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November 5th, 2011
The deeper we ventured into the canyon, the less light penetrated to its floor. Over a hundred metres above us we could see a small sliver of sunlight. It was the top edge of the canyon and it was covered in forest. Birds roamed there, screeching as they dived down. They seemed to be guarding the roof-entrance to this sacred place, that seldom gets visitors. From that same roof, water washed down the canyon walls to merge with the stream at the floor bottom. It was like a scene from Jules Verne's 'A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'.

At that moment we had already hiked for half an hour from our camp through the river to get to the canyon. The camp itself was far far away from the 'civilized' world. To even get there from the nearest town it was at least a three hours bus ride followed by a good a two hours hike. Far from any polluting influences, it was nature at its most pristine; and the further we travelled, the insects came in ever increasing weirder shapes and brighter colours. Some of them could be captured on camera. Others, like most of the butterflies, were far too lively to even try.

Christmas Tree (Macuma)

Insects were not the only things inhabiting the canyon, though. The entrance of this sacred place was well guarded by a black-white striped water snake, one of the most venomous around. Like most other animals though, they will only attack if threatened. The Shuar call these water snakes Panki's, and their energy can be readily experienced in the ceremonies that the Shuar perform.

The jungle sure has its fair share of deadly creatures. That morning we had visited a cave system that had been in use for millennia by the ancestors of the Shuar that had accompanied us. In ages now gone by they performed rituals in these caves and used them as a source of clay for their pottery. We actually were the first group of foreigners to ever be taken there.

Only when we were already deep into the caves, climbing and sliding through narrow and muddy passageways, did the Shuar tell us that the spiders that we saw around us were actually venomous and could kill a human with just one bite. I believed them immediately; these spiders looked wicked enough to do so. In all honesty, I had never seen spiders with claws that can actually move prey into their mouths. They were like one of these scary end-bosses that you fight at the end of a level in video-games. From then on everyone put a little more attention in where they placed their hands.

Lunchtime! (Macuma)

It became narrower with every step that we took deeper into the canyon. The dry river bed side that we had walked on earlier had already gone; we splashed through the slowly flowing water that covered the entire floor. In some places the passage was blocked by a rock or a tree that had fallen down from above. We had a more difficult time climbing upstream while the water flowed easily from above.

In places like this, one cannot allow for any fear of getting wet. More than once there were deep pools that could only be crossed by wading through them, with water coming up to our middle. The water did not feel cold though, but it did make the rocks slippery. Against all odds it was actually one of the Shuar themselves that slipped, fell down and hurt his wrist. Though painfully, he did not cry out.

We stopped about fifty metres away from the inner sanctum of the waterfall. We were all given a small ball of tobacco to put into our mouths. Mixed with water from the river it released the tobacco juices whose energy assisted in connecting us with the spirits of the waterfalls. These spirits, the Tsunki's, are not 'an imaginary friend' of a bunch of wilds that took a cup too many of their medicinal jungle plants. On the contrary, these Tsunki's are energies that can be communicated with once one knows the frequency at which they reside. And you do not even have to be a professional psychic to do so. Those with whom I studied at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing know exactly what I mean.

David and Goliath (Macuma)

Too often people romanticise about communicating with the spectrum of energies related to indigenous people like the Shuar, especially those who are yearning to reconnect to Mother Earth. Once you have rediscovered that connection, and things literally get back to Earth, you understand that it is something relatively easy to do and you can subsequently use (deep) meditation, lucid dreaming or the essences of medicinal plants to communicate and exchange interesting information with this spectrum of conscious energies. And you will readily shed the belief that life needs to be based solely on carbon-hydrate structures.

By now there was so much water pouring on us from above that the last hopes of those who wanted to stay dry were decisively washed away. Outside the canyon the sun was shining but inside it was like being in a heavy thunderstorm. With loud screams the foreigners and the Shuar alike stepped into the two waterfalls. The first one was a large stream dropping in the middle of the canyon like a step-in shower. It seemed as if the waterfall knew exactly how much to wash away from every person, as the amount of water that each person got seemed to differ. The other waterfall was wider and towards the back of the canyon. If there was still anything that needed to be cleared out, this natural washing machine would do the job.

Pantzer Caterpillar (Macuma)

Soaked but full of energy we stumbled back to the first dry place. There we left the little balls of soaked tobacco on the rocks. They had served their purpose. After rearranging our things and making sure that everyone had returned safely, we started to walk downstream. For some reason the way back was much easier. The aliveness that entered us after bathing in the waterfalls had most definitely helped.

Visiting the caves and waterfalls in Macuma was an extra-curricular activity that the Chiriap family had organized after the traditional Natemamu ritual. The Natemamu ritual, an ancient cleansing ritual that requires drinking litres of tea made from a jungle vine, is in itself a very complete ritual. But the visit to Macuma was a great bonus. Besides experiencing the most beautiful waterfall that I had ever seen, Macuma gave me a lot of interesting insects that I had never seen before.

