Como el tiempo me falta, rapida...

Quite a bit has happened in the last month and a half since I´ve written. I apologize, it has been quite a while since my last post. For those of you that keep up with me via my blog posts, yes I´m still alive, even more alive than my previous days actually. I guess I´ll go back and let you know where I´ve been since my last post. After Santa Marta I headed way north, to the most northern part of South America, the Guajira Peninsula. La Guajira is sparsely inhabited by the Wayuu indigenas because the terrain is straight, dry dessert as far as the eye can see. Naturally that was the appeal for me, to get off the gringo trail and head to a place that has hardly any tourist ammenities. I passed a few nights in Riohacha, the capital of la Guajira, to lay low and get rid of a 5 day migraine!! My final destination was Cabo de la Vela, a small fishing town next to the sea. Ahhh I can´t even explain in words the magic of that place, forever it will be embedded in my memory as the place that holds all of my dreams. I stayed with a local, loving Wayuu family, sleeping in a hammock under the stars, with the lull of the waves crashing on the beach putting me to sleep at night. Cabo de la Vela is not a place for people that don´t know how to entertain themselves. Being in the middle of the dessert, there is not much to do but bum on the beach, walk the endless coastline, eat scrumptious lobster, and talk to the locals who are all too willing to bring you inside their house for a coffee, fried arepa and a joint. I swear, everywhere I went people were smoking on their patios and just as soon as I made eye contact with them, they would beckon me to come toke.  Within the 6 days I spent there, I found so much restorative peace and energy that kept me glowing for days.

And the sunsets...just the best in the world.

Straight dessert

The doggies were such characters, many would follow me around all day, as if we had been lifelong friends and snarl at any other dog that tried to get close to me.

All the while I was thinking about friends and family, sending so much love.

From la Guajira I took a 17 hour bus ride (couldn´t feel my ass after that one) to Cartagena where I passed two days. Of course, I was unable to get a great feel for the place in that time, but in my short experience, I found Cartagena to have very beautiful architecture, a lively night scene with afro-colombian cumbia dancing everywhere, but absolutely wrecked with tourism. From Cartagena I took a flight to Leticia, the Colombian side of the Amazon jungle to spend my last few days before my visa expired. Leticia is the southern most tip of Colombia, at the border of both Brazil and Peru, a little map for you to get an idea where it is:

In Leticia, I stayed with the most amazingly accomadating Couchsurfing host, Vladimir, who lent me his bike to pass my days peddling around the city and it´s surroundings. Having a bike again was pure bliss, because there are not many vantage points better than on the seat of a bike. Every morning I was woken up at around 5 by a screaming  loro, this parrot that decided to make his home in a tree right outside the window from my room. He was so beautiful but his incessant, ¨MICHAEL, MICHAEL, VEN ACÁ¨ (some phrase he must have picked up from a sceraming human) or ¨BUENAS¨salutation really got quite annoying.

Suri, yummy fried worms, typical jungle treat

Evenings were spent going to Brazil. Just 3km out of Leticia was Tabatinga, Brazil, a whole other world compared to Leticia. We went to a Brazilean Air Force sergeant party where I sipped on Brazilean cocktails while simultaneously trying to learn typical Brazilean dance moves with very good looking Brazilean soldiers. Other times we went to live pagodge shows, where absolutely everyone is unable to keep their bodies from somehow moving to the beat.

En route to Brazil, I want a motorcycle.

After four days my visa was expired, but Vladimir convinced me to have my passport stamped for exit, head to Peru to get my entry stamps, and then I stayed illegally in Leticia for a couple more days. Leaving Colombia was difficult, I had fallen in love with every part of the country. More than anything else, I had fallen in love with the people, llena de vida, llena de pasíon, dispuesta a compartir todo.  

Just like Che Guevara had done some 70 years prior, I floated down the Amazon river from Leticia to Iquitos, Peru in a cargo ship. What a blast, I felt like I had paid $15 for a 3 day cruise! Everyone strung up their hammocks on top of each other and passed time talking to thier neighbors and sleeping. My Peruvian neighbors were eager to hear about my travels, share food, and guard my belongings when I would leave for a second.

The mighty, mighty Amazon river.

After 3 nights and 2 days we arrived in Iquitos, the largest city in the world only accessible by boat or plane. Although in the middle of the Amazon, Iquitos does not feel like the jungle for all the mototaxis, pollution, and lack of greenery. Thus, I decided to head to la selva; and 3 weeks later, that is where I still am today.

Iquitos

Belén

Amazing medicinal section of the local market. My heaven.  

His name is Pancho Villa and he would beg like a dog  to have his belly scratched.

Through a mangled series of events and encounters, I stumbled upon the opportunity to stay with a family of Kokama indians in Padre Cocha, a 20 minute ride up the Nanay river and 45 minute walk into the jungle. I am staying on their chacra, La Quebrada del Amor, which translates as the curve (of a river) of love. As the name entails, the place is full of so much love. When I first arrived, the entire family consisting of three generations hugged me long and hard, welcoming me as family. Entirely unaccustomed to such kindness and outpouring of love, I was overwhelmed at first, unable to understand their intentions. How could a family, that monetarily speaking is not very well off, open up their house and their home to me expect nothing in return? Mamita, the 65 year old abuela, calls me her muñeca barbie and hijita (Barbie doll and little daughter). On one of the first few days there, she was hugging me holding me tight, combing my hair, listening to me talk about how much I missed my family back home. She looked me in the eyes as she told me that she could fill the role of a mother for now. Feeling as if she was speaking to my soul, I burst out in tears, completely overtaken by the exchange of love we had made. This experience has marked the essence of what I am learning at the Quebrada del Amor, the sharing of love for everyone, regardless of background or superficial differences. Simply speaking, it would seem as if I come from a different world than the family, but I am accepted as one of their own, because after all we are all collectively one big human family.We live off the land, eating basic meals of rice, yukka, plantain, and on special occasions fish. Every meal we give thanks to Pacha Mama, Mama Earth, for her many gifts. We cook, we clean, we drink, we bathe in the water from the small river running alongside the house. I am feeling healthier and more alive than I ever have (save for the many, many insect bites all over my body). I am learning about living simply and about the few things that really matter in life. Moreover, I´m learning about amazing medicinal plants. The jungle seems to have a cure for absolutely everything, love Pacha Mama and all her amazing beauty she shares for us to explore.

La Quebrada del Amor

Lindo nene, el Gudro

Preparing Juanes, food of the selva, delicious rice cooked in banana leafs. I was this blue for over a week, a pigment from the seeds of a fruit called Huito. Other than looking like an Avatar, it serves as a repellant and is said to be the fountain of youth, making your skin appear years younger. Can´t wait till this becomes the fad in the US.

Lucilla and her son Gudro.

Marcelito getting down delicous guava for us to eat.

I reunited with the lovely Kelly Schiller and her lovely boyfriend Jefe about a week ago and we´re having so much fun sharing every experience together. I plan on staying in the region for a bit longer. Just like the rest of my trip, I´m not really making any plans, just following the journey where ever it takes me. Les mando un gran beso, mucho amor, paz, y luz a alumbrar su camino.