I came here as a visitor in January and December 2014, and January 2015

OVERALL:
My love for the medicine and sustainability made Canto Luz seem like a piece of heaven. I am so grateful for the work that has gone into to this center-

Every detail reflects their love and attention: for example they pay their regular workers (not just curanderos) much above the regular which I have seen at other centers. This is a very important thing for me, because I believe people should be making a living wage when they work… I know it seems like a strange detail to pick out, but to me it was a strong indicator that the values Canto Luz holds are being acted on. I sadly did not see this at a couple other centers I worked with.

The ceremonies themselves are no less than healing. Mariya holds a very special space alongside the Curandera Reyna. Together their songs, attention and care made this a very safe place for me.

Accomodation wise, I was fed like a queen! Healthy, vegetarian cuisine and sleeping arrangements are 4 stars, at least – if not one million, because that is how many stars you can see if you look up at night!

Here for interest sake is a detailed review of the whole Canto Luz experience category by category.

CITY: The arrival in Puerto Maldonado was one of the first most striking parts about the journey to Canto Luz- it is not like other Peruvian jungle cities, and is much more chill than Iquitos. As a young woman, I feel safe in Puerto Maldonado. It has easy land transfers from Cuzco, which was an awesome plus for me. It made the journey cheaper and easy to connect to for the rest of my trip in Peru, and the ride from Cuzco to Puerto is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Take the day bus 🙂

PICKUP: Staff were there to explain everything to me beforehand, and they were always on hand when I had questions in the days leading up to the retreat. Juan even went the extra mile to make sure I found the local 2nd hand clothing market to get some items I was missing for the jungle.

JOURNEY UP RIVER:
The boat journey was one of the most exciting parts of our trip to Canto Luz – besides being in the Amazon itself… it was a dream come true! The thought of a Amazon basin river, and me being on it! YES! Its a beautiful river, with a lot of scenery. Sadly, the staff pointed out mining on the side banks and talked about the development of their social and environmental work.

WALK IN:
We passed a large clearcut on neighbooring land, and the immediate sense of devestation found globally in tropical forests struck all my senses personally. But once we entered the forested sanctuary of Canto Luz land, I felt so grateful for the presence of Canto Luz protecting the land from illegal logging and mining. The walk was not so long, and was very easy. There very little clay in the soil, mostly sand. This means that I didnt slip and slide and make my shoes and pants an absolute mess. One time I didnt even have to carry my heavy bag! The motor cycle was available if I needed it.

MALARIA and THE BUGS:
It amazed me how few mosquitos there were compared with Iquitos. I think it has to do with the soil, as it is sandy soil, and so water deposits where the mosquitos lay their eggs do not form as easily. Still, it was a HUGE relief to me that the Puerto Maldonado region has virtually no malaria cases. It is a safe place to do healing work, malaria free!

CANTO LUZ ACCOMODATION:
Seriously comfortable mattresses, with lavendar scented sheets high up in a tree house? Yes please! Not to mention the walks through the nature trails, and to the creek. I hear they are helping to maintain more trails soon, and that we will be able to walk more in the jungle safely. There are numerous trails throughout the area that locals use for access to the ANCIENT brazil nut trees! Enormous, nut trees that are sometimes 500 years plus. Plus, night hugs to say goodnight to my roommate – MY ROOMMATE IS A TREE!

FOOD:
Healthy, perfect quantities, and matching my allegry and dieta needs. The cozy open kitchen made for a luscious view too, while enjoying the meals with new friends.

CEREMONY:
I have worked with many other curanderos and facilitators. Reyna is different from others – she is like a mama. I felt so safe with her. She also she sings beautifully, with very detailed and intricate songs that are completely her own. When ever I needed assistance in the ceremony Mariya or one of her other assistants was at my side, leading me to the bathroom one time and helping patiently in a difficult situation on the other. I never ever felt unsafe at Canto Luz. They made sure I got back to the tree house okay after the ceremony, and the next morning Mariya was present with me when I needed to ask questions and debrief a little.

Luckily I speak spanish, and so I was able to have many conversations with Reyna, too. Her knowledge has been hardwon, and she has worked most of her life with plant medicines. She is a treasure to know, and has helped me on my own medicine path.

SOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL WORK:
Canto Luz has been working on many projects with neighbouring communities in the last years since it opened. They even donated 300 hectares to neighbouring indigenous community when they first broke ground. A detailed list of their work is on their website, and it is no less than impressive given that they have only been working since mid-2013. I understand they have other works in process related to indigenous language and plant knowledge, and they are only growing in this direction.

It is relieving to me to pay for a retreat at a center that puts their resources, money and hearts where their mouths are. Canto Luz medicine work is a conduit for their environmental work. I hope they are able to continue their work because it is important. The Puerto Maldonado area is a region that is fastly becoming deforested by mining and unsustainable resource extraction.

I love the place!