I got in touch with Emily at Dr. Sanango through the referral of a mutual friend and after spending a couple of weeks at another centre in Iquitos I arranged to go and spend 8 days at dr. Sanango for a retreat that they were running. I had worked with Aya a fair few times before in both Europe and the jungle. There was quite a big group maybe around 13 of us. The energy of the group was fantastic and everyone really seemed to connect. I met some extremely beautiful souls whilst here which continue to exist in my life now as close friends. After an exciting over night journey up the Amazon we arrived in the early hours. There is the option of a fast boat but I would say the overnight journey there really adds to the excitement and maybe get the fast boat back. When we arrived I realised that the village I was in was the same one mentioned in Peter Gormans – ‘Ayahuasca in my blood’ and then it turned out Luco the head currandero at Dr. Sanango was direct lineage of Julio (a super powerful shaman who has now passed) the main healer from the book. The lodgings are basic and not fancy but do the trick. I know they are currently working on building projects further out in the jungle. On one of the first couple of days we were taken out to the deep jungle and as a group with the guidance of Luco and his son (also a currandero in training) we collected many medicinal plants to add to the medicine we were to drink. We all took part in the process of making the ayahuasca and added the extra plants we had collected. It was amazing to get to collect the plants and then prepare the medicine we were to drink. Just to put anyones minds at ease when I talk of extra plants there are not toe/datura or any other similar plants that are added for visions that could be potentially harmful. The healers of this area pride themselves on their knowledge of jungle medicinal trees/plants and it is mentioned in Chris Kalhams – ‘Ayahuasca test pilots handbook’ that the variety and amount of healing plants used in brews from this area are the most complex he has ever come across. These guys really know their stuff and use the plants to create a medicine yielding an even deeper healing synergy than a basic brew. Over 8 days we had 5 ceremonies. I had some really profound journeys, the medicine was stronger than other brews I have sampled in the jungle and I preferred the deeper experience. Luco and his sons energy in ceremony is strong yet light and they both have a natural playful energy outside of ceremony which I really admire and resonate to in this type of healing work. Emily is a wonderful soul from Manchester who facilitates the main running of the centre always with a friendly smile and joyful demeanour. She is amazing at looking after your needs and holding space during ceremony and is in training with Luco. Everyone on the retreat seemed to have very deep journeys and a lot of healing was done. We even had one of our ceremonies out on an island in the middle of the river which was very different from inside the molloca and I found amazing. After a few days out of the jungle myself and a friend that I had met on the retreat decided to go back and do a dieta with usho Sanango. This was 8 days long and a very strong experience I feel it would have been better suited to do my dieta deeper in the jungle but the way in which the dieta was held and supported was great. There is a river right by the retreat space and you can go for a swim anytime which was especially nice after ceremony. The locals are super friendly and I really felt safe here, I had had all of my stuff stolen at the previous centre I was at so I welcomed this calm energy of the area. Over all I really enjoyed my experience here and found the medicine to be powerful. The ceremonies felt more authentic and genuinely held by a true currandero than I had experienced elsewhere.