JOURNEY TO THE SHAMAN LAND
Pucallpa is a wild city with dusty,busy streets and hot sun.It must be navigated to arrive at the Yarinacochas river in the Peruvian jungle. At the moment of my arrival I am suprised by the immense lagoon that ends in the Amazon. Looking out over the vast panorama of the river ,it seems like an infinite ocean. I am on my way to San Francisco ,a Indian Shipibo community and shaman land. I board a long narrow boat known as a peque-peque for its motor sound. My guide is a thin middle aged man with missing teeth. He entertained me with river stories of people who had drowned , never to be found, supposedly caught in the bottom of the river by mysterious plants with long treacherous tendrils .
The trip lasted two hours , during which I enjoyed the capricious cloud forms among the trees, and the quiet of the forest contrasted with the turbulent water. The more I traveled the river the more I felt the mass vegetation that navigated with me , with its mysterious sounds and the smells of the humid land.As we approached San Francisco, the sun beamed colors on the small wooden houses of the village and on the women washing clothes. We were warmly received and helped with our luggage as we walked the three gnarled streets that form the town. Their only light came from two solar lampposts which store the daylight , giving the towns people five or so hours of light after dark . The lights had been installed by Englishmen who had recently visited the village .
Soon after I arrived, a strong rain soaked the village and in a few seconds the sleepy town awoke with children in the streets, slipping and sliding in the mud. They were incredibly happy and I thought how innocent they were compared to city children. I stayed in a small cabin that sold food, beer and cigarettes. The owner, Jacinto, was a small middle- aged man who was very kind and helpful. Somehow he knew I had come to see the shaman who, it turns out was his uncle. Jacinto said he would take me to my encounter with the shaman. While we walked , he told me that to be a shaman one had to go deep into the jungle for two years ,where the tree spirits prepare the shaman. Not all were strong enough to endure the training, which involves putting a snake in your mouth, afterwhich one could kill anyone with a single expression.. Learning of this kind of power gave me the chills.
The town was small and everyone knew each other and where to find everything. For some reason I felt very familiar with the surroundings. The Shipibo people are from an old jungle tribe. The women wore colorful and sensual clothing as they showed their crafts. They are exceptional artists. It became obvious that some unconscious force guided me to San Francisco for an encounter with another dimension. After a short walk through town we came to the shamans’ house. It was a humble one room wooden cane house , held up by four three meter high logs for protection from the rain. The clothes, hung out on the roof, gave a surreal impression.
The shaman,named Don Pedro, appeared, he was smiling. He was a small thin man of indefinite age with slanted eyes. With his look he seemed from another time. His clothes were a simple shirt and pants and his head was covered with a rose colored hankerchief. He asked me how I had arrived on Friday, the day marked for the Ayahuasca. I didn’t know how to respond, since having arrived in Pucallpa I felt like a strange force was guiding me.The shaman laughed and told me to be prepared that night around ten o’clock. He would make a special session for me as people usually cleanse for a couple of days before a session. He told me not to be afraid as it was my time and he would protect me from bad spirits. He showed me a big bottle with brown liquid; it was Ayahuasca ,which literally translated means “ the vine of death”. It is made from thick tree roots that are boiled and when ingested ,they produce visions but not without some side effects , including vomiting and diarrhea.
It was the Incas who taught the jungle people the use of the sacred plant Ayahuasca. Generally during a session a beginner will only drink one glass, occasionally a second. Next to the shaman there was a drunk man who had consumed almost a half bottle of the Ayahuasca but I was told if you have a toxic body nothing will happen. You must have a cleansed body to have the sacred visions. I felt a strange sensation calling me to the Ayahuasca. It was not a mere curiousity ,but a force I could not deny.
In my cabin I just wanted to rest ,but I was too anxious and afraid of being in the middle of the jungle, about to go experience the unknown. I was wondering if the Ayahuasca was an hallucinogen or a spiritual entity.As I was walking in the darkness , I saw a thin light coming from the shaman’s cabin, and as I passed he invited me in. Inside there were three other people; his son, a friend and a twelve year old boy who had been bewitched and needed a healing.
