EXPERIENCING the LOVE I AM

Booked my ticket from Loja to Quito for April 9th.

Attended a chocolate making and shamanic journey experience up at Montesuenos. The young man from the States shared a lot of knowledge about Cacao and mixed up a cacao drink infused with Reisha mushrooms, Chaga, Holy Basil, Coconut, Cayenne, Honey and a few other medicinal ingredients. We were smudged with incense from Peru and graced with incantations plus songs.

Meredith led us to her sacred place higher up on the property where more singing and offering were made. The sun set on the surrounding mountains until a golden light fell upon us. A small opening in the clouds formed a heart for a moment.

Back inside he made two lage chocolate bars. The one with ginger, turmeric, cumin, holy basil, cayenne and honey was delicious. People started painting each others face with chocolate.

Caught a ride in a taxi to Gingko’s afterwards and watched the performance by the clown / juggler integrating his act with other performers and musicians. 

Neo: I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules or controls, borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.

What will you LOVE to EXPERIENCE when you are ready to EXPERIENCE the LOVE YOU ARE.

BE AWARE and the PATTERN WILL CHANGE.

Pure Cacao wrapped in banana leaves ready for a smoothy.

Unwrapped

Cacao pods

Talk about super wrapper!

Karen says the following about LOVE – concur : 

‎…and it’s ever present everywhere. Now I see. Now I feel. Now I know. Now I am… Love! Sweet, humbling, persistent love. Never again shall I try to steal your essence and limit your vastness, insisting that you can only exist here or there.

Spent some time exchanging ideas with the delightful Leah Song and Rob.

Happy Birthday Kaya!

I woke up with a sense of arrival. Coming home to center.

My Osho tarot card for today is Conditioning – individuality vs personality.

My Sarah and I – the Vilcabamba look.

I meet up with Nicky and Karen at Roots for a coffee after breakfast.

Since Nicky has an interest in architecture, I invite her to go for a walk to the honey bee hive shaped houses over by the Nature Preserve.

Earth Ship House

Once out there we decide to take the trail up the mountain. It’s a sister mountain across the valley from Mandango. There are some steep narrow paths triggering brief moments of vertigo.

At the top we sit and I perform my ceremony of writing LOVE on her inner forearms with my crystal and Palo Santo oil. I feel like a kid hanging out with my best friend while playing hooky from school.

We take a different path down and we see two large stands of San Pedro cactus. (I later find out that they are the largest in the area).

Nicky and I enjoy fresh coconut water right out of the coconut at the fruit market. On the way to the Chinese restaurant we bump into Pineapple Head who has a kilo of the finest Arrabica cacao which I buy.

Nicky and I enjoy our chinese food and we are joined by Ginna. A small ceremony ensues in the unwrapping the cacao. Delicious. I hug Nicky goodbye as she heads off to Peru. Gone as quickly as she arrived.

We go to the new restaurant opening for the first time today. It’s packed with familiar faces.

I go over to Le Rendevous to bid Verena and Jason farewell. They are off to Columbia in the morning.

LOVING the SOURCE that beats my HEART and FILLS my lungs.

Marika came down from Monte Suenos by taxi with Meredith, Sarah Sherman, Leah and Ana. We go to Gingo’s for Marika’s farewell lunch. Ana, Meridith and I ride in the cargo bay of the pickup truck. Only in Ecuador.

My Sarah is already there and Ginna shows up a few minutes later.

A taxi picks up Marika at 2:30 pm and she is on her way back to Toronto via, Loja -> Quito -> Miami.

Megan went up to Monte Suenos and is in the same room Marika had.

Thanks Megan for the peanut butter chocolate ball and the delightful note.

My Sarah finds out who the owner of the dog she’s adopted and cared for. She named the dog Patch who looks like a Dalmatian.

Discovered that my friend Amanda and three other friends are friends with Steven and Laura who were attacked here on the trail up Mondango a few weeks back.

A day of eating and socializing.

Today I climb Mandango to Awaken the Sleeping Inca within and this is the card I pulled.

Mandango

Started my journey up the mountain at 11 am with Marika and Ulises. Other people were quite anxious for as since a Canadian couple had been injured and robbed a few weeks earlier. We forged ahead anyway.

There are two trails and we took the more gradual one on the way up and the other one on the way down.

It’s a breath taking experience as we climbed from 1560 meters to 2022 meters above sea level. There are points with steep drops, slippery coarse gravely soil and paths only a foot wide.

The sun was hot and the sky filled with sparse numbers of white clouds. The air is clean and fresh.

Mandango is in the shape of a face and neck facing up to the sky and is known as the “Sleeping Giant” and is considered a sacred site by the indigenous people.

Some people believe it is a portal or vortex while others believe it as UFO site.

Cross positioned at the very tip of the nose and a few feet from the actual highest spot.

