Preparing for the Camino de Santiago

I am dying to go on a physical and spiritual journey. I am planing on going May 2015.

The Way of St. James or El Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route that leads to the shrine of the apostle St James the great. It starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and ends in Cape Finisterre in the coast of Spain. The entire trip is done on foot. 780km to Santiago and then another 90km to Finisterre. Staying in hostels and other accomidations for pilgrams.

I will Fly into Paris take the train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port get my crediciales and then start walking. I would keep everyone updated and post pictures and blog about my experience. I will probably be on my own for the entire journey but hope on making friends and meeting new people while trying to tune in to my spiritual side. Once I reach Cape Finisterre I will travel back to Madrid and fly home.

March 2, 2015 It finally came! My credenciales or pilgrims passport. I got two incase I get stamp happy. And both of my guide books. One is from St. Jean to Santiago. And the other one is from Santiago to Finesterra and Muxia. I can not believe I am actually going to do this :) It is so exciting. 

https://life.indiegogo.com/fundraisers/pilgrimage-the-way-of-saint-james/x/9959080 

March 22, 2015 Finally got my shell for the camino. It was a gift with two prayers. "A Pilgrim's Prayer" and "Beatitudes of the Pilgrim". I think i am all ready and set to go. Just waiting on my job to approve my leave. This is so exciting! The hardest part is that first step after getting off the plane. 

Prayers and Beatitudes

                      A Pilgrim's Prayer 

Although I may have travelled all the roads,
crossed mountains and valleys from East to West, 
if I have not discovered the freedom to be myself,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have shared all of my possessions
with people of other languages and cultures;
made friends with Pilgrims of a thousand paths,
or shared albergue with saints and princes,
if I am not capable of forgiving my neighbour tomorrow,
I have arrived nowhere. 

Although I may have carried my pack from beginning to end
and waited for every Pilgrim in need of encouragement, 
or given my bed to one who arrived later than I,
given my bottle of water in exchange for nothing;
if upon returning to my home and work, 
I am not able to create brotherhood
or to make happiness, peace and unity,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have had food and water each day,
and enjoyed a roof and shower every night;
or may have had my injuries well attended,
if I have not discovered in all that the love of God,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have seen all the monuments
and contemplated the best sunsets;
although I may have learned a greeting in every language;
or tried the clean water from every fountain;
if I have not discovered who is the author
of so much free beauty and so much peace,
I have arrived nowhere.

If from today I do not continue walking along the Way,
searching for and living according to what I have learned;
if from today I do not see in every person, friend or foe
a companion on the Camino;
I have arrived nowhere. 

                            The Beatitudes of the Pilgrim

Blessed are you pilgrim, if you discover that the “camino” opens your eyes to what is not seen. 

Blessed are you pilgrim, if what concerns you most is not to arrive, as to arrive with others.

Blessed are you pilgrim, when you contemplate the “camino” and you discover it is full of names and dawns. 

Blessed are you pilgrim, because you have discovered that the authentic “camino” begins when it is completed.

Blessed are you pilgrim, if your knapsack is emptying of things and your heart does not know where to hang up so many feelings and emotions.

Blessed are you pilgrim, if you discover that one step back to help another is more valuable than a hundred forward without seeing what is at your side.

Blessed are you pilgrim, when you don’t have words to give thanks for everything that surprises you at every twist and turn of the way.

Blessed are you pilgrim, if you search for the truth and make of the “camino” a life and of your life a “way” in search of the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Blessed are you pilgrim, if on the way you meet yourself and gift yourself with time, without rushing, so as not to disregard the image in your heart. 

Blessed are you pilgrim, if you discover that the “camino” holds a lot of silence, and the silence of prayer, and the prayer of meeting with God who 

is waiting for you." 

Dear Pilgrim, receive this concha, the badge of a Pilgrim, that all may recognize you as a Pilgrim on the road to Santiago De Compostela. 

Herb Roasted Turkey

Loose cloves of garlic are extra.

This is my favorite go to turkey recipe. It is super easy. I used it on turkey breast and on whole birds. You can even adapt it for all sorts of poultry recipes. You only need to adjust the seasoning depending on the size of the bird. I start this the Tuesday before thanksgiving, but definitely do it at least the day before so that the flavors permeates into the bird. But if you forget the morning of is alright and just stick it in the oven at the appropriate time for cooking. Just make sure it if fully defrosted!!

Today I used  a 16lb turkey.



First the Herb Butter:

2 Stick of Butter (I prefer unsalted)
6 Garlic Cloves
6 Tablespoons of fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (curly is purely decorative)
2 Tablespoons of fresh Sage
2 Tablespoons of fresh Oregano
2 Tablespoons of fresh Rosemary
2 Tablespoons of fresh Thyme
3 Tablespoons of Herb de Provence (optional)
2 Tablespoons of Salt and Pepper
Juice of one Lemon
Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive oil. About a tablespoon full

You can finely mince all the herbs, garlic and combine it well with the salt, pepper and herb de Provence with the ONE stick of room temperature butter (don't forget the lemon juice and olive oil). Or I like to  combine all of the above ingredients in a food processer. No need for chopping. Set aside

Next the roasting veggies:

4 to 6 medium Shallots
4 medium to large Carrots
4 Celery stalks
1 Giant Turnip or 4 small ones
1 to 1 1/2lbs of little red potatoes ( or your favorite small ones)
2 to 3 Leeks (optional but be sure to wash the leek after chopping them. They have a lot of dirt)

Peel the carrots and turnips. Cut them in half keep them in medium to large chunks. Same with the celery and potatoes. Halve the shallots. Veggies should all be about the same size so they all cook evenly. Spread them on the bottom of the roasting pan. Season with sea salt and pepper. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and place roasting rack on top of veggies for the turkey to sit on.  You can add other veggies or experiment with different roasting ones to change the flavor though out the season. 

Also for the inside of the turkey:

I use 1 to 2 lemons quartered
2 to 3 whole heads of garlic also chopped in half along the circumference ( the round part)
a few sprigs of the fresh Thyme and Rosemary
One onion halve
Set aside.

Now the Turkey.
After you have deforested and cleaned your turkey. Pat the out side dry with a paper towel. Next separate the skin of the turkey from the meat. You can even get part of the thighs (do not bother with the wings). Do not break or tear the skin! It is easy, just slip your hands under the skin and between the meat. It feels weird and a bit cold.
Now rub the herb butter all over underneath the skin of the turkey spreading it everywhere. Try to get an even layer. Pat the skin flat along the turkey. You can see some of the green herbs through the skin.
Now rub the second stick of butter all over the outside of the turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

Finally stuff the turkey.

