Vibrant Cali

 - My Colombian adventures have been taking various flavors that I had been expecting for the past months -

San Agustin was definitely a magical place where out of universal conspiracies and magical coincidences I finally healed one of the reasons that had me started my Spiritual Quest: Love & Romance. The feminine and sexual energies were definitely a mystery for me.

After so much inner work, belief disentanglement and so on, I was just waiting for it to manifest. So it happened and took me by surprise, just as I imagined it.

My shamanic studies were now sort of put aside as well as being reinforced by new experiences that took me to new places. I spent some time in Cali and relaxed on salsa vibes in a huge apartments inhabited a  100% by salsa vibrations. Only girls, living the salsa dream in the salsa capital. Most of them were foreigners coming to experiment the vibrant night life of Cali and the top level of salsa dancers. I learned a few steps and played the Salsa drag queen on a Halloween night dragging my feet on salsa rhythms that still remain mysterious to my body - Fun anyways.

Then I came back to Salento, 3 hours north of Cali, where my journey in Colombia had originally started. I was to meet Tupac again and plan a retreat with the ayahuesca spirit, back on my quest.

It took me some time to find the proper place for I was looking for something up in the mountain, a house or cabin where I could be alone, with just the basic needs. It came through a rather original way…

Mysterious Gabriel Torro

A friend had been offered a place to stay, on hour away, up in the mountains. The place had no electricity but wood and water and belonged to a man named Gabriel Torro. Since I couldn’t find the man, I decided to go look for the place to get an idea if it would do it or not.

I set up on a little hike with some information I had from my friend Alicia, not much. I hiked for about 40 minutes and was now down in the Cocora valley, somewhere 20min away from the place. That is where I got confused and couldn’t find my way anymore. I decided to ask one of the rare neighbors, thinking they must all now each other around here. Literally anybody I met had never heard of Gabriel Torro but they often mentioned El Sarco when I said he had bright eyes. Nobody new the real  name of El sarco, so I figured that must be him. I finally get to reach my friend by phone once more to have more info.

This time I was sure of my way and set myself up the mountain on that muddy path overworked by horses that made me wonder how she could have gone through. Some 25minutes later, I arrived at the top of the hill where I encountered a beautiful ranch perched on it, surrounded by horses. A moment later arrived a man on horse and introduce himself as El Sarco.

“Are you Gabriel Torro?”

“Nope, never heard of him”

I explained him my story and quite interestingly this was in fact the house I was sent to. El Sarco was quite happy to meet me as well as hearing about my search for a place to stay. He showed me around  and explained me that he had twice an ayahuesca ceremony held at his place with shamans coming from Putumayo! Interesting. So I don’t have to disguise what I do behind religious practices. That will make it easier for me. He offered me to stay with him. I first told him I would think about it and get back to my friend to try to sort out the mystery…but then in a rush of spontaneity, I accepted and we set up to meet the next morning - too much coincidence to be avoided, I was just sent here.

Later we discovered that Gabriel Torro is a mind sick person that is selling El Sarco’s place as his own and try to get girls up the hike to tempt them into other experiences… What made the thing confusing was that both men have clear eyes, something uncommon that locally gives them the nickname of El Sarco!

El Sarco

We carried our stuff up the hill on horseback and I settle down in my new home. It was simple but comfortable.  We had the view over the Cocora valley. Sunrise and sunshine. Seven horses living with us as well as two chickens and the numerous coulombs enjoying the mating season in our garden.

During winter time, storms are frequent and the rain is always a good pretext to hit up some “agua panela” (water and sugar cane) and dip some cheesebread in it. Conversations are not always easy with locals, especially with the ones from the country. – Well, it’s different with El Sarco - Besides having the strength of a horse as well as a voice capable as putting the thunder to shame, El Sarco is gifted with high sensitivity, great attention and spontaneous generosity!

He has lived, that is the least to say. He has the spirit of a warrior that has learned to appreciate life in its most simple form. In the past, he was feared by the local guerilla for having confronted a commandant and its guards on its own. “Nobody stands on my feet” he goes.  He escaped school, didn’t learn how to read and started working with horses at 7 years old.  – They are his life - During the war he would lead caravans through the country, carrying messages and material across mountains and rivers. He is the most talented horse trainer of the region and calls himself a horse psychologist, for good reasons.