Over this spot were a group of butterflies mimicking a vortex upon arrival and the whole time we were there.

Marika stretched her arms and a butterfly landed on her heart and stayed there for about 5 minutes. A while later, and after Marika making request, a similar or the same butterfly landed on my arm and sat there a couple of minutes. 

I placed my ring, pink heart shaped crystal and quartz crystal on the cross to super charge with the energy of Mandango.

I coated the heart shaped quartz crystal which I had passed around at the last chocolate event in Palo Santo oil. I found a spot to push it into the soil. This crystal is filled with the LOVE and INTENTIONS of the people at the event plus many other friends.

Marika and I performed a ceremony and DECLARED the end of fear and violence in this area and world wide. I wrote I DECLARE WORLD PEACE on the cross bar of the cross.

I also wrote my name and my mother’s name on the upright part of the cross. I thank my mother for making this trip possible. I leave this as legacy of all the LOVE she brought into the world. She is my ANGEL.

The whole trip took about 6 hours and I am grateful to Ulises, born and raised in Vilcabamba, for guiding us. He works for Meredith at Monte Suenos.

As we walked along the road back into town a large crowd approached us in the distance. I then saw that it was a funeral procession where the coffin is carried on the shoulders of men. It’s about 2 kilometers to the cemetery. I could see men trading places to carry the coffin. A real sense of community. We detoured down another street out of respect and to let the procession proceed.

Also poured some Maple Syrup on the ground up there.

I showered and had a nap.

Karen joined us for Chinese food. Hung out with Karen for the rest of the evening.

First dream:

A donkey is riding by on my left side. There is someone hanging on the other side that I think is dead. I move behind the donkey to the other side and see it is my Sarah. She sits up on the donkey and is fine.

Second dream:

I am in a big open field. I walk towards these giant pipes. I am separated from them by a tall fence. I walk along the fence to find a place to get through. I look up and I am now inside a wire enclosed compound. The chain link and barn wire even cover the compound. I notice large healthy samples of cacti. As I look closer they are in a ditch. In between these large cacti are many, many San Pedro cacti.

Next thing I know I am in a large office. A woman is there. She removes a ring from my finger because it is somehow interfering with something and I am required to remove it. She does not notice the ring I received from Sarah which is even more powerful. There are very large screen TV’s on the wall showing lesbian and heterosexual sex pictures. Each image is first cartoon like and then life like.

I am sat at a console which has a laser like weapon beam aimed at a distant star. The woman assumes that I don’t know how to use this device and instructs me to try to blow it up. I launch the laser beam and as it moves toward the star I turn it into a powerful ball of light bigger than the star. It reaches the star moments later and blows it up.

San Pedro Cactus (tall long) mixed in with other Cactus. Same combo in my dream however the rounded leaves kind was a lot taller than the San Pedro.

I met Martha who has lived and integrated with the Ecuadorians for the last 37 years. I bought her chocolate bread and some vegetable salt that she makes.

Marika, Megan and I visit Norie and Richard at 11 am. I share the chocolate bread with everyone. Soooo good!

Richard gives us a tour of the grounds and their rental house.

Marika gets a mini Rolfing treatment.

Slept in until 8:30 am.

Breakfast At Gingko’s (David’s not mine)

Frank & Tamera stopped by the Meditation Center for a great conversation. I wrote LOVE on their forearms with Palo Santo oil.

My first day back at the Meditation Center.

Woke up remembering that one of the reasons for staying in Ecuador for 10 weeks and returning to Canada is to heal childhood trauma. Therefore I will be returning to Toronto on April 10 th for a 2-3 weeks.

Someone told me the word “Gringo” came about when the American soldiers in “Green” uniforms kept telling them to “Go! Go!”. Thus “Green” “Go”. The Spanish way of pronouncing an English “E” is with “I”. Thus “Gr” + “i” + “n” + “go”.

I set up a separate Tumblr for Vilcabamba right here.

Created a space for people to share their experiencing of becoming their authentic self. Go here.

Yesterday I passed a house the had a “Banana Bread For Sale” sign on a shingle outside. I decided not to knock on the door but felt a curiosity about what it might taste like. My Sarah is petting a cat and there is an Ecuadorian woman standing close by watching. She turns to me and uncovers some loaves in her basket. She asks if I would like to buy some banana bread. I do. It’s moist, lightly sweetened and delicious.

I have lunch with Sarah and Karen up at Madre Tierra. Just as we’re finishing up, Marika, Sarah Sherman, Ana and Merideth who owns Monte Suenos arrive. They are there to celebrate Meredith’s 66th birthday. Jason and Verena also arrive.

I get dropped off back in town and hear my name. There is Norie and Richard.

Delightful dinner with Ginna, Jason, Verena, Pat, Megan, Kim and Roxanna at La Roca.

