February 2013

2013/02/09 22:18

People have flocked in from Loja and other parts for what is reputed the best carnival celebration in Southern Ecuador: four full days from Saturday through the end of Tuesday. Music, dances, rides, and the traditional water bombs with which you douse anyone you feel comfortable with. To that they have added aerosol cans that spew out what looks much like shaving cream. I need to find out what that is given I got a taste of it. The locals seem to want to avoid the gringos to avoid misunderstandings; but by now I am certain they take me for an Ecuadorian; which is cool as far as I am concerned!

2013/02/07 17:26

A bit too close to home: right outside our gate. The foreman doing work on a shed behind my cabaňa found it this evening, and killed it. understood from him it could be poisonous - even though it looked small. But we are out in the countryside, at the periphery of a village town, in an area of Ecuador where snakes do live. And then one remembers we have bigger snakes around and outside Fairfax CA.

2013/02/07 14:28

We drove Aika to the Loja earth terminal ( terminal terrestre) for her bus to see her shaman Miguel. She will be back Saturday. I decided not to go for reasons stated before. Also noontime when she left was too late to accompany her up to Zamora, as it meant staying the night for me. I do not think the pets here will give me that permission. She told me the shaman has become wellknown in Europe, and he will be going there March or April this year on a tour. His income here has improved to the point that they have sleeping quarters for visitors with electricity and showers. When she first met him, visitors were essentially left to their resources with regard to accommodations, and there were no amenities provided other than what nature provides. I guess the shaman and his family are happy about this. It is too bad though. This kind of success much to often takes a spiritual man away from the sources of his wisdom and power. Especially when there is such a strong connection with the plants and jungle of his home.

Aika lives ten minute walk from me. Across the street from her house is what use to be a zoological garden. There are few animals left to see there (in cages) - the property now is mainly a picnic area with pools and other amenities for kids and others. Entry fee is $2.00.

— 2013/02/04 18:04

Marylin Guerrero: Ecuadorian-American daughter of the owner of Piccola Italia and at least seven other businesses in our barrio. Her mom's first husband was also a US citizen named Craig - who died some 10 years ago in a bicycle accident. Her dad Lee is also a US citizen- an artist that has lived here in Vilcabamba for over ten years. Craig set up the Book Exchange you see behind Marylin. Marylin is bilingual and goes to a private school in our barrio. I met her first in the US about two years ago when she accompanied her parents on a visit. Her dad is also going to adopt a son of previous husband Craig so he can qualify for US citizenship before he is 18 years of age.

Effective today no restaurant can sell alcoholic beverages except when a meal is ordered - and it is one drink per meal. The reason I am told is the Carnival celebration that will start Friday Feb 8th and will go on for four days non-stop celebration. One hazard I am warned about is water bombs. Non one, not even cars, are exempt from getting doused with water one way or another. There will be of course music, dance and drinking when drinks can be found.

— 2013/02/03 18:14

I am told the rainy season is upon us here. So far it only rains the late afternoon and into the night. That is why it is all so green.

Too sophisticated to be out in the rain!

— 2013/02/02 17:06

It was years ago. The present Ecuadorian owner, who is married to an American man, kept the name, but no pizza served. However her first American husband Craig(deceased) also set up a book exchange in the building which still functions.. It is quite big and many people use them even though the books are getting a little old.

The saga of Othello and Desdemona

When I first settled in this house two ducks lived in the front yard: Othello and Desdemona. He proud and mostly black; she beautifully white. Then, I was told, Desdemona was no longer of this world. Daddy tried to fix the problem and came back from the market with another white duck. It seems someone forgot to properly clip its wings and within a couple of hours it managed to fly off the property onto a wooded area of the hill below - never to be found again. Othello was alone again. But then a local friend pointed out that Othello was female - and sure enough eggs were soon to be found all around the yard. But then Othello seemed to disappear until found to be hiding under some plants - where she now sits on 13 eggs. She protects those eggs ferociously from dog and cats. She leaves the nest very rarely to take a bath and get some food. I understand it takes about 32 days for the little duckies to appear - quite a long time for mama to guard and protect. Problem is that as far as we know there has never been a drake (male duck) around these parts - so the eggs had no chance to be fertilized. As far as I can tell poor Othello is sitting on eggs that most likely are just going to rot. But she seems not to realize that - or perhaps she knows different. We shall see when the time is up.

— 2013/02/01 18:20

Some weeks ago I met a German lady that has lived here a number of years - owns some property that she is building a home on - meantime she rents in Yamburara Bajo ten minutes walk up from where I am. Loves dogs, she has a couple - and just rescued another stray she kisses as if she has known it all her life. By the way I get the feeling that Germans in Vilcabamba compete for second place in numbers with Canadians. I may wrong - they may the largest group. Anyway Aika is quite knowledgeable with those substances that help shake up one's consciousness. She is well read on the subject - probably more than I am - and I have collected quite a bit of material before coming here. She has explored quite extensively the way of shamans in the use of medicinal plants, in this part of the world. She tells me that after shopping around in Ecuador, Peru and I do not where else, she settled some years ago on a shaman she considers the best yet. She makes a point of visiting the shaman once or twice a year. Well, today she asked if I wanted to go along on a 11 hours bus ride into the Ecuadorian jungle into Shuar land to meet her shaman: Miguel . What an offer?

Exciting and also challenging: 11 hours of bus ride from our mild weather here in VB to the heat and humidity of the tropical jungle of the Upper Amazon. And as a friend cautioned me: it is also the rainy season - an explosive combination for a city boy.

But more important for me: it comes too fast and without the proper preparation for such a journey and the encounter with another people and another culture, and the consciousness that goes with it. It is a journey I want to make, but on my terms.

I am considering an alternative:; since in a few days I intended to take the bus to Zamora, which is the gate to the jungle closest to us, and since Aika trip takes her through there - I could take the journey to Zamora with her and then let her complete the journey to the shaman's place. Aika is a regular there and her object is not sightseeing there. This is a journey she takes once a year, and some years twice, for personal reasons.

Many Europeans and Americans make that journey, as you can gather from the slide shows and videos on Miguel's website. From what I have gathered most go for health reasons. A few are probably researchers and academics with an interest in the culture or in ethno-medicine. The kind of original and experienced shaman such as Miguel is becoming more rare with the years - replaced with new practices closer to town and cities called at times “mestizo” practices because many such shamans are Spanish mestizos, or at least not original jungle Andean who have practiced the ceremonies for thousands of years,

More information on shaman Miguel and the Shuar people