As the days passed at the house of Taita,
Claire and I became accustomed to our lives there. We began to better understand the strong
Argentinean accents of our traveling friends, and we became more comfortable in
our roles of living, working, cooking and eating at the farm. Taita and I were still working together, and every
day and every moment provided a new lesson.
Claire was working more with Mama, as well as learning lots of new
artisanal skills from our traveling friends (dream catchers, flowers and
baskets made from coca fronds, etc.).
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| Paz, Chiso, Pato y Miguel with lentil burger lunch! |
One day, Taita found us in the morning (we all slept in
tents under a plastic roof, on the ground), about 6 AM, most of us still in the
tents. He let us know that we would be
going to ‘Fin del Mundo’ (End of the World), a waterfall about 4 hours (well,
he said 2.5) away from the farm, an adventure that we had looked forward to
since arriving in Mocoa. We ate a quick
breakfast, and began the walk – a group of about 8 – the traveling gang, and
our leader Taita. The journey was quite
long, but we were kept energized by light rain as we walked. We had packed only some bread, as we were
expecting to hitch a ride either there or back, to shorten the journey.
After passing two more beautiful waterfalls, Taita took rest
under a huge overhang, and smoked a cigar.
During this time, we were exploring when I lost my footing on a mossy
section of rock, and fell with a 360-spin as a cartoon character might
exaggeratedly slip on a banana peel. I
came to rest squarely on my chin. I was
initially surprised and thankful that I hadn’t broken my jaw or neck, as I took
note that everything seemed to be in place and moving appropriately. Just as the thought occurred that I should be
bleeding, I noticed the red pools coloring the water at my feet. My chin was splitwide open, and the look in Claire’s eyes when she saw it told me that the wound was fairly deep.
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| Miguel and Pato at the precipice. |
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| Justin and Taita peering over the edge. |
We stood at the edge of the falls, the adventuresome peaking
their heads over the 200-foot precipice at our feet. Then we began hiking down the cliff side, as
Taita led us to the bottom of the cataract.
When we reached the bottom, Taita smoked a celebratory cigar as he
explained the historical significance of the spot, and shared with us how the
smoke of his cigar and the mist created by the falls were similar energies. We
learned that Taitas of the past would come to waterfalls to worship, to provide
offerings to the gods, to travel between dimensions, and to convene with the
spirit world. Thus, the pools below the
falls – and this ancient falls in particular – held waters that revived the
soul, providing healing, youth, and energy.
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| Taita |
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| Healing waters. |
When we reached the road, we kept walking. A few cars passed, but none stopped, we were
too many. Night overcame us, and we kept
trodding. Eventually it became clear
that we would not get a ride. We just
kept walking, Taita with his 58 years, short stature and lively spirit leading
us nearly running the entire way. We
reached the farm on foot at about 10 PM,
having walked nearly 11 hours without more than bread to eat. We were exhausted from the journey, but all
thankful to have been guided by such esteemed company.
Taita’s lessons about waterfalls were not yet over. A real test lay ahead. We awoke a few days later, and as usual Taita
was already up and working. He let us know that this morning there was much to
be done, and those who worked until the afternoon would join him to drink Yagé at a ‘nearby’ waterfall that
evening. Of course, we were all happy to
help him with the work, encouraged by an offer to drink and experience the
energy of a waterfall at night in the presence of our teacher.
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| Gaspar, Taita, and Justin working hard. |
After digging, moving, and hauling dirt for half a day, we
packed for the waterfall. As it rained
heavily here in the Amazon basin with some frequency, I asked Taita if we
needed a tent, and he said “No. There is
a big house with a nice, large roof where we can stay if it rains”. I missed the glint of mischief in his
eye…
We headed off, packed only with sweatshirts and one rain
jacket. After about two hours of walking,
essentially through Taita’s backyard, including a river portage and a healthy
climb, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall.
We were a bit hungry and tired, as we had been fasting after working all
morning, but the waterfall was so pristine that our grumbling stomachs were
quickly forgotten.
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| Taita in his ruana. |
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|
Chucho and the armadillo, which
he assured us, “was
alive”.
|
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| Artist's interpretation of the Spirit. |
Some were still quite deep, but others (including myself)
accepted. Taita, uncharacteristically
quick in his motions, let us know that we should drink right now. He blessed the medicine unhurriedly- taking
his usual 45 minutes or so to sing songs to it and ask the spirit and abuelitos
(grandfathers) for curing, lessons, and beautiful paintings; and we drank. As soon as those interested had drank, the
rain arrived. At first it was a steady
sprinkle, and we sheltered under nearby trees.
It was at this time that I acknowledged that there was no house, there
was no roof, and there was no shelter.
Ohhh, who can explain the tests of the Teacher?
Soon the skies opened and the rain came very forcefully, as
if to test our will. It started raining
so hard that the trees provided no protection.
Thunder rumbled. We were
completely soaked. Claire suggested that
we go for a swim, as we weren’t going to get any wetter, and I agreed. Completely naked in the pouring rain, I
waited for her to join me in the river.
The water was warmer below the surface than above, and I
relished in the energy as I swam out to the waterfall. I sat beneath it, and harnessed the energy of
the waterfall combined with the spirit of the Yagé. It was a powerful moment, one in which I had
to find my breath to calm myself and manage the energy. Despite the joy and empowerment I found in
the moment, a dark intensity was creeping in.
Within moments, I could feel the force of the waterfall growing.