Happy NEW Moon

Woke up at Le Rendezvous and enjoyed the breakfast.

View from Le Rendezvous room

Checked out of Monte Suenos and now I am back at the Meditation Center. Room 8.

Hung out with Marika.

Went to Dacapo’s where my Sarah and Karen were having dinner. Zia and V were there as well. I got up at the mike and said

“I DECLARE that I AM EXPERIENCING the LOVE THAT I AM.”

Switched my journal over to “Tumblr.com” overnight.

Today I am switching rooms with my Sarah who is staying at Le Rendezvous. The place is in town and it has a fabulous garden.

I took my divine crystal pen and Palo Santo ink and wrote LOVE on the forearms of Pat, Thomas, Roxanna and Megan. The each said I am EXPERIENCING the LOVE THAT I AM as I finished writing on each arm.

Megan and I walked up and back to Monte Suenos.

I went to Dacapos to listen to some music and hang out with a lot of the people I know. Dacapos has open mike on Wednesdays.

Karen, Me & Sarah

Sorry folks. I waited too long to post so I’ve actually forgotten what happened.

Happy EQUINOX! I’ve decided to participate in the pre launch of a web phenomena that has the opportunity to displace Google. The upside is I get monthly income for life and the downside is I get on a spam list. I don’t usually participate in these kind of things but this is likely to succeed. If you want to join then please sign up with my linkhttp://signup.wazzub.info/?lrRef=2b0d6ed5.

Vilcabamba is where the indigenous people brought the warriors to heal. I feel my newly acquired process with the crystal is what I used in a past life. Those people who are arriving here have come to heal or be healed. Some go back out into the world to continue to help others become fully awake. That is why there are so many healers here both local and “gringos”.

I pull the “Skunk” from my medicine cards to set the tone for the Equinox.

I share a taxi with Marika into town and we spend the afternoon together. The rest of the day is hanging out at Monte Suenos.

I rise at 6:45 am and catch a taxi down into town in time to meet with Felix and Ginna at Gingko’s for breakfast. Ben mentions that someone he knows was reading this journal. So neat that someone has discovered it all on their own. That’s how synchronistic things are.

Gingko’s Cafe

Ginna has to rush her breafast so that we can meet with Walter and Susan at 9 am. We are going to their biodynamic farm along with 5 other people. Half the people go with Walter in their car and the other half go with the taxi. It’s takes about 30 minutes to get to the village where we start the walk along the river. Susan gets to take possession of her new horse which has been waiting for her.

The hose refuses to cross the bridge. I give Ginna a Yoga Backpack.

A third of the way in I pass a small black dog at a fence. He’s sitting quietly until he leaps at Ginna and bites her in the back of her upper thigh and then nips the back of the other leg. The first bite punctures her skin. I help her apply the Young Living essential oil blend called Envision. Ginna’s feels she’ll be OK and we continue to Walter’s land. We get a tour of the land and enjoy the background story about the land sitting under a sacred tree. As the others start their walk to Neverland where we are scheduled to enjoy lunch, I am inspired to offer to inscribe the word LOVE with my crystal on her inner forearm in a ceremony for her to EXPERIENCE the LOVE she is. I apply Santo Palo to her skin. I use my new ring to call the divine from the heavens as my feet pull the earths energy up from my feet. The energies flow into my body and meet in my heart center to flow out my other arm and get focused out the crystal as I write the word LOVE. I repeat this on her other arm. Each time she says I EXPERIENCE the LOVE that I AM. I’ve done this for my Sarah and Karen also.

Neverland Lunch

We all go to Neverland. A place where a group of young people are just finishing a meal. This is a place where people come to learn homesteading kind of skills. It’s beautiful here and the meal is delicious.

The rain begins as Walter conducts a short meditation before we start on our way back. We are back in Vilcabamba around 5 pm.

I eat some Chinses food with David. We are accompanied by Trina who teaches contact dance.

I meet up with Jason, Verena, my Sarah and Ginna. I stay a short time and decide to go home. It’s been a long delicious day.

I love having baths in my new bathroom with a view.

My View From The Bathtub

I enjoy sitting with Galen at Roots while he has breakfast. We part ways and I venture off to the Meditation Center to check emails. But when I get there, Jason and Verena are sitting there talking with Pat. It’s wonderful to have them back in Vilcabamba. The reunion is brief because I am meeting Galen at the taxi stand to take a cab out to Karen’s place.

I’ve got my new rubber boots and my Sarah shows up with string, flashlights and a new ring. Though more people were invited, it’s me and Galen off to Karen’s place.

Karen’s place is a 10 minute walk from the road and on the crest of the mountain with a spectacular view of Malakasa. Wow! Karen greets us and we sit down to a mini feast for lunch.