Colombia has kept a great culture about horses and is well renown for the “Paso fino” aka “fine step” which stands for a special breed of horses that can naturally execute this exquisite move where the rider appears motionless with little up and down movements.  Of course this has become a business owned by the mafia where horses worth millions. Over here they don’t show they status with high horse engine cars but with real horse aesthetic wonders.

El Sarco sometimes works with such “special” animals which make me smile when I see him starting a fire with plastic bags and cutting bread with a vestless knife.

Everyday he left to work with one of his 16 horses he is looking after. Always happy, always high on spirit. As he says, he is free, does what he wants whenever he wants. Friends come and visit him. Sometime he meets tourist and invites them over to experience the life of the country. When he has a bit of money, he goes gossiping over too many rums, shares a good time with good folks and try avoiding the police as he can’t help telling the truth…

What is wrong with me?

Meanwhile, I was trying to organize myself and connect with the ayahuesca spirit…with some obvious difficulties. Four days in a raw, all that I do was chitting and vomiting. - No connections! - I seriously started to wonder what was wrong with me? She is usually so intense!

I know as a fact that Ayahuesca is THE nature spirit of great and divine power. So much strength but also so much character. There is quite a bit to know to be able to take ayahuesca with a shaman ( she had punished me and given me headeaches for not having respected some of it!!). Alone is another story. So I kept wondering what thing what not right? Was it me? Was it the brew? Was it my body?

I decided to come back to Salento so that Tupac would check the matter. He looks at my energetic body, at the ayahuesca…nope, everything is fine. He gives me some new advices of how to approach it.

“ Do it at night, sing it and make it a little fire…she needs specials conditions to come out for first alone contacts..”. Back to the mountains for another try & another failure.

One drop contains the ocean

Next morning, the sunshine woked me up at 6 and filled me with joy and confidence. “This is it” I thought. I set up for this amazing spot I had encountered a few days ago hiking around the mountains. I took my tents, some food as well as all my essential stuff necessary to secure a happy journey - It’s almost routine now!

The hike takes about an hour before I get to that splendid ledge where a small group of cows were just about to wake up, taking the morning light. The place is perfect. I set up my tent under a big tree that I use both as a source of shade as well as a guardian (when they don’t attack me!). I have some grass to walk around, the sun to heat up my drum and a dropping edge that comes over the whole valley where birds of all sorts either chase for food or circle the thermals up…paradise!

I open the circle, do all my little things to finally drink a full sip of Yahe. Off we go… As usual, an hour hits when I start to get some dizziness and that sticky vomiting message that sends my body!

But this time NO! I am decided to fight until I can’t anymore. I contract everything and force it down as it tries to come out. But what happens next gave me clear understandings… I feel like as if I was kicked out of my body, as if to protect me, and saw myself vomiting the whole drink just about to kick in. I feel a wave of repulsion coming from my body kicking out the ayahuesca’spirit. Even then, a little bit has entered and I feel the tremendous power of ayahuesca transforming my experience. SHORT BUT STRONG. A quick reminder, well deserved.

I finally got the message – I can be pretty slow sometimes!

• My body that is just getting to know that strong and powerful spirit, has to accept it : I was just taking waaaaay too much of it at once!
• My spirit that even if sort of strong and high, is still really young and fragile in many aspects.

I had forgotten two important things: RESPECT & PATIENCE.

• I forgot to acknowledge how profound is the ayahuesca spirit.
• I forgot that one drop contains the whole ocean.
• I forgot that the slower you go, the faster it comes.

I tend to step on things sometimes, coming with my usual strong confidence and trust in myself, I can loose respect if I don’t apply it properly. The message is clear now. It is the end of my retreat, all my multidimensional expectation are turned into dust, for goods. - I am not ready for it yet - I have reviewed my intention in the light of my new understandings. My priorities have changed. I realized how much my new strength are well, NEW. I need to feel myself deeply and keep discovering my spirit with time & care…and the rest will follow, no doubts.

Ecuador is up next, my visa is about to expire. My mother and my brother are coming for two weeks. Time to reconnect with my roots and let time figure out the rest. As for now, I am to be back in Colombia in January to re-enter my shamanic learning on more even grounds this time…..