The next morning, at Don Juan's ...

Good Morning! Getting packed up in the main room.

Warming up in the morning sunshine.

Don Juan pulling down some achiote pods to paint our faces with. Achiote seeds give off a smooth red paste when rubbed, and the people who live in this jungle use the seeds to paint designs on their faces when entering the forest. The designs offer protection, in the more ethereal sense, and also the paste itself is a sunscreen and mild insect repellant. I've found it quite soothing to irritated skin, as well.

Inside Don Juan's house... a great shot of the interior of the roof!

First night in Shaimi... dinner n slumber party at the shamans house

Shaman's shelf.

Dinner time!

Getting tucked in!

'Night, John Boy...

We were all told to pack mosquito nets and sleeping gear for this portion of the trip. The plan was for us all to sleep in the large cinder block school house down in the central part of the village. Don Juan and his family lived in the only remaining traditional structures left in Shaimi, up on a hill at the farthest edge of the village clearing, somewhat removed from the rest of the village. When we arrived they told us that they had changed the plans and we were all to be overnight guests in Don Juan's home. Let's just say it was a COZY night for all of us. The kind of night that brings you closer as a group... in SO many ways! We were about 25 people and our mosquito nets, which were strung up, rigged and utilized in a variety of ways, plus our luggage and gear, as well as sleeping mats/sleeping bags/ blankets and such! It was highly amusing watching us all rig up our nets and get ourselves situated for the night! This situation was not what we expected and I know it pushed everyones comfort envelope, but it was truly impressive to see everyone, of ALL different ages,  deal so positively with the moment at hand! Fun, fun, fun!!! We totally had a "Night, John Boy!" moment after we were all nestled down and drifting in to sleep. Our little mosquito net teepee we strung up made me feel safe n cozy! It's not JUST mosquitos that the net is for when you are on the floor in a shamans house in the middle of the Amazon rainforest! (Insert your own jungle-creepy-critter visual HERE) This tops my list as one of the most interesting nights sleep ever! And yes, I actually slept very well and had very vivid dreams. Something tribally comforting about sleeping in a space with that many trusted and loved folks. (Thanks to Rosemary n Robert for some of these photos!)

Back on the boat...

The river wound us ever deeper into Shuar territory. The handsome man in the front of the boat was Khet, who was the eldest son of Don Juan, the shaman we were headed to meet.

(Thanks to Heath Hilary for these last two photos!)

Saying hello to Arutam

 Look closely at the cliff face. This was our first sight of this tall and beautiful waterfall. Little did we know when we first saw it that we would stop there and hike up to the pool at the base of this waterfall. AND little did we know, though we might have guessed it, that this waterfall is highly revered and sacred to the Achuar Shuar tribe we were being hosted by. (Thank you Heath Hilary for the first two photos here.)

Nangaritza is known to the Shuar as the waterfall valley, because they believe that the spirit of the Arutam (waterfall deity) roams to protect both nature and the people. And we were told that this waterfall is considered to be the home of the Arutam. It had an indescribable effect on each person with us. Some strong energy and presence that you couldn't deny. Some sang, some swam n bathed under the fall, some prayed or meditated, but everyone stood in a state of reverence here. Interacting with the waterfall shifted our energy as a group and alerted us to the reality that from this point in the river on, we were entering another realm, moving through the veil between our everyday reality and another, more wild and untamed, with many lessons it urgently wanted to give.

 

 

On the Rio Nangaritza. Entering Shuar territory.

The Rio Nangaritza flows past the beautiful and lush Cordillera del Condor, a region of intense biodiversity and home to indigenous Shuar communities. We canoed down the Nangaritza Valley, to the border with Peru, on our way to visit a Achuar Shuar shaman, Don Juan, and spend the night as his guests in his village, called Shaimi.

On our way to Shaimi village in the Nangaritza Valley of southern Ecuador.

Fish on the bus to Nangaritza, holding an orchid that only blooms one day a year! Don't worry... there were thousands of them throughout the mountains here. Thanks to this one sacrifice.

Just after you descend past the transition between Andean forest and Amazon rainforest, you reach the frontier town of Zamora. Where there is this giant clock.

In the small town of Nangaritza, waiting for our boats to arrive. Chilling with the locals and eating some homemade icecream!!

Parque Recreacional Jipiro ~ Loja

 Traditional local styles.

 Reina del Cisne. The protective patroness of Loja. She must be a badass! Looks like she has, ummm... let's say, FULL control over that Pope.

 Mmmm hmmm.

Skate R Die!! Fish, wishing he could shred this tunnel right now!

Look no furthur! This park has it all! You want a mini-Kremlin with a built in concrete slide? How about a miniature China town complete with rideable dragon? No problem! Top it off with an adult size version of the little self-proppeled metal carousels that used to be a staple of school playgrounds when I was little... and that spells FUN folks!

Loja flower market

Cascade outside of the Loja market. So beautiful! Such an honor to have spent this time with this dear woman! (Thanks to Patrick for this lovely photo!)

Making friends and having fun in Loja.

Hangin at the veggie market. Chillin with the homies.

Notice the hat and sunglasses! Fish is always making friends!
The top photo below is us in the Loja Botanical Gardens.
In the middle, we circle around as Rocio explains the uses, essence and importance of all the plants to us.
Us in the garden, later that day.
This was his friend Paul. He's a beatle. They met in the garden. (thanks to Patrick for taking this shot!)