On the work table there was a table cloth and on the floor were bottles,candles, maracas and cigarettes.The others eyed me seriously wondering what had brought me here. The shaman began to speak telling us that beauty and indescribable happiness surrounds the Ayahuasca. He said the visions one has can bring major transformation and enlightenment ,and can change ones’ perceptions of life. To the sound of hymns , music and dances and the beat of the maracas, the shaman was passing a small glass to each one. The flavor was similar to the “chicha de jora”, a juice made of corn. The effect takes about thirty minutes and during the experience one passes through some difficult stages of vomiting, diarrhea and sensations of intense anguish. My senses became very sensitive and all the jungle sounds became amplified from the loudest animal cry to the softness of a raindrop. I could hardly feel my body. I felt I was leaving my body and all its’ familiar sensations. I was spinning into another world. I breathed the contraction of the stars light and with each heavy breath I die only to be reborn with each new breath.
When the shaman began to sing in the Shipibo dialect , the jungle noises magically ended. To the rhythm of the maracas he moved his head with eyes closed and a smile on his face. I felt trapped by the sound , it was like a progressive buzzing coming backwards ,like a stone thrown in the water with concentric circles of energy.I began to feel enormous pleasure, I felt a deep love for all creation. A certain tree entered my vision and I felt I understood its existence. The trees are important in the ritual since from them come the spirits invoked by the shaman.Some are good, others not, but the shaman is there to protect you.The colors began to appear with gold, green, silver and a strong rosy hue. I could now breath easier and with my eyes half closed I could see simultaneously inside and out; I was one with the Infinite. In that moment dozens of snakes slithered around my legs, then they went to an enormous tree and descended to its roots where I joined them.
In my consciousness the roots changed into millions of filaments that grabbed all existing things in the world. Anything I thought became bound to these roots and the most insignificant things had new meaning for me.When the shaman stopped singing, the visions vanished and the spirits returned to the trees. I was back in my former reality. We had a fifteen minute break while the shaman asked many questions and we smoked cigarettes but soon the chants and songs began and along with it the strong visions and powerful energy. New visions appeared;I saw a lake of translucent placidness only to have the surface changing to concentric circles and lines. I thought I understood the cycles and secrets of creation. Suddenly a beautiful woman appeared with a blue mantel who seemed to know who I was . I could feel her strong vibration and felt honored by her presence.
When we discover that force that gives us all the possible sensations of our body and energy field,when the doorways of the unconscious open to a new expanded reality, then we are ready to journey with the Ayahuasca throughout the timeless universe.The visions and revelations go seemingly for hours. This is sacred and powerful medicine.
Returning to my cabin with the faint colors of daybreak and the leafy,untameable jungle , I could still feel the spirits’ energy around me. I felt great peace within me. I realized I had a new perception of reality.It was a humbling feeling.
On my last day in San Francisco I tried to think calmly. I analyzed the mental hypotheses of another existence; understanding that there could be other life forms and that death was another reality. I had connected with God, saints, spirits, and angels. God could be the Creator,the spirits could be entities and the angels could be celestial bodies or beings from other dimensions. I now think anything is possible.From the Ayahuasca we are forced to see ,whether we want to or not, the Truth.Sometimes this makes one not want to see what the shaman wants to show us, or what we want to hide from ourself.
The Ayahuasca is for me, far from being a scientific experiment with a powerful hallucinogen,instead it is spiritual. I t forces us to get in touch with the invisible side of reality; as the shaman said: The secret exists for people who are outside, or for those who are inside, there is no secret.
The Lake of the Gods
The city was sleeping as it shook with violent nightmares. “Don't look back, continue walking!” said Evaristo, my guide . I was walking the winding streets of the city, my mind filled with thoughts of nearby revolutionary terrorists and of the imminent possibility of avalanches occurring in this part of the Andes. With the menacing threat so near, I felt strange and fearful in my own country. Afterward I was spending time near the lake on a cloudy morning when I saw an approaching silhouette in the fog, it was the owner of the boat that would carry us through the mysterious lake waters.