For me it was the fourth Natemamu that I had participated in, and the third one I had assisted with. I know a Shuar shaman who gives people a certificate that they are 'Master Shaman of Natemamu' after they have done four of these rituals. I always have to laugh when people fall for such things due to their vanity since is it not about the actual results of the process anymore? So I could not help jokingly asking Miguel Chiriap, the Shuar shaman that I assist as a volunteer in these rituals, to please also give me such a document so that I can show my competency to others.

Translucent (Macuma)

Much has stayed the same since the last time that I visited. Pancho, the house monkey, is still happy if you throw him a banana. Most of the parrots are also still around although one of them is missing. Several weeks before we arrived it had accidently fallen into a kettle of boiling water (really!). The next day the family had boiled parrot on the menu. You cannot deny the Shuar their practicality! A new pet that the family recently dragged out of the forest is a kind of nocturnal rodent that looked more like a monkey than anything else. They call it a wawa kuji, and the Shuar even have a song about it. It is a very lively animal. In the evenings it comically investigates anything it can climb on, but it has the irritating habit of running around you if you have to leave the Shaman Lodge for a midnight wee. With me, that companionship was not always in the animal's own best interest, though.

It is delightful to see that whenever I visit Miguel Chiriap and his family they manage to bring their place in the rainforest, near Gualaquiza, to its next level. We first discussed the family's desire to have a healing centre more than two years ago. Back then I advised them a little on how to create something that attracts people from Europe and the US, using my background in strategic planning and marketing. My idea was that a healing centre would enable this shaman family to do what it is good at, while creating a bridge for interested foreigners to come and experience the healing techniques of the Shuar. They started working really hard, employing other Shuar as well, and now the family has a nice guesthouse for large groups, working toilets and showers and a dancehall where the family and the Shuar from the village can practice their traditional dances.

Don't kiss this frog, it's neuro-toxins might kill you! (Cupiambritza)

One of the latest additions to the structures, although not on the compound itself, is the three computers, some desks and a satellite internet connection that the family bought in order to set up a computer room for the young people in Asau, a place deep into the rainforest. The family originally came from Asau, where most of their relatives still live. It's their way of giving something back to the community. Some people have the opinion that progress like this has a negative effect on Shuar culture. I have a different opinion.

If there is anything destructive to Shuar culture then it is to be at the mercy of others. Being informed and educated and having a steady stream of eco-tourists with interest in their culture and plants will help the Shuar to protect their forests against destructive forces, which includes protection from the less insightful among their own people. Seeing the value of their culture might even convince those that the past dozens of years have been converted by Christian missionaries, to return to their roots. Really, if there is anything destructive to indigenous cultures anywhere in the world, it is the relentless efforts of primarily US and Korean missionaries to move these people away from their belief systems that have worked for them for centuries, if not millennia, by replacing those with just another belief system.

Adrian and his new pet, a wawa kuji (Cupiambritza)

Another new addition was the sweat lodge, a kind of a sauna that is heated with hot stones. It was elementary in the opening ceremony of this Natemamu ritual. Both foreigners and Shuar alike went inside to enjoy the heat that was coming from water poured on the hot stones placed in a pit in the middle. It was a moving moment for me when the Shuar jointly started to sing a welcoming song. Nowhere I have never felt so welcome, they really did their best to make us feel at home.

And that is also what I get out of every visit here. Sure, I am busy translating and helping out where I can, using my coaching skills, but in the meantime being in the rainforest also helps me to connect deeper with myself. In a way that is a homecoming, and it helps me in doing what I like doing best in the world outside of the forest. And you are cordially invited to join me!

Warm regards,
Paul

The next Natemamu ritual will be held from January 10th to January 19th, 2012. More information can be found on www.Tsunki.com. Other stories about visiting the Shuar in the Ecuadorian rainforest can be found here, here and here.

Next time: ?

Last time: China's Highlights

Cuenca by night	Part of the Chiriap family (Cupiambritza)	The Natemamu-group of September 2011 (Cupiambritza)

Walking sticks come in various colors (Cupiambritza)	And in various sizes (Cupiambritza)	Stairway to heaven (Cupiambritza)

Blue-Yellow (Cupiambritza)	An Amazon crab lashing out (Cupiambritza)	Caught in the act! (Cupiambritza)

One butterfly that does not fly away (Cupiambritza)	Attracted by purple (Cupiambritza)	Flowers (Cupiambritza)

White and soft (Cupiambritza)	Colourful Encounter (Cupiambritza)	The entrance to the sacred waterfalls at Macuma

Acrobatics (Macuma)	This deadly spider looks more like the end-boss in a video-game than anything else (Macuma)	Flying ants are a delicacy in the rainforest (Macuma)

Green spider (Macuma)	The silhouette of a hunter (Macuma)	Some insects have personality (Macuma)

Pollunation (Macuma)	Painful encounter (Macuma)	The sun shining through a leaf (Macuma)

The Tank (Macuma)	This one's face looks like that of the alien in the movie 'Predator' (Macuma)	A venomous watersnake, generally called Panki by the Shuar (Macuma)