Add salt and pepper to the inside of the turkey. Then add the lemons, garlic, onion and herbs to the inside of the turkey. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place it in the roasting pan on top of the roasting rack. Make sure to tuck the wings under the bird to keep them from burning. Also tuck that round neck flap part under the turkey. I like to drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on top and add about 2 cups two a whole bottle of dry white wine. Place the lid on and leave it in the fridge until ready for roasting.

Follow the directions on the package. A 16lb bird takes about 3 hours. Rotate the roasting pan about once an hour and I roast it uncover for the last 45 minutes to get that lovely golden crisp skin. Be sure to baste it every time you turn it. Make sure your thermometer reads 180° F on the thighs and 165° F the breast. Let the turkey rest on a platter with an aluminum foil tent for 30minutes. The veggies you can place on a serving platter but I like to puree it all and add the roasted garlic cloves from inside the turkey like a fancy mash potatoes ( or pop them like candy in your mouth also spread on bread is good too) . I have been know to over cook my turkey a bit longer because I am never really sure if it cooked properly. (like that one year where the meat literally fell off the bone but man it was good).
But it is so well buttered and oiled and with the basting it never dries out. You get the most juiciest turkey ever.

Will post pic of finished turkey on Thursday. I like to place it on a platter sitting on a bed of arugula and some clementine's and grapes adorning it. I also rearrange the lemons from inside the turkey back in the cavity with new sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.

Best eaten with friends and family. Very easy to make and very flavorful. Totally stress free since it is all prepped ahead. all you need to do is pre warm the oven. Normally I do this with just the turkey breast. I think the breast looks very elegant and it is so much more easier and less intimidating than cooking a whole bird. Just adjust the seasoning to about half since a breast is normally about 7lbs.

I serve an assortment of wines. I start from the lightest to the heaviest. All in the same glass. Don't bother washing the glasses in between since that actually will alter the taste of the wines. For example Chablis, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, to petite Syrah, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Bordeaux, Cote du Rhone etc. or just pick one or two. I have my friends bring the booze since I made the food. keep it simple. You can get great bottles in the $10 range. If you are really fancy champagne goes with everything. You can make champagne cocktails to start. regular champagne for dinner and then back to champagne cocktails for desert. Hot mulled wine is excellent and great if you have a big cheap jug of wine and it is extra frosty outside.

Granola

Cinnamon Granola with dried cranberries, apricots, dates, coconut flakes and assorted nuts 

Since I shared my Yogurt recipe I figured I might as well share how I make my granola
I make big batches of it now.
 At least 12 cups of old fashion oats and I store it in an old Tupperware cereal container
I do them on two cookie sheets, 3 cups in each batch, two times for 12 cups total.

This is what I did the first time
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
3 cups of old fashion oats or any kind of grain like rye, millet etc
pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract
1/4 of a cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil
and 1/4 of Honey

I hand mixed everything in a large bowl and then spread it evenly on a cookie sheet.
Bake for a total of 25 minutes. Half way through stir the mixture to make sure it is baking
evenly. I've since gotten to lazy to do that step and just let it go with out stirring
It should smell lovely
Once you can smell it keep an eye on it I had one batch burn on me once. Guess the oven decide to
be extra warm that day. I just set the timer on my microwave. Don't go more than 30 minutes

Once it bakes I run a fork kinda like "fluffing it up" then just let it cool for a bit
It does harden as it cools and sometimes I get clumps. If you like it extra clumpy wait until it is
completely cooled before running a fork through it.

Now comes the Yummy stuff.
I add in chopped raw nuts
Almonds, cashews, walnuts and pecans. Plus more if I get them on sale
I prefer organic nuts but I cannot always afford them and it is a bit out of my way to get.
I like them raw because once you toast the nuts they lose their nutritional value. Certain nuts
turn their fat into trans fat and other stuff I read somewhere. Cashews might actually be better for you roasted. If you decide to roast, low and slow is the way to go.
One of my favorite tricks is to bake half the batch of nuts and keep the other half raw.
That way I get yummy nutty flavor and retain the nutritional value of the raw nuts.

After the nuts my favorite ingredient  is dry cranberries and dried apricots
The apricots I chop up into small pieces. I have also started adding dried figs also chopped
I just toss them in the food processor with the nuts and pulse a few times,
 enough to break them up but not enough to pulverize them. I aim for about the size of the
dry cranberries. Lastly my new thing is raw pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes.
Then just toss into some yogurt and enjoy.
So much cheaper and better for you than buying store brand granola which
is loaded with extra sugars preservatives and even GMO's. Especially the stuff that looks
"healthy" is the worst for you and the most expensive (I tend to Google stuff on my phone while grocery shopping sometimes to see if it contains GMO).

I started experimenting with my basic recipe. I was trying to figure out how to make it healthier
I started taking out the salt since I eat out so much and lots of the stuff is processed
I try to save where I can. I did not notice a difference in taste.
Next I would substitute the honey with maple syrup or agave (mostly because I ran out of honey)
Also the last batch I made contained no brown sugar or honey. Just oats, extra cinnamon and
extra virgin olive oil. It came out a bit on the plainer side but not very noticeable once you toss in
all the nuts, fruits and seeds served up in creamy yogurt. Plus I figures if I use the brown sugar
I don't need the honey and vice versa. Molasses is good too!

You can add just about anything to this recipe and omit anything you do not like
It's so easy to change up the taste by just changing out the cinnamon for ginger or cardamon
or any other spice that might be appealing . You can make it more treat like by lightly using the small size
dark chocolate chips, or peanut chips.

I tend to eat about 3/4 of a cup or less twice a day with about 6 ounces of yogurt. It is healthy for you
but it is loaded with calories mostly because of the nuts. But it is the good kind of calories.

If you follow the directions and not toast the oats you basically have muesli. Muesli tends to be a
bit hard to chew so it's best to soak it over night to soften it for breakfast the next day.
Quick oats should not need soaking so they make better muesli than old fashion oats.
But I think quick oats are to fragile to bake for granola. But if you find the granola to hard to chew
then definitively use the quick oats. They might need less baking time. I tend to let my granola sit
in the yogurt for a while and that softens it. You can also eat it cold like cereal or hot
like oat meal.


Bob's Red Mill 4708 Bob's Red Mill Honey Oat - 4x12 OZ (Google Affiliate Ad)

Yogurt

My newest obsession is making home made yogurt.

Homemade yogurt with puree blueberries and granola

The only thing I would recommend is a thermometer to check the milk temperature and that it is oven safe too.