Titicaca Lake, surrounded by the amazing Andes, is located in Puno, Peru, green in color, the lake is 3,812 meters above sea level and is the most navigable lake of the world. In these highest mountains of the country, there are two cultures ,the Quechua and the Aymara. Few regions of the American continent have been able to maintain their indigenous peoples as a consistent population through the centuries, as well as maintaining the original condition of the land. This has occurred in the islands of the lake Titicaca ,despite the harshness of an extreme altitude and climate, coupled with the hardship of poor economic conditions . These people enjoy good health. Living at this altitude they have come to possess a great breathing capacity and strong hearts. However,the people of the lake sometimes are plagued by a mysterious chronic skin disease. Titicaca plateau has been the habitat of one of the earth’s most ancient civilizations; the Incas -- a civilization that has never stopped fascinating the rest of the world.
As we begin our trip through the lake, the perpetual waltz of light and shadow dispels all of my fears and worries. The boat is sailing inside the lake through the beautiful landscape, while sunlight reflecting on the water appear’s to dance around us. Traveling through the lake is a surrealistic experience. You find yourself in a magical light where mundane reality doesn't exist, and the natural order of things is no longer in effect, here the small people seem huge and the tall ones become small; as if in a dream, this is a place where the sounds cannot be heard. It seems that their own atmosphere has serenaded them into a sleepy stillness. These islands have a vehement silence , a silence that seems to be filled with the essence of their life, as though a deep well opened from inside, where you can listen to the secret murmurs of the earth. When you walk on these islands, you have the sensation that everything is moving under your feet; as if the islands are floating.
A local legend tells of a man called Manco Capac and his wife/sister, Mama Ocllo, they were the Children of the Sun, who arose from the lake waters to create the Inca civilization. It has been said that this pair were the first Uros Indians, whose descendants still live on the famous floating island of the same name. The Uros settled in small communities amid the bulrush cane of the prodigious lake, surviving on hunting and fishing. Houses there are built of the same cane (bulrush) that grows in the lake. Some centuries ago, the Uros were called the "Kut Sun," meaning “Lake People.” They had a belief that their blood was black, and for that reason they had been born with the power to never drown or die from the cold.
The boat is passing by small colorful islands where the fishermen live in small huts. The islands are so flat and close to each other, they create a visual impression of passing them by on a movie screen, in which the lake, the people, and their houses appear to be painted as though from an enchanted fantasy. This cold area is abundant with spectacular views, where the sky is transparent and inconceivably blue. Traveling two hours from the Uros, the most impressive of the islands is called "Taquile." Taking the trip to the island, I feel myself merging with the mysterious waters of the lake, united in a long, strange and endless dream. The lake and I delight in the abundant mysteries of its depths. As waves approach the island you can look through them, seeing different kinds of plants. The waters are so clear that roots of the swaying seaweed can be seen below, while overhead the clouds seem so close, they could almost touch you with their abstract forms. Arriving at the shore, the white sands of the beach stand out, covered with small stones of a thousand colors, the waves breaking upon them into a brilliant foam. Paradise must be close; the island is so beautiful there can be no artistry of nature that could ever surpass this creation.
Later we disembark on the magical island. Evaristo informs me, “From now on, you are on your own.” Walking on the beach I find a necklace made of stone. I put it around my neck and continue to walk the island with the arrogance of my secret. The island of Taquile is about 5 Km. around, with the town at the highest point on top. This is where you go up on stone stairways built during the time of the Inca. The entrance is found through stone arches, which still today are guarded by villagers. These natives now act as greeters to approaching visitors. Upon entering, you have the sensation of passing through an entrance into a world set apart, as if you had traveled back in time. These people have the same lifestyle of the old original cultures from the time of the Incas. It is one of the oldest surviving habitats on the planet, where people have not had communication with the modern world , where there are no policemen or crime. Their laws are based on three simple principles; not to kill, not to steal, and not to lie.
Walking through this garden of paradise, I listen to the song of the birds. Their singing seems like a sweet symphony to my senses. I am approached in a friendly way by the people of the village. I introduce myself and am received with surprise and delight by almost the whole population, the half naked children appear like small angels around me. The people extending their hospitality, tell me I don’t have to worry about my stay, offering me Aunt Evila’s house, Aunt Evila is a woman who is famous for her prayers and magic. I hear the villagers laughing strangely, maybe later I would understand their insinuations.
I like the house, it is humble, entirely made of mud, with a fantastic view of the lake . The door doesn't lock, but there was no worry that anyone would take my belongings. Inside the house all things appeared to have a transparency, a fragility created out of the silence and darkness, like stalactites in a deep cave . I was afraid if I were to open the door the house would fall apart from the invading wind.
