Down south in Mocoa where the jungles of colombia meets that of Peru I explored the places beautiful waterfalls in what felt like the garden of Eden. I stayed with Taita lucho and his lovely wife Mercedes.
A few stories from taita himself, apparently in this area there is a lot of black magic floating around these Brujos use different kinds of plants for sorcery. According to the Taita in his working with plants he has flown, as have many other shamans who are all adamant they have been able to fly, and astral travel allowing them to be in two places at once. One other story... He told me about time where he was having powerful visions, mandalas floating all around him when through the mandalas came writings from all the ancient scriptures of the world - Egyptian, Mayan, Indian, Aztec. During this someone took a photo shot of him, and apparently captured in the photo the energy of the mandalas so that they showed up faintly in the photo itself. Now who can really say if any of this is 'real' I know I have heard during my dissertation research similar accounts, so I´ll leave that there without placing judgement.
In order to reach Pasto - 2 cities along from Mocoa, I had to travel the road that the locals named 'the trampoline of death'. Very fittingly to, I won't go into to much detail about the road so as not to harm the health of mum.
My day in Pasto was spent walking to lagoona Verde and volcano Azufral. It was quite a trip in the pouring rain, one that really tested my strength and will power... And yes I nearly gave in and collapsed on the way back, yes I nearly succumbed to lying on the ground in a little ball and not moving until I was carried. But alas as I was taking my last steps of willpower I saw the sign for the exit! The hot agua panela and bread I was given was a welcome from heaven.
A few stories from taita himself, apparently in this area there is a lot of black magic floating around these Brujos use different kinds of plants for sorcery. According to the Taita in his working with plants he has flown, as have many other shamans who are all adamant they have been able to fly, and astral travel allowing them to be in two places at once. One other story... He told me about time where he was having powerful visions, mandalas floating all around him when through the mandalas came writings from all the ancient scriptures of the world - Egyptian, Mayan, Indian, Aztec. During this someone took a photo shot of him, and apparently captured in the photo the energy of the mandalas so that they showed up faintly in the photo itself. Now who can really say if any of this is 'real' I know I have heard during my dissertation research similar accounts, so I´ll leave that there without placing judgement.
In order to reach Pasto - 2 cities along from Mocoa, I had to travel the road that the locals named 'the trampoline of death'. Very fittingly to, I won't go into to much detail about the road so as not to harm the health of mum.
My day in Pasto was spent walking to lagoona Verde and volcano Azufral. It was quite a trip in the pouring rain, one that really tested my strength and will power... And yes I nearly gave in and collapsed on the way back, yes I nearly succumbed to lying on the ground in a little ball and not moving until I was carried. But alas as I was taking my last steps of willpower I saw the sign for the exit! The hot agua panela and bread I was given was a welcome from heaven.