I start by boiling 7 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of heavy cream (each cup of milk makes for a cup of yogurt) to 180 degrees, then cool it down to
110 degrees.
The fastest way to cool  it down is by placing the pot in the sink with cold water.

For a while I was getting raw milk. The raw milk I would only heat up to 110 degrees instead of 180 degrees that way it kept all the good "bacteria" and not kill anything by pasteurizing it. If you are using raw milk then you do not need the cream since raw milk is naturally creamier.

I would preheat the oven since I don't have a yogurt maker or an electric blanket.
The oven must be no higher than 110 degrees or else it kills the culture.
I was using plain Greek yogurt at first since my health food store does not sell a yogurt starter.
I do two tablespoons of the Greek yogurt for every 4 cups of warm milk.
I have now been using two tablespoons of my own yogurt mixture that I reserve from my last batch and have had great results so far. I mix it well in the containers that will store the yogurt in the fridge.
Then I place it all in the oven with a pot of boiling water in the bottom to help maintain the oven temperature. The yogurt must be in for a minimum of 8 hours up to 24 hours.
At 24 hours the yogurt is completely lactose free since the live culture eat the lactose.
Sometimes half way through I reboil the water if I feel the oven temperature has dropped.
Then it all goes in the refrigerator to cool down.

After a few hours it's ready to eat. It comes out very thick and creamy.
You can drain and reserve the excess liquid. I just stir it in since it does not bother me.
At this point you can add a little vanilla extract since it is very plain. and unsweetened. I
usually skip that part. But I have been thinking about using a little lemon extract.

I love to eat it with fresh fruit puree and granola. Just honey is great too.
I have served it up with a spoonful of red current jam or apricot jam with granola for my friends.
Basically any jam or jelly will work. It is so much healthier than the supermarket stuff that is loaded with artificial sugars and preservatives. The hardest part is the wait.

One time I made it earlier in the morning and I had it in the oven for 5 hours before I realized that I had forgotten the starter! I had basically made warm milk. But it turned out okay. I took it out and used some of my left over yogurt from my last batched. Whisked it in said a prayer to the yogurt gods and back in the oven it went. 16 hours later I had yogurt! I figured since it was at the ideal temperature it would be okay.

I go through 8 cups of yogurt every week. I need to find a glass container that can hold a gallon. Be great to make it every two weeks instead of every week. I eat 6 ounces in the morning and again in the evening.

I swear I am addicted.

Yogurt is great to help maintain good probiotics and digestive health. It is also a great diet aid plus the calcium is good for your bones and it is much easier to tolerate than milk especially if you make it lactose free. I do not recommend using low fat or fat free milk since it will give you a very watery consistency. You can leave out the cream but I feel that it makes it thicker.

Yogurt Starter (Google Affiliate Ad)

Cali

Inner court yard of  El museo Arqueologico 

After a quick cab ride to the
Very safe San Antonio part of town
I settled in nicely at "Casa Café"
Got a private room for $25,000 pesos. No mirrors.
But had several lounge areas, a hammock, kitchen and two shared bathrooms and WiFi.
Also back to no TV.
But a great book exchange.

I managed almost no TV since I left the States. Except for those ten days in Tenguel were I had nothing to do except watch endless amount of
Películas en TNT español.

View from La Casa Cafe

I for the most part have been
out. Or just had no access.
Like did you guys know that the Olympics
had started.
Missed Wimbledon and Katie
Holmes is now divorcing Tom Cruise! No reality
TV, just my reality life. Also heard about the two mass shootings
All my info now comes through Facebook.

After a not exactly HOT shower
I was refreshed and hungry.
So off I went completely clueless
but guide book in hand.
Cali is considered the Salsa capitol of the world.
It is also well know for having over 1,700+ assassins
for hire.

After wondering around a bit I found the market area of the city
I managed a buñuelo which I normally
love but half way through, it was just to
greasy and on the verge of going stale
washed it down with a Colombia for under $3,000 pesos
and I finally ended my months long search for a yellow
highlighter $1,000 pesos (I honestly have not really been
searching just occasionally glancing around for one ).
Everywhere I looked I could not help
feeling disgusted at the amount of deep fried food
available everywhere. Everything is fried and monochromatic
tan.

I miss Wendy's, heck at this point even McDonald's
would be most welcome. I would give anything for a
brick oven pizza. Loads of Dunkin Donuts around
but I am not that desperate yet.

After wondering around some more aimlessly
I found Iglesia de la Merced and the adjacent
Arqueológico museum. It is a mid 16th century church.
The best part was the court yard and the impressive tree outside
Visited another half dozen churches
All old and boring

I did enjoy walking in the park along side
El Rio Cali, that is the best part of Cali.
As night fell the weather finally got cooler
Popped in for a mani pedi $17,000 pesos
Could of gotten it for $10,000 but they lacked AC.

Walking back was scary scary
Night had fully fallen and no one was out
The few people that were out were Men.
No women. It was only 7PM! Never been more glad to
be back in the safety of my room. I am learning to trust my
sense of direction more.

Got invited to a salsa club

I got lucky the next day was a national holiday
so everyone was going out to party.
Went to the Tin Tin Decco club $10,000 pesos to get in
But it's consumable which equals to about 4 beers.
Had my first salsa lesson. Figured out the two basic step
still haven't master el pasito calieno. But I must
of been doing good, got asked out to dance twice!

I wore my teal green flapper dress. It was meant
to be shaken. I will have to invest in a small pair of heels.
Several shots of rum later we were off
It was 2:30am the clubs close at 3am.
We were going to another club were the rules are not
as regulated.

We went to Las Brisas de Jamundi
That place was something else. Everyone oozed money.
My perfect gravity defying tits and ass never stood a chance
and I am a 36DD

I clearly have too many pesky ribs!
I clearly could not compete.
Cali is also known for its renowned cheap plastic surgery.

Several shots later a beautiful specimen of a man
With dark chocolate colored skin came up to me.
Started telling me he was from Texas
Anything I wanted no problem
Showing off his $2300 sneakers, Versace jeans
Louis Vuitton belt and last seasons Hugo boss sweater.
I was not impressed.

But then he told me about his wife from Ontario
I lost total interest at that point. But my favorite part was
When he started rattling off a long list of drugs
he could get me. The only one I recognize was marijuana.
Turns out he was previously talking to someone else in my group
He told her "tengo armas" among other things
Clearly this tactic must work wonders on foreign girls. 
I decided to pass up my opportunity to shack up with a
wanna be narco in the ritzy part of town.

On the way out actual narcos on horses.
You know God I was just kidding when
I said I wanted a wealthy narco boyfriend....I think.....