When I met Aunt Evila, I had a strange impression. She appeared as having the noble countenance of an aristocrat beneath her humble dress, and to have the strength of an ancient warrior; the ways of which prohibited her from complaining , begging , or relax the either physically or spiritually. Her strong armor is a noble characteristic representing a style of life that is lost in our world. She says that all those who attempt to discover mysteries have tragic lives, at the end they are always punished. She offered me a "carache” soup (fish of the lake) blended with herbs. They said it had aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic effects. A little perplexed, I ate the soup, awaiting an appearance of the first Inca or some other phantasm, but nothing happened. I wanted to take some pictures of her, unfortunately she rejected me energetically. She believes that if I photographed her, the devil would steal her soul.
I began to feel strange , so I decided to walk to town. Impressive Inca lavatory facilities on the edge of the water captured my attention; situated to provide an awe-inspiring view of the lake. This ancient tall building is made of stones, adorned with ever-changing shadows painted by the bright sunlight. These splendid contrasts in shade and light play on the walls to create a sense of mystery about the structure. I continue walking and listening to all kinds of sounds around the island, wondering “what would be the effects of the soup?” I began to observe the Taquileanos; at first sight they seem to be always ready for the carnival with their colorful clothes. These people are friendly, men fish and work the land, women craft brilliant blankets.
Exploring around , I could feel that these people have no violence, fearfulness, suffering, destruction or anarchy. Their beautiful gardens capture the island sounds. For the Taquileanos, no other other place is known to them. This is the center of the universe. Around the gigantic Inca bathrooms the islanders gather for socializing, consuming their drink "chicha", (homemade cane brandy) passed around in a big jar. I accommodated myself to the occasion. Looking around me I could see several mouths without teeth but having big smiles, chewing coca leafs. We continued drinking. We were a little elated when they began to tell me some local stories They told me that when the sun made shadows in the sky and the stars exploded in the night, the space ships would appear. For them, there was no mystery in having contact with aliens. They were their spiritual guides ; perhaps the Taquileanos are the ones who are civilized and we are not.
We drink another round. I listened to their legends throughout the night. When I felt the alcoholic wings raise me, I was ready to fly, but the wings collapsed in nausea ; and when the full moon arose in the sky to paint shadows around people, I caught a glimpse of my reflection staring back at me in the cold glass, I felt chills. I wanted to touch something warm and alive, "save me from cold reflections" I told them. I began to walk among the shadows of the lake, I didn't feel afraid, as I was in a new world. The ruins to my right would become lost from my sight soon.
When I awoke I found I had been sleeping in dream streets. I felt that the earth was dancing beneath me. Opening my eyes I saw the sky exploding in gaudy pastel shades with the shadows on the ground reflecting their colors. I felt like I was traveling through a hole in the sky in some region near to the sun. As I looked up, I thought the Devil was looking at me. He knew I was in Paradise. Soon, a soft rain began to fall, falling like God’s tears.
Olinda Carnival's
Olinda is not a black woman of bewitching contours rather it is a simply city,it is a state of mind, a way of living. I thought for myself , trying to fit into the remote crossroads of the North of Brasil in Pernanbuco; between the river and the sea, with the humid and tropical weather the same as in Senegal .Everybody lives to sing ,to dance,to give themselves to sex ,to their exuberant kitchen and red hurricanes .Arriving to Olinda is like arriving to a surrealistic paradise,especially in carnival time;the most hallucinating in theOrinoco,Brasil.
Walking in their baroque streets you can feel the town's energy. Tourists with their painted faces ,pretty women on all sides , drinking and dancing .Young people from all over the world , dancing samba under the flag decoration in their ideal lands for lambada ,samba , forro.
It was difficult to find a hotel , and there were just two days from the beginning of the official carnival .You can feel the heat in the streets .I was talking to singular people , spontaneous and cordial .They were so happy that you couldn't resist talking to them.They came from African ,Portuguese and Dutch descendants.The accomodation problem was not important anymore.
Olinda is located at 7 Km. of Recife .Its economy is based on agriculture, livestock ,vegetables , and of course carnival .The 29 Kms . of Olinda are deeply pervaded with history .Its' narrow streets were built with flat stones by its river.The city has experienced four centuries of events .It has witnessed illustrious people like Charles Darwin or the infant Sir Alonso of Spain who worked in these beautiful lands priviliged by nature.
