May 29, 2007

Trying to come to grips with a darker period

This last week has been by far the toughest week of my travels.

> Two weeks ago in La Paz, I met a 20 year old girl English Girl who was in Bolivia to volunteer at an orphanage. I found out last week from my friends Leah and Jess that this girl went to the Al Alto market (the same gigantic market that I wrote about a few weeks ago), and was raped. She had a knife put to her throat. Every day in La Paz there are many protests. Apparently, she went alone (which is highly unadvisable), and found herself in the middle of a protest. A guy that she thought was trying to help her find an alternative route into the market committed an unspeakable act. I hope he burns in hell.

> Two days ago, a tourist bus coming back to Sucre (I am in Sucre) from a local market collided head first with a taxi. The bus flipped over. Last night I met an English guy who was traveling in a bus which was the first to reach the accident. He said that it was an scene from a horror movie.

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May 28, 2007

Ayahuasca in the Jungle- The Internal Journey Part 1

I first heard about Ayahuasca a few years back. A very good friend of mine, Mike Russek (he is an actor living in LA), sent me an article about about a center in Brazil where you drink a concoction made by a Shaman and hallucinate. This vine grows only in the Amazon Basin and has been used medically by the indigenous people of South America for 2000 years. I was interested, but soon forgot about it.

Two years later, in the airport of Lima, I met an Australian guy that was going to Puerto Maldonado, Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine and to work with Ayahuasca and San Pedro. We talked for an hour about Ayahuasca, and Mikes email came rushing back. One month later I found myself in the Amazon Basin, walking in the jungle, standing face to face with an Ayahuasca vine.

The Vine

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If you have never heard of Ayahuasca before, I would advise you to read the National Geographic article linked to this post before reading about my experience. Its an amazing account of a women’s experience with Ayahuasca. It also gives much of the background information about the medicinal and physical properties of Ayahuasca. The article is very much worth reading.

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May 26, 2007

A Reality check in Sucre….. Opening the book a little further

In the next few days I will write about the significance of this photo.

Over the course of the last few months of writing this blog I have had quite a bit of internal and external dialog about the contents and subject matter that I am writing about. I know how many people are reading, and much of my audience are “friends of friends” and people that I do not know very well.

In short, my dilemma has been how much to reveal about my travels and myself. For four and half months I kept a very detailed personal journal in addition to the blog. Last week some asshole in La Paz stole it from me.

So in accordance with my personal philosophy and the way I live my life, I have decided that I want reveal a lot more of myself through the blog.

What you will see more of is some of the downsides of my travels. My life these last few months has been amazing, but, it has not been 100 percent positive.

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May 21, 2007

Rurrenbaque take 2: Its the end of the world as we know it….Or is it???

Ben, Billy, and I on our Jungle Tour.

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For My second and final trip to Rurrenebaque, Bolivia I traveled with Aussies Ben Vears, Billy Barnetson, Jessica Ledger, Leah McCann, and a Danish girl named Siri.

We spent about a total of 10 days this time around and lived the good life. I took my second 3 day Pampas boat trip, we chilled in the town for about 4 days, and spent 3 days on a Jungle/Repelling tour. Good times were had by all.

Instead of going through the story day by day I am going to profile a few of the interesting, crazy, and fantastic people I met on my journey to the Amazon Basin.

Sit back, relax, and get ready to take in the lives of Marcel our Pampas guide, Ron the Banana Bread Man in Rurrebaque, Greece from the ATV shop, and Diego our Jungle guide.

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May 18, 2007

Man Tears in La Paz…. and Tshirts

The Afro is really beginning to take shape.

Written Sunday May 6th- Could not post until today due to lack of Internet in the Jungle.

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Im sitting in my La Paz hotel room….Its 2:00am in the morning.

This is my last night in La Paz, and I think Im going to miss it. Even the stopping every 10 steps to catch my breath due to the 4000m altitude is bringing a man tear to my eye.

Ah, the man tear, there has been a few of those these last few days. My Irish contingent left me. The Dark Horse, Martin, Jenny, DJ, and my dear beloved Orla all hit the road for the Salt Flats. Me met up in Lima well over a month a go. Man tears ensued. I have such a new profound love for the Irish.

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