Project day 3, a visit with a shaman, and a night time jungle visit

In the morning the clouds hang low on the river but they are beginning to lift and we find ourselves heading out hopeful of some sun this morning as we head again to Bella Vista to continue our construction. Children are waiting on the shore for our arrival and we make really good progress. The sun comes out and at times it is very hot to be mixing cement and bending rebar. More relationships are developing and it's wonderful to see smiles and hear conversations as the day unfolds. One of the parents arrive mid morning with a wheel barrow full of oranges he had collected from the trees around the site to share with everyone working. We work an extra 1/2 hour today in order to finish some of cement work. Progress is going very well.

The same routine as the day before occurs as we return to the minga lodge: children swimming, boat singing and a refreshing breeze to cool us down before arriving for lunch. Lunch is a special treat today served on a leaf instead of a plate. Platters of palm heart and thistle salad, yucca root fries, and banana leaf steamed tilapia fish. Even Hannah was willing to try the fish and enjoyed it.

After lunch we head back down the river a ways to visit a local shaman. We are invited to take part on groups of 5 in a cleansing ritual that involves having tobacco smoke blown over us and then having the spirits and energy cleansed by being "swept" with a wand of yukka leaves. For many in the group, this is their first encounter with " energy " ritual. One person asks. " where do you believe the negative energy goes that you have gathered and swept clean of us? ". The question is met with a blank stare as the world view of the shaman cannot comprehend the worldview of student who does not consider the spirit world as a reality to everyday living. The ritual has many parallels to our First Nations Smudging rituals. I'm surprised that tobacco is used here as well. The cleansing ritual used on us is typically administered to children starting at birth and the regularly after that. Shamans in this area drink a tea with hallucinogenic properties at night at certain times of the year. It is during those times that they access visions, insight and contact with the spiritual world that enable them to be spiritual guides, mentors and protectors of their community. It is both a sacred and at times a dangerous profession. They come into possession of a power stone. The number of stones that a shaman has is directly related to the amount of power they posses. The number of stones they possess is rarely revealed though more than one is rare

Afterwards we get a chance to blow darts with a dart gun (a traditional hunting method) at a papaya that has been slice open and place on a stick as a moving target. Following a group picture with the shaman and his family, a spear throwing demonstration and an opportunity to buy some handmade crafts by the family, we head back to Minga lodge for supper .

We are invited before supper to a special cooking demonstration of an amazon delicacy and treat. A wrapped banana leaf package is unwrapped to reveal the biggest weevil larvae I've ever seen ! They are wiggling like crazy . An invitation is given to anyone who would like to try them raw first. One must bite down on their head and pinchers first so they don't bite the inside of your mouth. Two of the group give it a try ! Then the rest the group must squish their heads and threat them onto a stick where they are roasted and then tasted. A " special" treat and appetizer before dinner. It is said to taste like bacon, which I don't eat, so I forego the tasting this time.

After supper we go back into the jungle for a short walk at night to see some of the creatures whose sounds we hear at night. We see several different species of frogs, various bugs and moths, bats, tarantulas and the head of a tiny water snake. This is what I've been really looking forward to as I love the night creatures. I wish it could have been longer but it was cool to see what we did. It's a large group to take a night. I am hoping to go out another night with the guide alone. The incredible diversity of nature never ceases to fill me with awe and wonder. There is a huge sadness for me as I contemplate the level of destruction to this part of the world and indeed our planet as a whole . Every day 20 hectares of rainforest in the amazon is harvested. We have to find a way to end our human blindness to the plight of our ecosystem and planet. This is a spiritual issue as much as the energy issue the shaman is dealing with. We humans must stop compartmentalizing our lives and instead see the web of interconnectedness between our material world and our spiritual selves.