In spite of the constant attacks of pirates through the course of their history , especially during the XVI century when the city was devastated by the Dutchmen .Olinda has the privilege of having the best houses and churches of America .The small city that on March 12, 1537 was chosen by Duarte Coelho to be the capital of Nova Luzitania's empire , first city of Brasil, was rewarded by the Unesco with the title of Cultural Patrimony of Humanity. This title is taken with a silent but definitive pride.
When I visited its churches ,I could witness the best exhibitions of the Baroque art in the country .Olinda has the biggest number of artists per square meter in Brasil.There are small studios of specialist masters who represent their cultures or painting of the colonial days .I don't get tired of being surprised when I visit the legendary "Mercado de Riviera"(Riviera's Market), where in the past the Africans slaves were sold . Nowadays ,it is full of crafts and delicious blankets embroidered by hand.
When I talk to people,they insist that they are responsible for the longest carnival in the country .In fact ,this charming city seems a delicate mosaic made of monuments ,literary works, museums, altars , religious images , processions ,popular festivals, fishermen , painters and artisans ; representing the continuity of the city that was considered in the past the "Mother of Brasilian Republic".
Definitively this city is not for the deaf .Big speakers in the parks ,beers stands ,lambaterias, electric trios above the buses produce an infernal rhythm the whole day.There are no quiet moments .To come to the carnival,it is necessary to be prepared to see everything .I was most interested in the parade productions , their choreographys , dresses...
They recommended me to go to "Alto de Ze",but be careful , because it was a "hill" or hideout of thieves , marginal people , heavy bar .For 20 years families of the place built and produced their sambas schools .I was walking in their sinous land streets ,when I realised that colored people stared as if they were studying me. I requested some beers and I began to "falar" un papo" with the scoundrels .Feeling confident , they talked to me, becoming enthusiastic about their carnival that was the most important thing in the year for them . They said that the neighbors only wanted to live a "Boa"(good times) in that celebration week.
They took me to the family "Alvarez de Souza", that belongs to the bloco "Sofoco".For many years ,they followed the family tradition in the constrution of fantasies, allegorical cars,etc, in improvised places.The boss of the family, a dark man kind of a poet and scoundrel,told me that during this carnival time, the marginal ones left their "work" and offered their help without expecting anything in return .They also offered their arms to build the illusion ,their physical participation where all humanity happens .Their dreams come true. The dancers and samba lovers ,spend the whole day learning how to be decorators , carpenters and other necessary professions for the parade .
At night ,the steps and samba innovations were rehearsed with a room teacher .The production was made in a "barracao", that is kind of a big garage. "Barracao" means "industry of happiness". Among beers , I was looking at the work , almost cosmic . People were changing the chaos in a dream that literally rose up from the ashes.
The first phase is the most important , the building of the allegorical car skeleton ,what follows is the decoration .In this stage the faces have a different shine and emotion and fantasy have clearer contours. .Samba and beer that works as a stimulant to overcome physical and mental fatigue prevailed. .The discomfort of bad nights in improvised beds,the conclusion of that base encourages and produces a friction that will determine the infectious rhythm of works.
Inside the "Barracao" there is a boiler of emotions ,consuming almost a year of effort , perspiration, tears, encounters ,misunderstandings,and passion,turning magic into fact.The production rhythm is a constant energy that is accumulated every year.It is a constant fight against time .At the beginning there are months ,then weeks and finally hour s.The use of time is basic.
The allegories worked with expression and soul ,being reflected in gangplank artists.The school colours are seen with other eyes that are not the third but of the fourth dimension .In the parade ,people compete for a title.This prize is good for the neighborhood ; with it they can carry out diverse works for community ,sports , promotion , education , etc.It also gives happiness to favelas residents ,the poorest people of the block .
In the parade , schools give a message in their songs and hymns that are especially chosen by a composer or poet .This time, they paid tribute to the beggar ,who according to them is privileged people , because they have an enviable gift: "Freedom".The vision and concept of the beggars' freedom is impressive,guaranteing the structures of somebody that has his life marked with a series of commitments.
