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Fishing in the Amazon & Ayahuasca Ceremony!! This morning Cecile and Roberto had planned for us to go on a roadtrip about 2 hours outside of Macapa to a friends place out along the amazon river. At around 9am we gathered our things and went to pick up Wilson (the friend of Roberto's who's place we would be visiting). We stopped off at some shops buying fishing poles, food, water and fish - just incase we didn't catch anything. By 11am we were off to Wilsons place and once again the heat was intense and we were all sweating like mad in the car. Wilson spoke English well so it was easy to make conversation with everyone and we had some really interesting chats on the way out. Unfortunately we got incredibly lost and after 3 hours and everyone having a go at driving we were just about to give up when Wilson spotted the turn-off. Wilson's parents had just purchased the place as like a summer home so he himself had only been out here once. We came to a house at the edge of the river and from here we had to wait for a boat to come and take us 20 minutes downstream. The little old wood boat came and took us downstream, the views from the river were incredible and the best thing - 'no bloody tourists' except for me ofcourse. We spotted birds and I observed some of the biggest trees I have ever seen along with many strange and exotic fruits. We arrived at the house which has literally just been built (50 meters from the waters edge) and met the caretakers. We were all starving hungry as it was now 3pm and we were very lucky in that the caretakers had offered to cook everything up for us whilst we went and swam and explored. The river was very cold so I didn't dare go in but the others all jumped in and had a bit of a swim whilst I took some photos. After the swim we took the machetes and went for a trek through the jungle to find a Brazil Nut tree; where we were all eaten alive by the millions of Mosquitos. After finding the Brazil but tree we all agreed we had to get out of the jungle and headed back to grab the fishing poles and try our luck at fishing. Apparently there are not any fish in the river but after 10 minutes Cecile had landed the first fish; which at the same time had caused her to drop her phone into the water. I was amazed and impressed that even after dropping her phone in the water all she was worried and excited about was her fish. I managed to get a bite but no fish, however I had a great time relaxing and enjoying the tranquility of the place. At 4pm lunch was served and Wilson's parents had also arrived and joined us for a very late lunch. On the menu we had grilled fish, fish soup, salad, rice, beans, maniocar, shark, Acai and cachaca - an absolute feast for a jungle lunch. This was my first time trying fresh Acai (small berry with incredible health benefits) made into a thick smoothie of which you can drink as a thick juice or add granola, nuts, honey and sugar to. With a little sugar the Acai went down very well and far better then the store brought stuff, the fish was mouthwatering and delicious and the shark (dried meats - fried) was my absolute favorite mixed in with the bean soup. We sat around chatting, eating and even had a few shots of cachaca before a boat had arrived to take us back to Cecile and Roberto's car. We thanked Wilson and his parents and then took the boat back to the car park. We had to be back in Macapa by 7pm as we had all been invited to a very special Ayahuasca ceremony conducted by one of Roberto's good friends. I was lucky and managed to sleep the whole way back to Macapa and only woke as we were pulling into the city. A quick shower, something to eat and then we were off to Roberto's friends place on the bicycles. The Ayahuasca ceremony was being conducted in a small church and the husband and wife were hosting this particular ceremony. First we got to sit around and meet all the other people that would be joining us in the ceremony - a very nice touch as it made us feel very comfortable and as if we were amongst good friends with everyone giving one another a hug and a welcome. We filled out some paperwork and then entered the small church like room; what followed was an explanation of the ceremony and how everything would unfold. Luckily the wife of the priest could speak English and was able to give me and English translation which made me feel even more comfortable. Basically we would drink two small cups of the ayahuasca tea and an hour later take 1 more. The tea would help our minds stop their incessant thinking and help us find answers to some of life's big questions. There was a chance we made need to throw up if our stomach is unsettled and so we were all given bags. At first we sat in chairs but could move to a may on the ground and lay down if we chose. Music from many religions would be played and there was to be very little light in the room and we were to keep our eyes closed and not talk throughout the ceremony which would last 4-5 hours. At one point we would have the option to dance a little from side to side if we felt the need to move. I was a little nervous about throwing up but felt in a very safe environment and was able to curb the nerves and relax my mind. The men lined up and we took our two cups of tea (which tasted discusting) and then we were given a slice of apple to take away the taste and we returned to our seats; closed our eyes and tried to find our consciousness. The tea was to take 45 minutes to have any effect; I found myself very irritated by the 100s of mosquito bites I had got earlier in the day (later i found that both Cecile and Roberto had the same distractions). After what I imagined was 45 minutes I found my mind very clear but definitely no overwhelming feeling or High; as one would usually associate with taking any form of drug. The music was used to bring us back to calmness in our minds and I found the music very hypnotic and soothing. I soon changed my position to laying on the ground and very soon after was given the final cup of tea. I returned to lying on the floor and felt even more relaxed with absolutely no thoughts going through my mind; I did notice my movements were very slow and when I moved my head side to side there was a delayed effect. I followed the hypnotic music and drifted in and out of consciousness - not really thinking too much but very relaxed. Towards the end of the ceremony we were invited to dance but as I felt very relaxed I decided along with most of the others to sit and observe and make slight movements to the music. Amazingly children also take part in the ceremony and one couple had brought their 6 year old daughter who also took the tea and took part in the ceremony. After the ceremony had finished we gave thanks once more by bowing our heads to the ground and then shared a brief discussion on our experiences. I had nothing really to say and didn't mention that I didn't feel any strong feelings usually associated with taking any kind of drug. It was around 2am now and everyone was hungry so our hosts setup a little bonfire out the front of the house and we had some fruit, juice, bread rolls and cheese. It was really nice gathering around the fire and talking to one another and I came to realize how lucky I was to have this special experience with such nice and loving people. Everyone had many questions for me about my travels which made me feel even more blessed and I couldn't help but be in complete happiness. I told of my travels, my experiences in Brazil and how the highlight of my trip had been my very short stay in Macapa with Cecile & Roberto. I asked if I could take a photo of the group to remember this special night and everyone agreed and insisted on their own copy that I would later email everybody. No body had even questioned the time and we were all so happy in each other presence the time slipped our minds and it was only when someone mentioned it was 5am we decided to head home on the bicycles; but not before another Thankyou and a very heart-felt goodbye by everyone who had taken part in the ceremony.
OBSERVATIONS:
- Acai - The real stuff; naturally thick and heavy; best with a little sugar
- Wilson's summer house on the Amazon river
- Food; River fish, Shark (dried meat - fried, bean soup
- Religious ayahuasca ceremony - tea made from Amazonian plants
- Hypnotic music from various religions around the world
- After ceremony; Bonfire and story telling - highlight
- The most welcome feeling felt anywhere in Brazil
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