It’s off to explore the cave. It’s the reason we’ve come. There are rumors of caves that run all the way to Peru. I put on my rubber boots while Galen machete’s some grass covering the entrance. The concrete drainage in front branches into the caves entrance and continues along the length. We can see a soft glow about 300 feet in. Bats are flying in our direction and turn around. There is joking speculation that there a luminous being at the end or maybe a spaceship. Galen and Karen go in about half way and confirm there is daylight at the other end. Karen imbeds an amethyst crystal that Sarah Sherman had donated and which I had rubbed with Palo Santo. Putting the crystal there was to rebalance any unbalanced energy.

We go back to Karen’s place for coffee and delightful conversation. It rains lightly. Galen and I catch a bus back to Vilcabamba.

Jason, Veren, Ginna and I go to Shantaz for dinner before I go home.

I woke up thinking about crystals. I knew to use the crystal as a pen and palo santo oil as the ink. I am to write the word LOVE on the forearm of people and invite them to EXPERIENCE the LOVE they are.

I enjoy a bath in the tub and put some Palo Santo oil in the water. The view out the big circle window at the foot of the bathtub is divine. I play the song Amazing by One Eskimo. Then I call Celeste and we talk for a while.

I head into town with an agenda of tasks to complete. This creates a fragmented flow and some of the task remain incomplete.

I get a chance to write LOVE on the arms of my Sarah and Karen with my Crystal pen with Palo Santo ink.

I make my first batch of chocolate with cacao powder, cacao butter, Maqui berry powder and dried banana flakes. It turns out to be a bit gritty from the banana flakes but still yummy.

Ginna, Roaxanna, Kim and another fellow show up at about 7 pm. We tour the house together and go over to Jerri’s house a short walk from here. It’s a very beautiful home where a Kirtan is being held. Great group of people with yummy food.

I love waking up here at Monte Suenos.

Ulysus, the grounds keeper, and I walk into town but a third of the way down we get picked up by his brother.

I meet Karen at her apartment. We decide to go on a Shamanic journey together. I lie on the massage table while Karen drums and guides me. I am imagining going into a cave on the escarpment near Milton. I invite a a bat to accompany me on the journey. I emerge from the darkness and find myself at the edge of a lagoon with a beautiful woman sitting on the other side. Next we are in an embrace in the middle of the water. We form a ball of loving light. I am reminded to experience love without getting focused on the source.

The bat inspired me to put a crystal soaked in Palo Santo into the cave I will be exploring on Sunday.

When I shared my journey with Karen, she said she saw a spirit in form of a man come and take an arrow out of my heart which he had speared me with during a fight between tribes living in Vilcabamba long ago. This was followed by a mountain lion licking my wound to heal it.

Sarah, Marika and I went up to my place to take a look. They both loved it. We all got to check out the meditation tower which is part of Sarah Sherman’s unit. Sarah Sherman sold me a beautiful crystal pointed at both ends.

The rest of the day was enjoying myself in the company of Sarah and Marika.

I coated the crystal in palo santo.

I get up at 6 am. Finish packing. Clean up a bit. I give the keys to Elena and Vlad. Off I go.

I take a cab up to Monte Suenos and drop off my stuff and take the taxi right back into town.

Monte Suenos

I meet Sarah at the taxi stand so we can go to Norie’s place. We get a tour of the property. I help Norie gather salad ingredients from the garden. There is homemade butter on bread, guacamole and salad. Lots of great conversations.

Norie and Richard catch a ride back with us.

Ginna and Marika come up to Monte Suenos with me. We chat, explore the place and they take a cab home.

Sarah and I caught up on everything going on when we got up. I went with Sarah to Le Rendevous and there is a room available for her.

Ginna calls me and invites me to the Open Mike taking place at Di Capos.

I meet up with Ginna after her meditation class. She shares a yummy omelet with me. In her room we pick an OSHO card and anoint ourselves with the essential oil blend Inner Child. She lets me know she is not interested in a romantic relationship with me. It feels good that we are clear and that we can continue to relate in other loving ways.

Meaghan , Ginna and I go to Di Capos. Laurence, Todd and a few other musicians are jamming together. Sounds great.

I walk Meaghan back to the meditation center enjoying our conversation together.

I pack up my stuff and go to bed.

Elena and Vlad coming knocking on our door. They have found someone else to take care of the dog. We are asked to move out by Thursday.

After breakfast, I take a cab up to Monte Suenos to look at the rooms. They are all beautiful just like photos I’ve seen. Ulices, the groundskeeper, walks me back into town and helps me buy a cell phone. My number in Ecuador is 094548091.

Marika isn’t feeling well. Sarah and I visit with her for a good part of the afternoon.

I decide to have dinner at the Chinese food restaurant. I get my first call. It’s Ginna, who comes and joins Roxanne, Kim and I for dinner. John, who is writing a book on the Tarot, joins us and then Felix does also.

The stars are incredible as I look up in my yard.