Apparently there is a narco farm nearby.
Everyone else had cool cars.
Those poor mustangs looked anorexic.
You figured with all that drug money they could afford some hay

Got in near 5 am 7 of us squeezed into the worlds tiniest taxi
Passed out in bed naked, must remember to eat before
consuming two bottles of rum next time

I do not believe I will be returning to Cali anytime soon
The people were very nice to me, but it just felt
odd. Like something was not right. Just not a good vibe.

Longing

The sunsets early in this part of the world.
I long for those long summer days
Where the sun seems to never set

But alas I am in perpetual winter
Where it is night by 6PM.

I miss my midnight picnics in the park
By the lake getting drunk on wine
And cheese as the moon ripples over the water

I miss my stars and moon
I feel lost among this alien sea of constellations
And moon less sky.

I miss being kissed
I missed being held
And holding hands.

I miss food
Getting gelato at 2am
Gorging myself on duck and oysters
Bubble tea and Vietnamese sandwiches
Procuitto covered grapes
And rare meat.

I hate rice.

I miss going places alone
And not feeling alienated for being on my own
Because I am a woman.

I miss dating

I miss you.

I long for you
Am I meant to be alone...

I am actually proud of myself.
Wondering around on my own
Through foreign lands
Pushing myself to try new things.

Trying to figure out who I am
Trying to figure out my life path
Do I need a life path?
What do I want out of this life?
As a child I never knew what to say
when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up
I did not know
I still do not know

I guess I just have to keep on moving

But I enjoy standing still

Border Crossing

After spending a week back
in Guayaquil I decided to head north to
Colombia. I left on the 11PM bus
heading to Tulcán.
About a 13 hour bus ride.

No one sat next to me so I
managed to sprawl out and sleep
the majority of the way to Quitó

Quitó was cold
but luckily I had my new
cream colored alpaca shawl to
keep me cozy and warm.

I realised we hit 3700m above sea level
when I instinctively started mouth
are breathing and my chest felt funny.
This is the part where my ears started
popping and my mild cold started
waging a war campaign

Made it to Tulcán on a beautifully warm sunny
day. Got in at 12:30PM. Took a $3.50 cab ride
to the boarder. They had a huge 3+hour wait
line that wrapped around the building. Luckily I found out
I only had a 10min wait to exit the country. Got both
passports stamped and I was on my way.

Crossed the street, over the bridge and poof
I was in Colombia, and I managed to cross over
during the day like I wanted.
No wait to get my entry stamp.
Saved the $38 by using my Ecuadorian passport
and the immigrant officials gave me his number...

It was too easy. I thought it would
be harder or more complicated
El Farc or Guerrilla was not waiting for me.
No one raped or murdered me. For my first overland
boarder crossing it was pretty cool (crossing
into Canada does not count).

$1,700 peso cab ride later I was in Ipiales
got on the first bus leaving in 10min to Cali.
That cost me another $40,000 pesos. Either I just
dropped a small fortune or I am getting amazing deal.

That bus ride was torturous!
It only got colder and colder. We hit higher elevations
My ears were kaput. I was feverish, deaf and dying.

A poor girl had her bag stolen from her seat at
a terminal bus stop in Paso. We were resting for 20min
almost everyone had gotten off. I was too sleep to move
Noticed to guys in black jackets sitting in
front of me. Then one guy moved across from me
Then he moved again behind me.
We smiled.
I got up to close the two windows across from me.
That couple had also left their bag on their seat.
Everyone did. Then both guys got up and left.
Apparently they had boarded when everyone else
got off. No one check to see if they
had a ticket. Poor girl said her university
tuition was in her bag.

As night fell we started stopping more.
I was oblivious in my mucous infested haze.
I did notice at one rest stop armed military guards.
Normally armed guards in Ecuador do not
faze me. The mall has a small army of heavily
armed guards. They can launch a small war
perhaps with the neighbouring mall...
But these guards were military. That I have not
seen in Ecuador. Even in el Oriente were you stop
for control check points (due to Colombian drug trafficking)
they use regular police for that. I found it especially odd
at a gas station.

At this point I had not eaten since 7PM
the previous day when my cousin S took
me out for grilled pork chops. I got off
the bus grabbed a bag of chips, a Colombian and
the worlds biggest aspirin for under $3,000 pesos.
This is the point where I discovered I was
also mute. Apparently you need to hear in
order to talk.

Back on the hell mobile we had a few more
mini stops and then a really long one.
About an hour away from Popayán we stopped
again. For over an hour. This is when I got
off the bus to stretch my legs. My L5 was killing me
I had previously herniated it back in '09 and it had
had enough. Besides it had suddenly turned
Very hot and balmy. I needed air.

It turns out we had been during "caravans" .
Us and another 5 buses. Turns out over the last
two months there has been an increase
in guerilla activity from Ipiales to Popayán.
They have been robbing night buses (So much
for crossing over during the day). Apparently when
they rob a bus they make all the men get off and
are most ungentile towards the ladies left behind.

So we are left to wait on the side of a road
at designated spots. The drivers make sure
the right amount of buses turn up and then
we wait for the police to come by giving the all
clear. I had not noticed before because
we had only been stopping for a few minutes
and besides I was much more concern with sleep.
This time the wait was over an hour.
It was a beautiful moonless night, along
a country road.

About 3 more hours on the hell
mobile I made it to Cali. Got in at 2am.
Should have been midnight...
Once we passed Popayán we just sailed right through.
I should not have anymore road issues for the rest of my trip.

I was done.
Checked into a motel
near the bus terminal. No WiFi but for
$35,000 pesos I had cable, itchy sheets and a
mirror over my bed. It was clean.
Turned on Spanish TNT and I passed out with my
cloths and the lights on. I recall my seductive self
looking down at me as my lucid dreams began.

Woke up refreshed around 11am just in time for the movie
I had seen before but cannot recall now began.
I was a hot sexy mess. Sprawled out languidly
on the bed. Turns out there were a lot more mirrors.

My fever had broken. But I was like a 20 year chain smoking
addict with a gross hacking cough. Spent the next two hours
memorized by the amount of mucous coming out of my
tiny little head. I believe it was my brain
clearly melting out of my noise.

Halfway through the "La Grujula Dorada"
I was ready to move on. It was 2PM and hot
91 degrees hot. I noticed I had spent my first night in
Colombia at the "Hard Rock" as in cafe motel.

Mindo

Mindo Garden 

Took the two and a half hour bus ride to the cloud forest of Mindo.
It tops off at 4700m above sea level.