Another singular element in the parades are the dolls ,defined as the kings of the parade.They have suffered some radical changes ,from handmade cloth to industrialised form.They are led with pride as kind of protective , they also led the banner in which the name of the block or allegorical car is embroidered.
In the parade there are two groups: the "Scenografic" that presents the allegories , more concerned about television ,it is more perfectionist and the "Carnivalesque" that is seen in Olinda ,from the street ,where works , emotions and the town happiness can be noticed .Here the presentation is not so important .What is important is the shine ,the explosion,and the emotions.
In carnival three figures are also importan;the carnivalesque,the patron and the buyer.The three work together,but in an independent way .The carnivalesque creates the dream ,the patron visualises it,and the buyer materialises it.The three make possible the production of that beautiful show that a foreigner can not understand since they ignore the Brasilian town peculiarities.
Talking to some "foreigners", they told me that it was difficult to see so much luxury and splendour in a third world and indebted country ,but this is another story that will be told everywhere in a tremendous carnivalesque spirit, which is considered nowadays the biggest show on the planet.
After finding accomodations in the "Alto de Ze" hill ,I walk in the scoundrel and calm neighborhood talking to people, inventing histories .But who cares , they told me that "curtir" the carnival here was something serious .The sponsorship is for each of the participants . It is saved the whole year .They also said that the silk suits , glasses , feathers, etc ,were more and more expensive .Besides , they change fantasy every year.
Between beers in the previous hours before the carnival ,the trucks were arriving with the personnel , distinguished people were descending , stretching their legs ,heating and keeping fit .The musicians rehearsed with their batteries ,their rhythmic variations , drums like the "surdo of marcacao", repique , tarol, tambourines ,cuica ; instruments brought by African slaves.
On the other hand , pretty Godmothers with their brilliant silk dresses ,straightening out , getting ready .They, white or ebony ,perform the show. They enchant with their sensuality, beauty and rebolado .For them the biggest emotion in the world is to be Godmothers.
The party belongs to everybody , there is no distinctions because at the end, without dreams and fantasies, the carnival doesn't have color .Everything is special in the countdown of this week,it will make that Olinda and Brasil forget the crisis ,and dive into samba and racket ,in forro and lambada .To the sound of the electric trios ,playing day and night without stopping .The carnival begins, the schools of samba go up and down,and go for a drive around the city,allegorical cars parade their people in fantasy of briliant colours ,big hats, decorated lances ,people hallucinated in any place of the pernambucano heat.
In this region,the carnival works like this, the sun scorches strongly and people dance very lively .Olinda is pure hedonism.When the blocos or allegorical cars parade ,the democracy is absolute.The schools and clubs are multiplied with their masks and folk party's stops ,becoming powerful tourist attractions.
It is impossible not to be involved in their atmosphere,becoming a lover of samba , beauty,and human being.Our eternal fight for overcoming their difficulties,together with youths and elderly , feeling the same emotion with a daily dynamism to forget our problems .
I was trapped among the narrow streets of Olinda ,the "garotas" of the carnival passes one after another .You can appreciate sensual looks from all sides .From where come those eyes? .Beauty is always strange .They invite me exotic drinks such a "retete"(mixing of everything), or the famous "Pao de Indio", a herb tea for overcoming the fatigue and the sleep ,so you are able to dance hours after hours without stopping ,and they also say that it is an aphrodisiac.
I continue walking looking for those looks .I was lost as if I were in a dream , in an impossible atmosphere ,hearing the African singing with their bestial noise .It was a wild echo that cannot be controlled .The "lanza perfumes"(kind of eter) smell can be felt , trying to fly. I have my head in the clouds and my feet on earth .I was hearing the infernal noise ,floating among oniric images , samba and lambada as if life were real.
Hearing the stars ,Venus and Mars, I am in the paradise again ,I was waiting for my muse that will emerge from the sea with six white horses .She won't stop for gas ,food or accommodations ,she won't dress anything , just a smile for the carnival .While I drink cachasa, I see to the muses that go up and down .I couldn't reach her,the electric trio,with its buzzed tune is an echo in the mountains that bounces unceasingly, and below the sea crosses , eliminating the wrong thinking.