I swam away from the falls, and as I let the current push me
back to shore; I turned just in time to see lightning flash in the sky above,
lighting the rocks above me and revealing not two pigtails, but one steady
stream of water. The river was
consolidating its force. As I exited the
water and huddled up with Claire under a fleece, shivering off the cold, the
energy continued to intensify. Taita and
Chucho approached, barely audible through the heavy rain and asked us if we had
seen our two friends – Miguel and Nico - as they were nowhere to be found. We did not know what had happened to them. A confusion and mild panic set in, and Claire
asked, concerned, if she might help. “With
what!?” Taita laughed, assuring us that
there was nothing to worry about, and a little water (or a torrential downpour)
would do no harm, and in fact liven our spirits.
The soundclip above is of Taita singing in the rain, at the waterfall. He sings 'father, mother, help and teach us' in his native tongue, Kamëntsá
During this time, the medicine was coming on strong. It came in waves, lights dancing across my
vision and pixilated boxes shifting likes waves through my periphery. At about the same time, another friend of
ours named Victor ‘fell’. This was the
first time I had seen such an experience, although we had heard that Yagé could bring such force to give
harder lessons to learners. Victor dropped
to the ground in front of us, swimming and writhing frantically in the mud and
pouring rain like a serpent. Then he
would go completely stiff, frozen in the depth of his visions. Suddenly, he would wrestle again, and our
friend Patricio, ever diligent in time of need, was there to brace him, to hug
him tight and subdue him so that he wouldn’t hurt himself or others, and to
offer him kind words “it’s us brother, we’re here”.
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| In the arms of the Mother. |
But Victor was not there to hear the words. He had been carried to another realm. Watching this, I could feel the energy in the
space intensifying more, and it was all I could do to find my breath, to
instill in myself the confidence that I could manage what was coming. During one particularly violent writhing fit,
Victor opened his eyes and looked directly into mine. But Victor was not there, only the spirit of Yagé.
His pupils were completely gone, the eyes were inhabited by the spirit,
and I saw only darkness. A voice entered
my head, as if the spirit was speaking clearly to me. “See my power. This is not a game. Respect me, and know that I am both good and
evil, darkness and light.” I remembered
my proposito (purpose), which was to learn how to control difficult energies in
my life, and keep myself centered in times of strife. I found a lesson again from the great
teacher, and finding my breath, found my center.
I was shaken, but not scared. I only hoped that Victor was okay. Luckily,
Claire was a warm, calm energy by my side.
During this time, which was only a matter of moments, Taita had been observing
from a distance. He came closer to the
group like a candle in the darkness, and as I opened my eyes to him, I saw him
step forth, a calming white light among the darkness. He came, laughing and singing, and put his
hand on Victor’s shoulder, laughing as Victor lunged at him. “The man thinks he is a snake!” he chuckled
with a smile. And with that, he
continued dancing and singing in the rain.
As he continued, I could feel the heaviness and the darkness lift; I
could feel this man clearing the evil from the place, bringing light and
joy. Again, Taita’s composure saved the
day. Our teacher understood and
explained to us later, that anyone who works with the medicine enough must at
one time fall. Not all lessons taught by
the spirit are easy, and Taita shared a story of the first time he fell, and
lay on the ground throughout the ceremony, listening to the earth as it spoke
to him.
The rain continued, but following Taita, our energies lifted
and lightened. Claire invited our friend
Diego to join us under our fleece, and the three of us huddled together and
managed to gather a bit of warmth “el calor del amor” (the warmth of love) –
with a rotation which left only one of us shivering at any given time. At one point, as the rain eased up, Taita
stood by us and taught us a lesson we had learned before, as he pointed to the trees
dancing in the raindrops: “you see, everything has a spirit, the rain has a
spirit, these plants have a spirit, they are asking you: ‘do you want more
waters?’” and he chuckled, playing his harmonica as he danced away. We got word that our friends Nico and Miguel
were okay – they had crossed the river before the rains, and had been stuck on
the other side, as the river had grown so much they could not get back
across.
Taita's 'agradecidos', or 'giving thanks'. Translation: "We give thanks for this visit. That we are here adoring the waters, the rocks, the sand, the trees, the leaves, the roots. All are from God and the Mother (Mary). Then, the power of all we have is thanks to God and Mary. All we have. We have the path, we have thoughts, we have vibrations, we have the power to sing, to dance. Thanks to God. Thanks to Mary."
After a few hours, the rain ceased. Taita lit a fire with a half-gallon plastic
jug and soaked logs, and eventually the flame licked the water from the wood
and we had warmth. We all huddled around
the fire, grateful for the warmth and light, and happy that the rain had
subsided. Victor recovered, and was back
to his normal self, though humbled by his experience. Nico and Miguel returned to the fire, and joined
in the huddle. We waited until daybreak, welcoming the calm that came as the
cold and wet relented, and then we walked back to the farm. Exhausted and exhilarated at the same time,
we continued with our day, happy to be dry and warm, and surprisingly energized
for not having eaten or slept the day before.
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| Taita and the 'bimbo'. |
In a way, it was easier to rush out. Taita had taught us so much, and we will
never have the means to thank him.
Words, gifts, hugs, love, it all falls short – but he understands, as
such a wise man would. He sent us with
seed from Chagro and Yagé, and
kind words and blessings. Mama thanked and blessed us as well, and with hugs and good-byes to our traveling
friends, we were on the road again. Off
to Bogotá, in hopes of closing the circle of our travels by visiting La Fruta
and then La Cienaga before returning stateside.
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|
Abuelito y Abueltia, the parents of Taita in
their home. Elders of the Kamëntsá people.
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