Its beautiful
All lush and green.
Very very rural, peaceful

View from Hostal El Rocio 

Stayed en el hostal "El Rocío" por
$10 a night. It has a lovely garden
with a lagoon and big barbeque area
ideal for late night bon fires.
The owner is super nice.
Bit of a character, but in a good way.
Owns 8 dogs mostly rescues.
For the amount of pets the place was very clean and fur free. If dogs are not your  thing, they leave you alone if you ignore them.
But they love to bark at you like
some common thief sneaking in every
time you come in. Not much good as guards
because once you close the gate behind you they drop
down for naps.

Man on horseback

I visited the "Mariposas de Mindo"
It is a 4km walk in the blazing sun
They raise different species of butterflies
and then release most of them out to the wild.
Bit over priced for $5, but I did get to see
a few butterflies being born
They come out all big, wet and swollen.
Takes them about 4 to 5 hours to dry out
Then they take off.

Had loads of them land all over me.
On the way out there is a sign.....
"No repellent" .....oops!

One of Las Cascadas de Nambillo

2km further up is "Mindo Garden".
That is a beautiful spot, ideal for watching
Several different kinds of humming birds and butterflies
while enjoying slightly over priced beers.

My favorite was "El Santuario"
And "Cascadas de Nambillo"
It's $5 for the "Tarabita de Mindo"
Which is a 530meter cable car over a huge
ravine. Moves a lot faster than "El TeliferiqO"
in Quito but for some reason a lot less scarier
Even though it looks rusted.
Once you get to the other side
you begin the hike to the waterfalls.

There are at least 9 that are easy hikes
But I believe there are over 15 cascades.
The first and over crowded one is Nambillo
Then you follow t h e trail back up to the other 7 waterfalls that
make up "El Santuario".
Heard beautiful birds. All the birds in the area
Are endemic. Saw toucans and humming birds
It's a great work out.
Very tranquil and had almost the entire
trail to myself. Stopping at each fall to cool off in
the pristine white, turquoise blue water.
HUGE mosquitos!

My little friend accompanied me on my hike

Had a beautiful butterfly land on me
on the way down. It landed
on my right forearm and stayed for the
entire trek back down.
Even when I slipped and my heart
was pounding out of my chest, it held on.
Had another on try to french me. I shook it off on
instinct.

The 9th waterfall is "La Reina" .
It is at least an hour hike there.
I missed it because I wanted to head out
and did not want to miss the bus.
Only thing I regret is not doing
the canopy ride for $12 with the Costa Rican
"Mindo Canopy Adventure".  13 zip lines and
2500meters.

There is another canopy company
but they are not safe. Someone died there a few weeks ago
and loads of unreported injuries. Unfortunately the unsafe
people are expanding into the Amazon and Galapagos.
There lines are not nearly as thick as they should be
And the line that snapped was rusted all the way through.

Left after three days. If I had not
I would still be there on a hammock

Trekking in Ecuador by Kunstaetter, Robert/ Kunstaetter, Daisy/ Box, B (Google Affiliate Ad)

Me....

I have been out of the country for two months now.
Done a lot.
But not enough.

Still trying to figure out what it is that
I want out of life.
What do I need?
And what do I need to do to get there....

For the first time in my entire life
I am happy
I feel young
carefree
not lonely.

It's just me.

       
I am getting ready to head up the coast again
This time I am going to Colombia
I miss being in the valley of volcanoes
But the call of the ocean is too much for me to resist.
Besides I want to try and capture
some of the images I lost along the way.

I have freckles scattered across my nose now.
Always wanted freckles.....
They make me happy.

I keep wondering if I will ever be with someone.
Everyone seems to be paired up
except me.

Will that ever happen for me?

Do I even want that?

Miss holding hands
Kissing
Just laying in bed all day doing nothing
but making love and the crossword.

Am I meant to have a happily ever after? 

I rather be a me than a we if it means settling

I want the fairy tail
Or do I?....

I just need to keep moving.

Lots of guys hit on me
But basically if they are my age
they are already married, with kids and a girlfriend.
I am not looking for that,
be awful to allow myself to be lied too.

I just want honesty.
I have to learn to be honest with myself
first.

One of my dearest friend's said "You are
brave it is a quality that makes you attractive".

In reality I am terrified of everything,
everyone, including myself.

Fear is the devil.

I will conquer my fears.
I rather face them myself
than to die a thousand deaths.

I am slow and overly cautious.

But I rather make it to the mountain top
at my snail pace than not make it at all.
I am learning that not everything is a race.
I don't have to be the first one to the top
I just have to make it eventually
and stopping for the view every once in awhile
while finally being in the moment
feeling the air going in and out of my lungs
and into my bloodstream,
while the sun kisses my skin and
the wind carries my hair
is pure bliss
It sets my soul ablaze
It brings me in communion with God.
It brings me peace. 

I just have to trust that I am in control
of my destiny and if I keep working on bettering
myself, physically, mentally, emotionally and
intellectually, then it will happen for me.

One day

Quilotoa

Laguna de Quilotoa

Home at two am this morning
Drunk...
Over slept, my tour was supposed to start at 7am
They came and got me at my hotel.
Wish they had left without me.

                                                Live stock at the market of Saquisili

Went to the Saquisilí market.
Its considered the countries biggest and most important market
They sell animals, grain, textiles, fruits, fish, etc. Anything you would want or need can be found here.
It is still very traditionally indigenous. They come down from the hills
around 4am. Before they had pick up trucks they used start walking down from the surrounding hills
around 1am to be at the market by 5am. Its all over before noon.
The animal market ends around 9am.

It is also crawling with thieves.
All the markets are.
If you decide to go to one take nothing,
make sure nothing is in your pockets
And carry your bag in the front
Had my broken camera stolen with all my images of the past two months
Along with my chap stick...
Didn't feel a thing.
Having someone cut you off from your group is the most common way.
One person cuts you off someone else bumps into you
from behind. Poof your stuff is gone. Takes half a second.
It was a beautiful clear day
Terribly windy, so strong it was hard to stand up right
We were on the road called Latacunga Cevedo
Amazing view of the páramos on either side
Everything is golden because it is harvest time
They grow broccoli up to four times a year
It all gets exported to the US.
Potatoes is a main staple in the Andean diet.
The still live very traditionally like they had for generations.
The worst thing is when they go off to school
in the city because very few ever return home.

Girl running through the paramo

We stopped by Tigua.
Tigua is an artisan town. For the past 40years it has dedicated it
self to the arts. Their work is sold throughout the country
Some artist have even reached international acclaim.
In Tigua I learned about the legend of the Cóndor
The Cóndor is found in all the traditional paintings.

