The Amazon: A Medicinal Jungle Walk.

The Blue Morpho retreat is just in the outskirts of the Amazon jungle. The property sits on a fairly large piece of land they have; which provides a leafy jungle landscape complete with bugs, snakes, monkeys, butterflies and various medicinal plants.

The day that we took off from our ayahuasca ceremonies, we had two excursions. One in which I was allowed to participate: the jungle walk. The other excursion, a boat trip and swimming on the Itaya River, was off-limits to me because of the Shamanic Dieta I was doing.

"You are already very sensitive because of the diet," the Apprentice Shaman told me. "If you leave the property, you're more susceptible of picking up dark energy." 

But because the jungle walk was on the property, it was protected by the Shamans. And therefore safe.

So into long pants, a long sleeved tee shirt and hiking boots I went. Where we would be walking would mean being in close proximity to all kinds of bugs, including mosquitos. Despite not being allowed to wear any DEET or other insect spray, I had yet to get bitten by a single bug. And I wanted to keep it that way.

The walk was let by the Maestro Shaman, Don Alberto.

Maestro Don Alberto shows us one of the places where Ayahuasca grows on the property.

Maestro Don Alberto with a machete in hand. Cutting a path for us.

The ayahuasca vine growing.

Jungle fruits.

I came out of the walk - which lasted about an hour - unscathed from the bugs. And despite some narrow passages for walking through the jungle growth, I managed to avoid touching anyone - which would have been against my Shamanic Dieta.