My "Yage" adventure

One of the greatest things of Colombia is that all the different cultures live in peace together. They have an ancient history of Indians (indigenous people) and they are proud of there culture. There is no racism.
This weekend I went with some theatre friends to a Finca (a beautiful big piece of nature in the mountains with all kinds of fruit trees) just one hour from Bogotá. In this Finca lives a taita (indigenous medicine man or chaman) from the putumayo tribe in the south east of Colombia. My friends invited me to try a ritual with yage. It is prepared with ayawasca, a natural drug that cleans the spirit, connects with the nature and doesn't have side effects. A 5000 year old ritual.

In the evening I went with 10 persons and the taita to a tipi where the ceremony took place. A little afraid of what would happen. The taita started to sing and dance in the putumayo language, called "siona". With a neck less of tiger teeth and a feather ornament dancing around a camp fire inside the tipi. I stood in line between the men to get my little calabash bowl with the yage, but the ritual says first the men and then the women. Of course it tasted pretty dirty and bitter. We all went to our mattress, to wait for the effect. Wow, it was sooooo strong. I couldn't hardly walk or sit so I stayed on my mattress. I saw everything dance and move like a kaleidoscope and it didn't matter if I had my eyes open or closed. It also gave a very strong feeling in my body, like all parts of my body had a different life. The trip was beautiful. Every time and for every person it is different. At the end the group came together to make music with the taita and sing. He asked me if I wanted a second round, but I it was more then enough for me. All the participants had to vomit to get rid of the ayawasca, except for me. Never was a good vomiter, so my trip was twice at long. The next day I felt really good, very relaxed.