"A shepherdess was very sad and lonely.
She would go out and care for her sheep over the páramos
When one day a boy appeared dressed in white scarf,white pants
and a red poncho. "He was the Cóndor.
He approached her and would help her heard her sheep.
With the passing of time
she would invite him to walk around la Laguna Quilotoa
But one day while heading the sheep,
he took her far away. The girl had two dogs Azucena and
Amapola. They took the the sheep back to her parents
and told them what happened. That the Cóndor had kidnapped
the girl and took her to a place called CONDOR MATZI.
The family went off to eschew her.
The found her in a very high cave. They managed
to get her down with some rope. They locked her in her room.
She was so sad. She managed to make smoke signals.
The Cóndor saw the smoke and went to her window.
He took her far far way. In a few days she too turned into a cóndor
and they lived happly ever after".

I was not enjoying any of these places
I was only thinking of my lost images
Each one would flash in my mind
So vividly reminding me of what I will never be
able to recapture.

After more sweeping views and going up and down the Andes
We finally reach Quilotoa.
Quilotoa is a water-filled caldera about two miles wide
It is beautiful. Soft turquoise water with the twin Illinizas in the back
ground. Only the south Illiniza has a snow cap.

As you go down the path to the base of the crater
it feels like Greece with the white winding cliffs.
and mules bringing tourist up from the lagoon.

The soft white volcanic sand and the slight steep decline
made the going a little hazardous, but the
only thing that was really in danger was my ego
hate to make it down sliding on my ass.

My "horse"

As you get closer to the water you can see lots of tiny bubbles coming up to the surface. The water is sulfuric and also has a very high salt concentration. Legend had it that it used to be connected to the ocean.The water is nice and cool. Some areas around the crater are thermal.

I took the "horse" ride back up the crater $8.
I have never ridden a horse.
Technically I still haven't.
I was terrified.
Had trouble getting on the poor beast.
Then it started moving. I almost chickened out.
My heart was pounding out of my chest.
I must of had ten minor heart attacks!
Just as I finally figure out how to hold on to the
saddle they coil the rope into reins and hand it to me!
Of course the poor thing has to just walk up on the very precipice of the cliff. (Did I mention my fear of heights) and the Andean boy who was trailing behind kept pulling his tail and hitting him with a stick not helping at all. I felt like I was going to slip off the sides. It sure felt nothing like a carousel.
After a while I started to get the hang of it.
I started to enjoy the view winding back up.
Except when we were on the very edge then I just looked away.
It is actually a very pleasurable experience
being on a saddle....

At the top after a bit of fussing I managed
to get off in one piece. It is so windy at the top.
Got a new grey alpaca poncho $15(over paid). Did I mention how
much I love alpaca. Warmer and softer than
cashmere. Slept the 4 hour+ ride back to Quito.
I normally would of been in love with the view
Going though the valley of volcanoes. But I was still to upset
about my camera. At least I didn't let it completely
ruin my trip. The lagoon was so worth visiting.

Skip the markets, not worth the effort.
 

Rucu Pichincha

View from Rucu Pichinca

Woke up surprisingly early on Sunday around 8am
considering I was out dancing till 3am (finally a decent hour to close clubs
since I tend to start getting tired at that time. 2 am is too early and leaves me frustrated).
But didn't crawl out till 10am.
I like to lay in bed quietly
Just thinking or contemplating.

Had a late breakfasts at my favorite spot the Coffee Tree
Love to sit outside and they have awesome WiFi
Then I took a $3 cab ride to El TeliferiqO

El TeliferiqO is a tram or gondola ride up                                      
Cruz Loma. It takes you up to 4100m and the
start of Rucu Pichincha. You can start all the way at the bottom and
work your way to the crater.
But I figure fuck it, I'll ride up

The 8 minute ride terrifies me.
I HATE heights. ...but I do love being
high up. On a clear day you can see 12 volcanoes.
It was just all powdered blue skies and yellow sunshine

Rucu means elderly.
No one really knows the true meaning of Pichincha
since the Spaniards effectively killed off the people that spoke that lost language.
But very loosely translated taking roots from Kichwa and a few other liberties it kinda
 sorta
means from where water flows.
Since it still occasional does get a snow cap
and I assume it probably had a more permanent one at one point, fresh water used to flow down.

Kichwa is the correct spelling in Ecuador. The natives rejected the Spanish spelling Quechua. The native tribes of Ecuador are very stubborn. It took a long
and bloody war started in about 1460 by Inca Tupac (not just a rapper) Yupanqui with
200,000 Inca warriors and ending in 1496 by Inca Huayna Cápac in a very bloody massacre at
Lago Yahuarcocha.
After Huayna Cápac declared victory he ordered the death of all men capable of taking up arm. Effectively killing 30,000 men and throwing their bodies into the lake.
It turned the water into a bloody ocean.
Yahuar is blood cocha is lake.
The Incas presence was very brief in Ecuador under a hundred years before the Spaniards came
and conquered them.

Rucu Pichincha is 4,784 m (15,696 ft) above sea level
It is considered an Ultra
It is an active stratovolcano.

It is a good hike up the volcano
With a clearly marked path.
Only the crater is considered challenging.
It is bare volcanic rock and lots of it is very loose and soft

Took me two hours at a good leisurely pace to
reach the crater base.
I kept stopping to take in the breath taking vista
The air getting much cooler and brisk the higher up you go
I started out with a tank top
had to put on my alpaca sweeter and gloves
LOVE alpaca its cheap and better than cashmere
Also very breezy.

Unfortunately very dark clouds and
a slight drizzle started coming in.
I am no expert rock climber
Heck I was just very recently reminded
that I am not even a beginner rock climber
The climb is a bit challenging under idea conditions.
It would of been an hour Plus climb for me
I tend to be overly cautious and move at a snail pace
(As my dear friend likes to points out)
No way was I doing it blind.

I may be crazy but not suicidal!

Sadly I had to turn back
Wish I had gotten pictures of it on the way up when the peak was perfectly visible
But I did not want to spare the time
figure their was plenty of it on the way down

Had yummy hot chocolate that seared my soul
before making the final trek to the TeliferiqO
At that point my legs were a bit sore
Having done Cotopaxi and dancing till 3am the night before

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi

Woke up early at around 7am
Crawled out of bed a t 7:15
And by 7:30 I was ready ....
My guide did not show up until after 8am ......
Punctuality is not an Ecuadorian forte

Beautiful day
70 degrees, sunny and baby blue sky
The Andes magnificent on either side of the
Pan American highway
They are normally covered under heavy dark clouds invisible
to the eye

You could see all the volcanoes
Pichincha, Imbabura, cayambe,
Antisana illiniza, cotopaxi, Corazon and
countless others that I cannot recall

I never realized that these were part of the Andes range
When I think of the Andes I think of Chile and Patagonia
and impossible huge snow capped tops

My aunt in Tenguel has a beautiful view of them from
her living room balcony that I have always admired
only till recently was I made aware that they were part of the range.

