By Day 1
As we stepped off the plane onto the tarmac and walked to the entry doors of Pucallpa Airport the heat hit us instantly.
There was no security. Just a couple of guards standing there telling us to go through the doors.
We walked out the doors to be bombarded with taxi offers. I responded with a no gracias está bien numerous times while we waited for our driver to arrive. He promptly said Mai Niti and showed us the photo he had been sent of us to find us so off we went on the 40 minute drive out to the Centre.
We conversed a little bit but as Mario, our driver, only spoke Spanish and my spanish is not the best it was small snippets of what the conversations could have been.
He pointed out statues and towns and told us about the best grills and ceviches.
Arriving at the Centre was filled with awe and love and excitement.
We were shown to our rooms. Quaint little 4 walls with mosquito net windows and a double bed with a mosquito net around that. Surprisingly we had powerpoints (and wifi) so that settled the nerves a little bit knowing if I truly needed to I could contact home or they could contact me.
But I set the boundary for myself to not be in contact with anyone for the 8 days I am here so I can be fully immersed in and with myself.
We were given a beautifully smelling plant bath that we had to shower beforehand, dry off and then pour on ourselves and air dry. And this would be a daily occurrence, either this or a plant sauna.
We fell into bed and slept so well after the enormous transit trip we had taken to get here. 4 flights in total.
Day 2
This morning I awoke around 6am and decided to get up and go and lay in one of the many hammocks they have available until it was breakfast time.
Today was filled with nerves as it was to be our first ceremony with Ayahuasca this evening.
We slept on and off throughout the day. Reading books is another great option out here. There really is nowhere to be and nothing else to do. We are not allowed to leave the Centre either due to the maestros opening our energies up to work with.
Oh we also got to see a sloth today!
Breakfast is at 8am, lunch is at 12pm and dinner is at 6pm, every day. Unless you are sitting ceremony then there is no dinner.
Depending on how long you are staying at the Centre you may be given different plant dietas as well. Which also affects what meals you have. Some are also in isolation on these dietas.
We are only staying 8 days.
The family who owns the Centre are unlike any I’ve met before. Papa Leonardo, turned 90 not long before we arrived. And him and his son Grover were our maestros for our first ceremony.
When I say heaven and magic. I am not lying.
And Lucila, the maestra is a force to be reckoned with so I am told. There is no hiding from her she sees everything. I will experience that on wednesday night in my second ceremony.
First ceremony is always a small serve here to start building a relationship with the plant. My dose was even smaller as I am very sensitive. And it was a beautiful, in my body journey. Being sung icaros from Leonardo and Grover I will never forget. The state of receiving I got to experience cracked me wide open in a flood of tears.
We slept in the Maloka for the night to which I awoke in a ball of sweat.
Day 3
Today I again awoke at 6am even though I had a big night in ceremony. As I lay in the hammock Lucila walked past and asked how I was and when I said ok she looked sternly at me and said no you are not you are tired and weak. She then finished with saying yes you are ok though you will have plant sauna today. And so I did.
And slept most of the day again. I can’t remember the last time I slept this much. Maybe it’s the space of rest that Mai Niti offers.
In the afternoon we had a masseuse arrive to massage away the tension that we had gained from ceremony and also our travels. That was heaven.
But after plant baths and saunas you are not allowed to shower until before the next one the next day.
So sleep tonight will be sticky and uncomfortable. But I’m really working on my going to bed showered requirement I have here. I’m not enjoying it but it is getting a little easier. Well it was until today…
Day 4
Wow did I sleep so well! I managed to stay asleep until 7am today without a wake up. With all the sleep I had the day before I did not think that would be possible.
I guess my body has been in deep need of rest.
Before lunch I had my second plant sauna. Smells delicious like honey. It was a lot less hot to me wrapped in plastic instead of the blankets like I was yesterday.
After lunch we got to watch the process of preparing yucca to make the mastascho drink the shipibo like to prepare when a birthday celebration is coming up.
And I spent most of the day reading and relaxing and drinking water in preparation for the second Aya ceremony I would be taking part in.
When I arrived to ceremony I was nervous. Then when more maestros walked in than I was expecting that was overtaken by excitement. How often do I get to sit ceremony with 4 maestros!
And oh my gosh was the ceremony deep, powerful, challenging and rewarding all at the same time.
Day 5
Woke up today after the powerful ceremony feeling so clear and great. A wonderful change from previous ceremonies.
Breakfast was the delicious chicken soup that we get to eat after ceremony which never disappoints.
I retreated to a hammock again to read and await my prescribed plant sauna and today I have also been prescribed the Liana plant to quieten my mind and relax me.
Before lunch I drank my Liana which tasted like flowers. So delicious.
Then we headed off down to the Ucayali river to go on a boat tour out on the Amazon river. Saw so many beautiful amazingly coloured birds. No pink dolphins or sloths like we were hoping. But a beautiful trip none the less.
No dinner tonight as it’s my final ceremony. So at 9pm I headed into the maloka where it was going to be an intimate ceremony with only a few of us.
And this was to be the most powerful experience I have ever had and confirmed my suspicion that I will never again sit medicine with anyone else.
I got to experience 4 maestros working on me. It was hard and I was tired and I kept asking if I was done yet to which they would say no. But as I finally got to the end of my process and heard Lucila say your process is now complete I felt instant happiness. It really cannot be put into words. The trust and surrender I was able to have in that moment with these maestros made the experience so much more than it would have been anywhere else. Their work is beyond words and feelings and descriptions.
Day 6
Today, after not much sleep, I awoke feeling overwhelmed at my experience from my ceremony. It felt like my insides were on the outside but my outside doesnt exist. And it felt like I had lost so much weight that if I hopped on the scales they would say 0.
Lucila spoke with me and said I did deep, strong work and that I am a very strong women. The tears flowed and she instructed me to not go into my mind about it and to stay in this moment only and to relax all day. She prescribed another dose of Liana and another sauna.
It was a struggle to eat breakfast as I still felt like I was with the medicine.
So more sleeping and reading in the hammocks was my prescription for the day. And that I did.
The rest of the people here are sitting ceremony tonight so I am going to go lay in the hammock near the maloka and receive some of the medicine from that without being inside.
Lots of giggles were had as my friend and I had so much clarity after ceremony.
We are sitting with San Pedro/Huachuma tomorrow so more giggles will be on the cards for that day too no doubt.
Day 7
This morning we awoke and headed to the maloka for our Huachuma ceremony.
It was to be only my friend and I sitting today so we were excited for this deepening of our relationship together.
It was a beautiful, powerful, filled with plenty of giggles day.
Which was topped off with a cacao and fire and music ceremony in the evening.
We learned shipibo dancing and drank delicious cacao and also spent most of it fighting off mosquitos.
A great last day at the centre as we leave at lunchtime tomorrow.
Day 8
Today we had our last meeting with Lucila to discuss what the plants have spoken to her about and if we needed to return and for how long for.
We also got to have a look through locally made crafts and purchase some knowing the money went straight to the community we had stayed with.
We said our goodbyes and were collected in our taxi to head back to the airport to begin the rest of our epic Peru/Bolivia adventure.
It’s also sad to be wearing shoes again 🤣
*I have left many details out of this as there really are no words to describe what I experienced and felt and saw. All I know is I plan to return next year no doubt.
Xo S
Shannii Maree - Strong Without Realising 