine in practice. We went to the city of Guanamà where they have a hospital set up that offers both western and traditional medicine. They have a really good social work section and we spent a great deal of the time talking to them about what they do. They have a TON of violence and abuse in this city, so one of the programs they have set up is a parent/child contract that the child won't get abused. The kids wear these bracelets that say, "Abrazame te Quiero," which means, "hug me I love you..." and they have proven that it has stopped some parents from hitting their children. It makes me so sad to see such violence everywhere in this world.
We left Thursday morning and flew to Macas, which is a city in the AMAZON region of Ecuador. We drove a bus out to a nearby city called Sucua to see traditional medicine in the Shuar communities. We went to a traditional medicinal hospital, where some of the students in my group bought traditional medicines which included remedies for antistress, anti-cancer, stomach problems, etc. The hotel we were staying at in Sucua was AWESOME. There was monkeys on site (in cages unfortunately,) and a parrot that hungout in the trees saying HOLA all day. A couple of us played soccer before lunch and swam in the pool. It was REALLY warm on Thursday... YAY for the sun. We walked out to a garden in which the hospital grows plants that aren't readily accesible in the wild because they need to be maintained. So, they grow these in a garden to use and make herbal remedies for illnesses. Our night included witnessing traditional medicinal healings by a Shaman, and i have to say, was one of the strangest things I've witnessed in awhile. The Shaman drinks this thing called Ayauasca (I'm sure I butchered the spelling) but this is essentially a hallucinogten which allows him to see the past, and gives him visions for curing. We had to sit in abolute silence in this hut with a fire buring for 3 hours while people came in, and the Shaman took their evil spirts and bad energy from their bodies. He went around to each and every one of us before his patients showed up, and blew some stuff in our faces, blew smoke in our faces, and sucked the negative/bad energy from our bodies. He would also sing these songs, which was a part of the medicinal effect, and when he was sucking the energies out of my class, he would only sign sometimes... But did on me. Luckily, there was no meaning behind this I found it, it's just part of the process... When he would suck the bad energy, he would gag, because it apparently gets stuck in his throat, so he then would spit it out. It was CRAZY. After it was all finished, we were told that there was a possiblity that we couldn't get taxis back (taxis in Sucua meant sitting in the back of a truck bed...) and we would be walking for an hour. LUCKILY, two taxis showed up since it was not yet midnight (11:50.) We got LUCKY. The Shaman came to discuss it with us the next day about what happened, the process of becoming a Shaman, etc. His father was told by HIS father (so this shaman's grandfather...) said that a special boy was going to be born, and Ricardo, the Shaman we met, was born with these special powers. This is the most powerful type of Shaman. Others become a Shman after a strange impact/accident has occurred and they survive, or if someone learns to become a Shaman. He said when he sees a bad vision there are sparks everywhere. In order to advance yourself, you must follow norms and rules, which for a year includes no eatting pig meat, ahà (sort of like salsa), cuy (guinea pig) and no sex... Pig meat to some people is REALLY negative, and will make your positive energy smaller, so this particular Shaman avoids it at all costs. A lot of dedication, no? Anyway, so really, a very interesting experience. It has been so informative and incredible to witness this form of treatment which I have never really thought too much about before. To see it, and the amount of people who believe in it, is really amazing. So, Friday morning we left Sucua, and headed to Macas to a tour agency. We got hooked up with this guy name Rafael, and went to this place called "Huer de Eden" which is a place with a bunch of rescued South American animals. They were SO different than any I'd ever seen before, so it was fun.