After a little over an hour drive we begin to enter
Parqué Nacional Cotopaxi.
The drive in is beautifully surrounded by pine trees,
chuquirahuas, pumamaquis, romerillo, and capuli.

The first stop is Laguna Limpiopungo. It
is fresh water where small different duck species live.
Not very deep at all about 50cm.
The water is considered toxic due to all the volcanic
gases so no fish live there.
Saw a beautiful golden Andean fox.
Condors used to be common but are now in danger of extinction.
Sincholagua and Rumiahui were also very visible from the lagoon.
There is a small path that leads around the lagoon.
Being there in la Sierra surrounded by the peaceful
tranquility of nature and the fresh air just
ignites and rejuvenates my soul.
It is the only time that my rational and
over analytical brain fully reaffirms my belief in God, in humanity and
most importantly myself.
This here is his church and I can hear his voice singing
within my soul.

The warm sun kissing my skin,
the fresh air filling me with life coursing threw my veins
I am just grateful
Grateful to be alive and trying to
visually experiencing everything all around me
It is so amazing that it overwhelms my senses.
It is too much to take in
All I can do is just breathing smile and pray that
my brain will be able to recall it all in my old age

Laguna Limpiopungo

Wow I am in tears just writing about it now
Hell I was in tears a few times while there too

All I could feel at that moment was
This is what I was born for
This is what life is all about
This is worth living for
It is the only thing worth dying for.
             .            .          .
You are not allowed to stray from the path, unless you want to
see frantic waving from the park ranger.
Along the path is a cold fresh water stream
I figured fuck it...
I sat down beside it and took a cool sip out of my cold
cup hand. It was sweet

I just wanted to walk on forever along the knots and hills
Unfortunately I was not alone
So we headed back to the car and began the bumpy car ride to the parking lot at 4100m above sea level.
Its like a delicate mating dance navigating on the unpaved dirt road

Glacier melting

Would LOVE to make love up on the glacier,
but that is a totally different story in need of a male protagonist....

Anyway
This is my second time hiking up Cotopaxi
The first time I was NOT acclimated and blacked out briefly in the car lot.
I went up the side of the volcano in tears
I was mad at myself because even though my body was fine. My lungs, heart and head were exploding
I was in tears before getting to the refuge
The only thing that kept me from quitting
a few yards from 4810m above sea level
was stubbornness, stupidity and shear raw anger at myself for being so weak.
 It was so bad I had to lay down
backwards feet facing the crater a few time
on the way down.
Had blood in my nose
Never even came close to the glacier.

This time I knew how bad it could be
I was not prepared for how easy it was.
We went straight up the path
It is considered harder because it is not winding up
and it is a steep incline.
I had my pink silk striped scarf wrapped around my face
My alpaca jumper with the hoodie up to keep me warm
and my huge Jackie O like white sunglasses covering my eyes.

It was a very warm day
But the assailant winds make it freezing cold
Managed to buy a pair of alpaca gloves for $3 on the way in
The wind throws small jagged rocks into your face
It makes a hail storm seem like rainbow kisses.

I had the biggest smile on my face the entire way
hidden behind my scarf and warm breath

I COULD BREATH!!!!

The top is visible 

My lungs were fine taking in the crisp mountain air
My heart ....
I couldn't feel my heart
it was not exploding out of my chest.
Occasionally I would get a little dizzy and or light headed.
All that did was remind me to slow down breath deep, relax and admire the view

This taught me the first time I went up
that being the fast or the first to make it
does NOT matter. It is just enough to make it.
It is journey that matters. After all it is not going anywhere
It had been there long before my existence and will continue
to be there long after I perish.

First time it took me over two hours.
This time I made it in one hour, stopping
a lot at my slower than a giant turtle pace

Not bad for the girl that cannot do stairs
But I can conquer mountains.

Cotopaxi is considered the third world's tallest active volcano
It is 5,897 meters above sea level
It is actually an easy mountain to climb
Great for beginners
It is considered an Ultra and is a stratovolcano
Climbing Cotopaxi is alpine F/PD grade.

Made it to the refuge
Ordered hot chocolate and I actually felt
like I could eat. So I ordered the chicken soup
It had no meat was so flavorful hot and the little
noodles are easy to digest. Cost $6.50 bit steep.
Ate my chocolate bars
The chocolate is good for hiking
I think it helps release endorphin's
Coca leaves do nothing. There is a better plant to chew on
but I forgot its name.

You can stay over night at the refuge or about $17 a night
To help acclimate and undertake the midnight hike to the crater.

After resting and squirming like a worm on a hook
I was ready to hike up to the glacier
Left the refuge and less than 50ft away I
got so dizzy I had to sit down.
I thought OMG! I do not think I can do this. I can not
do this. I wanted to run back to the refuge
Probably would have if my head was not spinning.

Instead I just sat there. Enjoying the view and
warm sun. Almost no wind. The volcano blocks it a great deal
at that point. Just another reminder
to slow down.
Cotopaxi is surrounded by red earth. It
is iron that comes out from deep within the earth
when it erupted. Their is light black volcanic rock
and even lighter gray rocks that can be used as pumice stones.

This part of the hike was very easy
You are winding up the mountain at a barely noticeable slope.
Crossed a yummy looking chocolate stream
It looked like and I joked that it belonged to Willy Wonka
And that's what they serve at the refuge

Took me 45minutes to reach the glacier
I recall the glacier being much bigger
I heard it used to begin at the refuge
Global warming is melting it fast
It will be gone completely within the next 20 years
is my unscientific guess.

That thought also brings tears to my heart
Tears of grief and sadness.

I climbed up the glacier
I laid on it
Had it rain down on me I wanted to eat it 
You could see Quito from up their.

After nearly falling into the volcano twice
I bounced into the refuge for a celebratory beer
A can of Pilsner at $2 clear over priced!
But so worth it. Kept my gloves on
in order to hold the icy can

Bounced down the mountain
And I ran back to the car.
Awestruck at the strange motion less cloud formation
ahead of me. It look like you could physically walk across it.

View just past the refuge

The ride back to Quito was still amazingly clear
Even the crater was fully visible.