The carnival has a great imagination .It is better than reality,it rains but I never get wet .I see women dancing without compassion ,God and Evil.From a window an angel appears ,inviting me to her room ."Llega mais minino"(get closer)that I have license to love, until your body cracks and your brain trembles .Move yourself now according to the rhythm, I am your salvation.
When the night finishes and sun comes as God to the city bringing promises and perfect light , the muses descend with their faces of colours ,they smell of leather and flesh in their minds ;saying sweet words as sharp knives , dancing lambada ,the forbidden rhythm .Each one has the devil inside. It is difficult to believe that we need a carnival like this ;where there is nothing at the end, just the irresistible rain .Cheers Olinda.
Marcahuasi the Sacred Stones
Marcahuasi is a Quechua word that means “Village House “ .There are many theories about these amazing stone sculptures .One theory is s that here was Noahs Ark , where Adam & Eve survived the big flood by hiding in the deep caves .Others say , that there was a big battle between the Andean Gods ,Soxtacuri and Guayayo.Some say that these sculptures were created by a Pre-Inca civilization that traveled around the world leaving proof of their art .Yet another ideas is that Marcahuasi was the scene of a big cosmic war and the stones hide the mysteries of the Universe .
The trip from Lima to San Pedro de Casta by car is about 4 hours ,the road is dusty, curvy and dangerous .You drive up and up to San Pedro de Casta ,that is a Andean town you pass in order to get to Marcahuasi ;the town is about 10,271 feet above sea level . As you ascend , passing over scary little bridges , you can see their amazing mountains .
As soon as we got close to the town a mysterious heavy fog enveloped us .You could feel the energy in this cold place ,a weird sensation and the effects of the high altitude .Through the fog the houses and people would appear and disappear like magic .
The villagers are peasants ,that make their living from the harvest of their own food ,like potatos and all kinds of herbs which they sell in Lima .They are the spiritual guardians of the ruins and it is their responsibility to make the visitors feel very welcome and safe .The fog comes and goes like in a surreal dream with horses roaming freely , like in a mysterious movie .
The trip will take 4 hours on a narrow road by horses , as it is slow and dangerous because it was very muddy ,having been raining for a week. The climbing was slow and after a while we got comfortable with the road and the horses .Some villagers were coming with us .The road was full of cactus ,especially the San Pedro ,that is an hallucinogic that the shaman uses in their rituals .The name of the village , San Pedro comes from this cactus .
In spite of the climbing and the high altitude our guides were smiling and happy as they were accustomed to this climbing . Marcahuasi is at 12.000 feet above the sea level and you have the sensation that you can touch the sky .
When we reach the top , the clouds open and the sun appears like an act of magic . The Apus are welcoming us , since the sun hadn’t come out for the last two weeks .You could feel a strong energy of something sacred and mysterious .
Following our guide , the first thing that we saw was this huge sculpture of a human face ,this was the face of humanity , a monolith of more than 40 meters long . Depending on the time of the day you can see all the race faces that live on our planet .
We keep climbing and continue seeing different giant faces .We asked ourselves how they made these perfect sculptures ; what techniques they had used in those times .The sculpture takes on different forms such as that of indigenous people ,or a woman carrying her children .
Depending on the shadows you can see different animals such as camels and elephants never seem in this part of the continent , that was a real mystery.They say there are messages and codes hiding on the rocks .
When you get close to the rocks you can feel the radiation and magnetism . A lot of people climb to these rocks to heal their bodies with the healing energy .
Marcahuasi was discover by the Peruvian archaeologist Juio Cesar Tello in 1923 , but Daniel Russo ,a investigator of esoteric subjects ,who showed the world this fascinating place in 1952 . He lived in this small house for nine years investigating this place with the help of the villagers .
He says there are occults messages in these rocks and here was the real Noahs Ark that the Bible mentions. His conclusion is that 10 thousand years ago people lived here and made these sculptures .He called them the “ Masma culture , a civilization who traveled around the world making art in Mexico ,France and Rumania .He said that pre-Incas and Egyptians knew a special technique to sculpt these rocks .
We went to the North and entered tombs or “Chulpas “ ,this place is magical and sacred. Unfortunately most of these tombs have been plundered , stealing mummys , ceramics and textiles ; in spite of this you can see some mummys in the school of San Pedro .
On the plateau are five cities in ruins .In XIV, almost 30 thousand people lived in the cities of Marcahuasi .When you see the fortresses , you can image that there were warriors worrying about survival and protecting their people .