We stayed at a hostal for $8/night and woke up REALLY early the next morning to head out to the JUNGLE. We drove out of Macas for 45 minutes on a bus, and then hiked for 30 minutes through the jungle through sometimes kneehigh mud. Luckily we had some good boots and I DIDN'T fall this time! We crossed a river via a canoe and stayed in this hut which resembled a Shuar (indigenous) home. It was SO cool. It had a hammock inside, these beds which I think were made out of Balsa, and like a loft type thing which people slept on. We got there and it was raining pretty hard, but we immediately went for a hike up a REALLY steep hill, but when we got to the lookout point, it was incredible. The jungle stretched for MILES, even all the way to Peru I guess. It was SO beautiful and surreal. The coolest thing was learning about the many capabilities of Balsa wood. It is used for gel, as a lubricant for pregnant women, to build huts, rafts, etc. I was in shock at the ability for these people to construct such amazing things (they place we stayed, a raft, etc.) then came back for lunch. It was some type of soup, I'm not sure. We then hiked again and saw this ENORMOUS tree which is over 1,000 years old, which has roots that can extend up to 60 or 70 meters long. We learned about a bunch of different medicinal plants and then headed back to eat MORE. We ate fried yuca ( VERY traditional root) with ahà and this fruit called Guyana (?) which was delicious! Then we put on our swimsuits and headed up the river to one of the guide's brother's hut, and we then went back down river to SWIM. It's really cool, because there are two different river which merge into one. But one is the black river, and is black because it is just rocks at the bottom, so it's really clean, the other is not so clean, but when they merge, you can see the two distinct rivers. It's really crazy. Apparently, they say there is one anaconda that lives in the river, and because they are territorial, there is only one. Luckily, I didn't have any encounters with it. :) Afterward, we came back and two other girls and I helped two of the guides cook dinner, which was done almost entirely by campfire and headlamps. It was INCREDIBLE. We had chicken, beef, rice, this salad with peapods, apple and corn, a tea from a jungle plant and for dessert, fruit cocktail. It was probably one of the best meals I've head in a really long time. It took 3 hours to make the entire meal. Oh, and we made chifles which are banana chips from scratch and they are SO amazing. it was really fun though, because the two guides we cooked with were 25 and 18 so we just talked the whole time, they told us some spanish jokes, taught us some slang. It was SO fun.This morning we hiked back and they packed us into ONE truck with all our backpacks (there is 14 of us), 14 sleeping back, 14 pairs of boots and drove us back into Macas. We ate breakfast, and then flew back and now I'm at home... My home away from my Maple Valley home. :) It really was such a fun weekend... We're back in Quito this week for school, and have some homework assignments to complete. I'm off to dinner and then to do homework. Miss you all and love you!!!
The exerience was really cool in seeing a bunch of different traditions practiced by the Tsáchila. The men all wear blue skirt type things with white stripes and their hair is combed forward with this vibrant red color that comes from a plant called achote. Once, long ago there was a sickness and achote has good energy. So, they initially put this all over the body to rid of all the bad/negative energy in the body. So, now, they just do the hair for the same effect. After this, we went and got the opportunity to participate in a cleansing. Luckily for me, this did not involve having a guinea pig rubbed on my body, but what it did entail, we me taking my shirt off. (No, I was not completely topless!) Katie and I were allowed to do it as the same time, so we now like to say that we are Tsáchila sisters. Oh, we also were all given tribal names, and my name is Curoo. They threw out a few different names, at which the entire tribe LAUGHED at, including curoo. I found out it's some type of animal that resembles a prairie dog or rat. Wonderful. :) Then cleansing was an incredible experience though, and I knew that had I not done it, I would never get the opportunity again. First off, it was performed on a Shaman (called Poné in Tsáchila) who has to know at LEAST 200 different plants and their capabilites. So, the Shaman put rocks in my hands, spit some special mixture onto the rocks and was whistling the whole time. He would hit rocks together all around my body, and then hit an instrument which would vibrate on your skin. He then put these incredibly amazing smelling herbs in your hands and had you smell them, and then put some more of this secretive liquid on the herbs. We rubbed the herbs all over our body, and then he sprayed the liquid on our body by spitted it onto us. (May not sound too thrilling to anyone else,) but it really was a relaxing, peaceful experience. I felt at ease after it, as if I had no worries. We were told we couldn't shower until the next morning, and we weren't allowed to eat fish, pig, nuts, or anything spicy. We then saw a typical food preparation which would include banana, rice and potatoes. (i'm beginning to get a little sick of rice, potatoes and bread.--it's included in EVERY meal). They then did a traditional dance, and we tried some fruit which I still don't know the name of and I bought a bracelet and a really cool wooden lanza thing. :) Fruit, like I've said before is AMAZING here. I'm obsessed.