Got back a little after 5
Thought about napping
Instead I went out
Devoured my I swear to God cracked filled shawarma
Ran into an acquaintance in La Plaza Foch. Had two gin and tonics (two for one $7)

And then karaoke for 3 hours
By 10PM I was in Bungalow 6 and danced non stop till 3am

It feels good to be young, carefree and in the moment

Cuyabeno

Rio Cuyabeno

Amazon not my thing....
At least not at night sleeping all alone,
With the bugs and insects and the anaconda ....
I am scared out of my mind!

Got to Lago Agrio this morning
Took a two hour ride to Cuyabeno
Then another two hour canoe ride on the river.
I was having a blast
The sun was out
the wind in my hair
and I was on the water.

Beautiful rain forests
Saw squirrel monkeys
Bunch of monkeys actually whose names
I cannot recall.
Butterflies fluttering around everywhere

Anaconda Sun bathing on branches over the river
after having just feasted
It was beautiful with orange spots on
its belly.

I swam in the Cuyabeno river
I swam in waters infested with
piranhas, caiman, giant anacondas
and lord knows what else lurks beneath
the tea tinted water.

The Cuyabeno is in the Amazon basin.
On a black river system,
with a semi floating forest.

I actually was the first one to jump in.
Took an aussie 45 min to jump in
after he realized that nothing was feeding off of me.
Everyone else was to terrified.

It rains a lot in the rainforest...
                     .                 .                    .
I am so terrified at night.
I am all alone underneath my netting
Everything is attracted to my hair
I pulled out six bees from my hair
They do not have stingers
But they definitely bite

I am fine during the day
I have no problem hiking, swimming
or touching scorpion spiders
I even caught a piranha
Mine went flying around like a kite
I yanked it out a little to hard
Beautiful fish. Didn't feel scaled
But has these big red marks
looks like its bleeding.

I had a beautiful sunset swim
not far from were I was piranhas fishing
The jungle sky is beautifully lite up after a rain storm
Spotted a few pink river dolphins today
and baby caiman

I am still to afraid to let a tarantula crawl on me
Wolf spiders not so scary, but I just leave it alone
I did pick up a scorpion spider
I love the little poisonous dart frog, red back
blue bottom and yellow legs.
Apparently it is safe to hold, its when it makes blood contact that it is deadly.
               
                               .                  .                     .

Shaman gave me yage also called ayahuasca...

Went to the village early in the morning
Met Nacho a woolly monkey
He loves to cuddle and play
A guide found him in the forest as a baby.
He was crying like a human baby,
he was lost.
The guide took him back and raised him for awhile
Now he belongs to the village.
They consider him a pest.

Also held a pocket monkey
with the most softest fur.
He has racoon stripes on his tail
and had the same coloring
I learned and made pan de yucca
Its flat in the Amazon,
pan de yucca on the coast has yeast and is so yummy

Ayahuasca is a natural hallucinogen
The shaman did a brief cleansing ritual
I actually felt good afterwards
Even a bit light headed.
All he did was wave around some plants
He told me to take the ayahuasca on an empty stomach.
He said I can concentrate on the visions I want
or just relax and random ones will come to me
Since I threw up breakfast and barely ate lunch I figured I was good to go

I spent the day drinking loads of water.
At 10PM I drank the ayahuasca
It taste like bitter tea,
like when you leave the tea bag in too long.
Felt nothing

After 20minutes
I felt sick
The ayahuasca is also a poison
So you have to get the right amount or else....
It is also medicinal
Gets ride of parasites and stuff
Works like a cleanse

I threw up violently
To the point nothing was left
Started to leave the bathroom,
when I threw up again
Thank God I only drank water and
my tummy was empty.

I started t o walk back to my friends
when I realised I barely had coordination
Like walking on crashing waves
and my limbs where jelly like
When I finally managed to sit
I would close my eyes and I can see a giant bonfire

I started to panic a little
I had no idea what I got myself into
I felt like I was vibrating
Nothing can prepare you for it

I told myself to relax
I closed my eyes and I said
"I am open to receive all good and
positive things the universe and God  wants me to receive".

I never got my visions
But I did turn into a boa
and I could hear someone or something whispering in my left ear
Also when someone started to ask me if I was okay
it started off in English and half way it was a different language

I felt like I was trembling
But my body was perfectly still

Suddenly I wanted to seduce the men at my table
I wanted the hot aussie, the Swedish guy and the frenchie was back up
Fuck it I wanted all three at the same time
I started plotting my seduction
Only problem too many bitches at the table
The had wives and girlfriends

For being out of it I was actually very lucid
It didn't cloud my thought process.
All the animals and insects became so much clearer.

At midnight it was bedtime...
Had the aussie walk me back to my hut
It was near impossible to walk on water
Unfortunately couldn't shake the girlfriend.
Funny even on hallucinogenic and horny as hell
To the point where I was plotting orgies
I am still not attracted to women.

They knew what I was up too
They started flirting with me.

I was so not prepared for that surge of sexuality
Multiple partners has never been my thing
Not even as a fantasy.

I was so wide awake and full of energy
Even at the height of the experience I wanted to just dance
under the stars.
Most people can not even move on this stuff
And get very very sick
The whole trip is "suppose" to last 4 hours

In bed I just curled up into a ball
Taking in all the music from the forest
Staring at the night sky
(Cannot view the sky from my hut)
Slept without my netting
No bugs got me!!

Was up bright and early
Just layer their
Went for breakfast
Scrambled eggs and fruit
I was starving

Breakfast came back 15min later
That was rough
I just spent the day in my hammock
curled up under my blue fleece blanket

I didn't trust myself around people
There was no way in hell
I had no intention of fucking the guides
Orgy part had run its course
But still....
Restless.....

Napped a lot
Felt good
Managed to eat just a small portion of fish.
I think it might work as an appetite suppressant too
Was not hungry all day
Did not get sick again
Guess I wasn't filled with toxins
Others that try it hate it after....

I was told I need more ayahuasca
That's why I didn't get my visions.

I left the next day
Thought about staying with the shaman a few days
But I had enough rain
I barely wore my poncho
and was bare foot 95% of the time.

Love being bare foot
I like to feel the earth beneath me
Even in the city

Took a private ride back
Cost twice the fare of the bus $7
But it got me back a few hours faster
Also didn't have to go through the control centers
We were 25kilometres from the Colombian boarder
It is very dangerous and they try to smuggle in drugs.

Apparently the military  likes to strip search beautiful women
But if you tell them you are pregnant no one touches you.

We drove through cloud forest
So hauntingly beautiful
Saw waterfalls everywhere was just breath taking
We got to be on either side of the Andes
And reached the highest peak of the pan American highway

Got back into Quito around 9PM
By 915PM I was freshly showered
and out on the town ready to dance. 

Map of Ecuador with el Cuyabeno marked

Map of el Cuyabeno