Marcahuasi has 22 different types of vortex energies .The first three vortexes are in areas of limited access and are for the ones who are really prepared for this powerful energy . Each vortex has a specific power to heal . These giant sculptures are in differents parts of the earth ,around sacred places , and in sanctuaries of lost civilizations .These monuments show you the portals to the caverns and caves that will make possible the salvation of humanity .
Our mission is to find these sacred places and try to break the codes to enter the portals. Marcahuasi has an indescribable magnetism that makes people come back again and again. Once you come here for the first time you will never be the same person .
UMBANDA, THE ORISHAS CULT
With the founding of the Americas many African tribes were brought as slaves to work in various countries . Black people from the Congo ,Angola ,and Mozambique were transferred to Brazil , and they brought with them their culture , including rituals , magic and ancestral dances .The white people forbade the celebration of these traditions , so in order to continue their Yaruba religion , the black refugees syncretized their God and Goddess , known as Orishas , with Catholic images of Brazil.
One of the popular Orisha’s cults is known as Umbanda ,which means peace ,love , and charity.For the Umbandas , nature and ancestral forces form a vast ceremonial system that connects the living and dead .The Orishas and spirits of the other world connect with the people listening to their complaints . The spirits give advice , removing bad spirits and healing their illnesses.
During the rituals the God that is manifested most frequently is Chango , the thunder and fire deity .He is very feared and respected and holds a double-edge ax which is his symbol. His wife is Oya , who is the Goddess of the wind and patroness of justice .She has a very strong character and is the only one able to face the Orishas.
Another powerful Goddess is Yemaya ,the sea Goddess who has the mythical attributes of the Moon . She is the Queen Mother who is very beautiful and adorned with jewelry . Her ritual dance simulates the movement of the sea waves . She is also the protector of womanhood ; these and other Orishas are called forth during Umbanda sacred ceremonies.
PERSONAL SESSION:
I am now in the city of Recife , in the north of Brazil , where I will attend a Umbanda session. The entrance is free and open to the public .The ceremony begins at the “ terreiro” ( center of religious devotion ) in a small house with a long room .The men and the women spectators are separated , and in the center of the room are the participants , dressed in white representing the Orishas.
For most of them these sessions were only to make “White Umbanda” but for a few it will be “Black Umbanda”. The ceremony begins with the samba rhythm or “ Batuque ” ( brazilian drums) which forms a kind of wheel that is called “Giria” . In circles they begin with songs to call the spirits . These are special songs for calling forth certain Orishas . As they are dancing and singing , the spirits take possession of their bodies and minds .With the posession of a believer by an Orisha , the person takes on all the supernatural characteristics of the Orishas by whom he is possessed.
During the trance the participants transform their personality completely , changing their voice and facial expressions , while they begin dancing convulsively in a passionate frenzy .Even the old men acquire unexpected energy. The most experienced mediums are called “Santos’, the mother and father. They control the recent initiates and also the older ones , but occasionally one of the spectators has a spirit enter his body unexpectedly. As the session advances the atmosphere is more intense , pulsating with the diabolical rhythms of the music . Those who are possessed drink “Cachasa” , a strong drink made from raw cane and smoke a famous “Charutos” , a big cigar.
I am uncomfortable with the adoration to some effigies which were inside a small reddish colored house.It seemed a cult to the Devil.Maybe it was “Black Umbanda” ,who knows? After adoring these images they became more aggressive , they screamed “Filha de Puta”(son of the bitch) and they threw drinks among themselves. They approached me ,trying to pull my fingers , telling me not to be afraid because this was pulling the bad spirits out of me , I told them I preferred to keep them.
When the session calmed a little ,the participants took advantage of the opportunity for advice , to hear about healings and to know about their future . After the consultations they made another “Girias” and played new songs to help the old spirits leave and for the new ones to enter . What is strange is that when the ceremony is ended , the mediums , after having screamed and danced frantically , don’t remember anything. You talk with them as if nothing had happened .The transformation is total.
After the things I saw in these sessions it is not difficult to believe that possessions are real . After several days it was still difficult to remove from my mind the mysterious African names. I will always have this question ? Was it White or Black Umbanda? Only the Devil knows.