Then next day we hiked out to a sacred ceremonial spot for the Tsáchila and they did a different type of cleansing, which I did not participate in this one. All of the cleansings are done in order to get rid of bad energy and to bring in positive energy. This one was with a plant, which he flicked the herb mixture onto people. Everyone was SOAKED, and attracting mosquitos. Oh yes, the reason I say deet in my title, is because deet is my life saver. So far, I've been fortunate enough to only get 3 bites after spending nearly the entire week in bug infested territory. The best part for me about this day was learning about the health in this community. They have this guy named Leonitas who works with the Ministery of Health here to collaboarate and have an intercultural health system. So, approximately 50% of pregnant women chose to stay in the village to give birth because it is less expensive, more spiritual, and there is little to no transportation. They would have to walk 10 to 30km to the nearest healthcare center. So, Leonitas is teaching midwives and Shamans how to more appropriately deal with pregnancies/prenatal checkups. Privacy is a huge importance for the Tsáchila, so this is violated when they go to a Western hospital. There is a lot of anemia, malnutrition, diarrhea, parasitic diseases and respiratory diseases. It is really, really sad. Oh, by the way, I totally ate S*** down a really, slippery hill. We then came back Tuesday night to Quito and on Wednesdsay went to nearby cities to see more traditional medicine in practice. We went to the city of Guanamà where they have a hospital set up that offers both western and traditional medicine. They have a really good social work section and we spent a great deal of the time talking to them about what they do. They have a TON of violence and abuse in this city, so one of the programs they have set up is a parent/child contract that the child won't get abused. The kids wear these bracelets that say, "Abrazame te Quiero," which means, "hug me I love you..." and they have proven that it has stopped some parents from hitting their children. It makes me so sad to see such violence everywhere in this world.
We left Thursday morning and flew to Macas, which is a city in the AMAZON region of Ecuador. We drove a bus out to a nearby city called Sucua to see traditional medicine in the Shuar communities. We went to a traditional medicinal hospital, where some of the students in my group bought traditional medicines which included remedies for antistress, anti-cancer, stomach problems, etc. The hotel we were staying at in Sucua was AWESOME. There was monkeys on site (in cages unfortunately,) and a parrot that hungout in the trees saying HOLA all day. A couple of us played soccer before lunch and swam in the pool. It was REALLY warm on Thursday... YAY for the sun. We walked out to a garden in which the hospital grows plants that aren't readily accesible in the wild because they need to be maintained. So, they grow these in a garden to use and make herbal remedies for illnesses. Our night included witnessing traditional medicinal healings by a Shaman, and i have to say, was one of the strangest things I've witnessed in awhile. The Shaman drinks this thing called Ayauasca (I'm sure I butchered the spelling) but this is essentially a hallucinogten which allows him to see the past, and gives him visions for curing. We had to sit in abolute silence in this hut with a fire buring for 3 hours while people came in, and the Shaman took their evil spirts and bad energy from their bodies. He went around to each and every one of us before his patients showed up, and blew some stuff in our faces, blew smoke in our faces, and sucked the negative/bad energy from our bodies. He would also sing these songs, which was a part of the medicinal effect, and when he was sucking the energies out of my class, he would only sign sometimes... But did on me. Luckily, there was no meaning behind this I found it, it's just part of the process... When he would suck the bad energy, he would gag, because it apparently gets stuck in his throat, so he then would spit it out. It was CRAZY. After it was all finished, we were told that there was a possiblity that we couldn't get taxis back (taxis in Sucua meant sitting in the back of a truck bed...) and we would be walking for an hour. LUCKILY, two taxis showed up since it was not yet midnight (11:50.) We got LUCKY. The Shaman came to discuss it with us the next day about what happened, the process of becoming a Shaman, etc. His father was told by HIS father (so this shaman's grandfather...) said that a special boy was going to be born, and Ricardo, the Shaman we met, was born with these special powers. This is the most powerful type of Shaman. Others become a Shman after a strange impact/accident has occurred and they survive, or if someone learns to become a Shaman. He said when he sees a bad vision there are sparks everywhere. In order to advance yourself, you must follow norms and rules, which for a year includes no eatting pig meat, ahà (sort of like salsa), cuy (guinea pig) and no sex... Pig meat to some people is REALLY negative, and will make your positive energy smaller, so this particular Shaman avoids it at all costs. A lot of dedication, no? Anyway, so really, a very interesting experience. It has been so informative and incredible to witness this form of treatment which I have never really thought too much about before. To see it, and the amount of people who believe in it, is really amazing. So, Friday morning we left Sucua, and headed to Macas to a tour agency. We got hooked up with this guy name Rafael, and went to this place called "Huer de Eden" which is a place with a bunch of rescued South American animals. They were SO different than any I'd ever seen before, so it was fun.
