Loving people

Hi all
Right after, the walk from Ambato to Banos (thursday night) the following Saturday, we went to Puyo for a visit with my friend there and her family. The kids were not really kids, being 15-18, were all interested about the Caminata. They then all wanted to look at my feet to check on my blisters. The blisters on the pads of my heels were the size of silver dollars, and they felt that they just had to do something about that. So there I was, amidst these jungle kids, about to be treated for abusing my feet. The kids decided that the best course of action was to make a poultice out of raw dry tabacco that they grew in the jungle. Their parents had given ,as a present, a large bundle of tightly packed raw tabacco leaves to Eliza. They hacked off about a cm of it and soaked the bits in water to create a poultice. Then the three of them, plus myself, with great care and sensitivity applied the goo. They were so nice about it, except when they said that I was a bit of a sissy, since they walk in the jungle for 2 days straight drinking only "chicha". How many kids do you know in Canada that would lovingly help a virtual stranger without being asked to? They were all so sweet and concerned for my health. After my feet were a nice brown color, they smiled and joked with me until all of it had dried. Then they said I was to leave it on until the morning. Then they decided that the bug bite on my arm was something that had to be looked at also. They all had decided that it was a bug called "teepi" (sp? Pronounciation?) This is a bug related to the Mosca muerta (blowfly-ish) This bug likes people sooooo much that they feel that people would be best to take care of their young ones. I simply mean that they bite you and then lay their eggs in you....... Yuck. Soooo the next day it was off to the emergency. The doctor also felt it might be that bug so she looked and cut the wound open but no bug, thank god.
While we were in the hospital, we met a young man who was Down's syndrome. (Whom I love to be with, they are truely angels on Earth.) While we were waiting in the examining room, he decided to come in and visit with us. Hospitals are different here, if the door is open, or the curtain is open, it means that you are open to having visitors. So in the room he came for a nice friendly visit. He was soooo aware. He looked at me and said that I had a spider bite not a Teepi bite. Then, he looked at Rachelle and said she had an infection in her intestine which was also a sort of bug (true, she got checked too and was medicated for after that). And then,he looked at Dane,and he said that he knew that Dane had had an injury to his head that had a large cut on it. Now Dane has a thick head of hair and there was no way he could see it. Dane had had that injury when he was very young. I have often had the experience when dealing with Down's syndrome people that they are very intuitive and here was another experience with that. He was lovely, but the problem is that he was there for a visit as well. The staff, however, were not very well versed in dealing with kindness and patience with a "Challenged" person. He was crying, etc and it took all we had for the three of us not to charge in there and help him. Needless to say, we did what we could and all sent him healing pink energy. (technique taught to us and normally works very well)
Now back to something that I had just mentioned...."Chicha". Chicha is a drink that is created by the Quichwa indians of the Amazon. The women, who are not menstrating, masticate (chew) the yucca root, then after it is fully chewed they spit it into a container to be drunk and shared with others. .... Hmmmmm..... Apparently, it is a real important staple. After several days, if it is not already consumed, it ferments and becomes a whoopeee juice. It is high in sugars and the people can function off of it and work off of it for several days. So our friend, Teemo, one of Eliza's kids, takes a container of it when he goes into the jungle to work and that is what he lives off for the duration he is in the jungle. They also use it in festivals. It is a real gift when they share it with you. Up to this point, I have not had the ......Pleasure...... of drinking it. My upbringing, kind of says, "Just say No". If I ever get the opportunity to drink it I will have to force my mind open with an axe. I hate it when I become so closed minded that I let my self not experience cultural opportunities. Of course, if you go further in the jungle and into remote areas, they apparently still have headhunter action going on, so I would have to vote no on that one simply for self preservation. So I guess experiencing chicha is no where near a culturally challenging as some other options. I would try it, to try it.
Other than that, I have to say that my blisters are much better. It is possible that the treatment of my poor abused feet was improved by the tobacco, but I think that it was more from the loving kindness those kids gave me. We alway heal much faster when healing is done with love and compassion.
Talk with you all later
Be present but with love and compassion for others
Robin