We stayed at a hostal for $8/night and woke up REALLY early the next morning to head out to the JUNGLE. We drove out of Macas for 45 minutes on a bus, and then hiked for 30 minutes through the jungle through sometimes kneehigh mud. Luckily we had some good boots and I DIDN'T fall this time! We crossed a river via a canoe and stayed in this hut which resembled a Shuar (indigenous) home. It was SO cool. It had a hammock inside, these beds which I think were made out of Balsa, and like a loft type thing which people slept on. We got there and it was raining pretty hard, but we immediately went for a hike up a REALLY steep hill, but when we got to the lookout point, it was incredible. The jungle stretched for MILES, even all the way to Peru I guess. It was SO beautiful and surreal. The coolest thing was learning about the many capabilities of Balsa wood. It is used for gel, as a lubricant for pregnant women, to build huts, rafts, etc. I was in shock at the ability for these people to construct such amazing things (they place we stayed, a raft, etc.) then came back for lunch. It was some type of soup, I'm not sure. We then hiked again and saw this ENORMOUS tree which is over 1,000 years old, which has roots that can extend up to 60 or 70 meters long. We learned about a bunch of different medicinal plants and then headed back to eat MORE. We ate fried yuca ( VERY traditional root) with ahà and this fruit called Guyana (?) which was delicious! Then we put on our swimsuits and headed up the river to one of the guide's brother's hut, and we then went back down river to SWIM. It's really cool, because there are two different river which merge into one. But one is the black river, and is black because it is just rocks at the bottom, so it's really clean, the other is not so clean, but when they merge, you can see the two distinct rivers. It's really crazy. Apparently, they say there is one anaconda that lives in the river, and because they are territorial, there is only one. Luckily, I didn't have any encounters with it. :) Afterward, we came back and two other girls and I helped two of the guides cook dinner, which was done almost entirely by campfire and headlamps. It was INCREDIBLE. We had chicken, beef, rice, this salad with peapods, apple and corn, a tea from a jungle plant and for dessert, fruit cocktail. It was probably one of the best meals I've head in a really long time. It took 3 hours to make the entire meal. Oh, and we made chifles which are banana chips from scratch and they are SO amazing. it was really fun though, because the two guides we cooked with were 25 and 18 so we just talked the whole time, they told us some spanish jokes, taught us some slang. It was SO fun.This morning we hiked back and they packed us into ONE truck with all our backpacks (there is 14 of us), 14 sleeping back, 14 pairs of boots and drove us back into Macas. We ate breakfast, and then flew back and now I'm at home... My home away from my Maple Valley home. :) It really was such a fun weekend... We're back in Quito this week for school, and have some homework assignments to complete. I'm off to dinner and then to do homework. Miss you all and love you!!!
posted by Mariah at 2:23 PM
2 Comments:
shannon! your entries are so interesting! wow! you really took me back to the jungle!! congrats on only getting 3 mosquito bites! that is definately a victory: shannon-1, jungle-0.
im excited you learned about ayahuasca! i did that twice when i was there, its very interesting. and shamans are cool. :) i'm excited to hear more about what you thought of the amazon!
shannon! your entries are so interesting! wow! you really took me back to the jungle!! congrats on only getting 3 mosquito bites! that is definately a victory: shannon-1, jungle-0.
im excited you learned about ayahuasca! i did that twice when i was there, its very interesting. and shamans are cool. :) i'm excited to hear more about what you thought of the amazon!
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