I had been researching Ayahuasca for nearly ten years after reading an article in National Geographic Travel Magazine. Being a person who loves travel and anything off of the beaten path, I was surprised I had never heard of this medicine before.

The author of the article had spent her time in what has become a fairly well-known retreat center and it was an obvious starting place to begin my research with the intent of attending a ceremony. I was put off by the cost of the program and began looking into other programs.

As I continued my research over the years, I found programs that ranged from affordably priced to what I would consider on the expensive side. I read articles, blogs and even learned some people would just take a leap of faith and travel to Iquitos and find a Shaman or Ayahuasca by walking around talking to people. Way to risky for me, so I needed the safety net of an organized program.

More time passed as I let the abundance of options, prices and fear of facing my inner self detract me from making the commitment to this trip. In place of facing my fears on the spiritual level, I took trips that fed my ego and appealed to my sense of adventure. For example, I went to Pamplona Spain and ran with the bulls. The rest of that trip included Paris, Venice and Rome.

So with that said, I was able to overcome my fear of running with the bulls, but the more I looked into Ayahuasca, the more excuses I had. Then I began researching Peru and the jungle and had myself near panic level thinking about the variety of jungle insects and animals that I could face or interact with.

Still, I could not shake the idea of the adventure and was nearing a critical point in my life. I was becoming increasingly angry, moody, unhappy and could lose my temper in a sudden and hostile way. I was starting to understand that I could not continue in this manner and I had to commit to a program.

I discovered Lupuna, and had vacation time allotted for the specific retreat time in September of 2019. Again, driven by some fear of facing myself on Ayahuasca and fear of Brazilian Wandering Spiders, Anacondas and other jungle monsters. I kept putting off registering and when I finally found the courage, the time slot that matched my vacation time was no longer available.

I reached out to Katerina and Kev, and they graciously made my retreat happen. I came to learn that had allotted this time to maintenance projects around the retreat center and a little breather for them. I think this speaks volumes about them and their commitment to serving people with their retreat center.

I had planned my trip to allow a visit to Machu Picchu and a little time in Cusco and a few other small towns. While at Machu Picchu, I witnessed a man with a small group of people having some sort of gathering that seemed very unusual. I took up a spot on one of the small stone walls and tried to blend in to watch them.

I was being so powerfully drawn to them that I could not stop watching. This man had long hair and grandfatherly looks. He was dealing with his group one on one and each ended up with a long embrace and tears streaming from their eyes. I had stumbled across something very special and was just appreciative of getting to witness it.

At some point, the man noticed me and called me over. He embraced me and began thanking me for being there and that they all felt blessed by my presence. I was wrapped in the most loving and kind embrace and could barely believe my luck. I had began to wait at the exit of Machu Picchu to find out who and what he was but thought I would just let this powerful moment be just that.

Ironically, I bumped into him at the train station a day or two later and learned his name and that he was a spiritual guide who also uses Ayahuasca. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyways, after a few days in Iquitos, my mind was just overwhelmed at the energy of this city. Tuk-tuks putter around zipping in and out of lanes and each other. The architecture is very interesting and the people are good. In the many cities I have traveled, Iquitos has become one of my absolute favorites.

On the day I am to meet Katerina and Kev, I back my belongings and head to our meeting point. We sign some papers and load myself and my gear into a tuk-tuk and began weaving through the madness of Iquitos traffic. We get to their long wooden boat which had a jungle leaf roof.

We putter down the river to where they moor their boat and begin the small trek to the center. My fear of the jungle is starting to fade as I am with the hosts and their staff who right away make you feel like part of the family.

Coming from 80-120 workweeks, which include 24 hour shifts at the fire department and then driving a gas tanker, I am used to being busy and on the go non-stop. This retreat is the first time in many years that I have just stopped, slowed down and enjoyed the present moment. It did not happen easily at first. There is a good size open air gazebo structure with hammocks strung all about.

We spent most of our days piloting the hammocks and just enjoying the day. I never gained expert hammock pilot status but learned many different ways of using my foot or fingers to send my hammock into flight. I could get used to that!

As the day progressed, I was nervous about the ceremony. Kev and I talked about the medicine. There is a piece of it in its natural state hanging near the hammocks and Kev explained that I was there in the right place at the right time according to the medicine. He then went as far to claim that I had been summoned to the jungle by Ayahuasca.

I reacted to Kev by saying that was a pretty wild concept to wrap my mind around, but that I could understand. It sort of makes sense that this plant that has such a large spiritual component to it, would let you know about it and then bring you here when life was a critical moment. It was a very intriguing concept.

Also, Kev and discussed meeting the spiritual guide at Macchu Picchu and he seemed genuinely excited that I had that experience and further proof that Ayahuasca was at work in my life.

As the day progressed, and ceremony became closer and closer, my nerves would start to get the best of me. By the time the evening came, and I saw the lamps coming up the wooden walkways, I knew my time had come.

We enter this grand ceremony place they refer to as the Maloka. Just the immense size and beauty of the hand built jungle structure lets you know there is something special about to happen.

In my research, I had more or less been under the impression that the Shaman was a critical part of the ceremony and would in fact be able to interpret your visions or at least see them and be there with you. I found this concept hard to wrap my mind around until I witnessed it later in ceremony.

Maestro Nilton began to clear the space of negative energy. This I found to be fascinating to watch him and listen to him. Even now, I will listen to some of the youtube videos of his chants because they were really powerful.

I will say that the medicine is terrible tasting. That part of it was even worse than I expected. But I will counter that and say that is a small price to pay for what I experienced and witnessed while using the medicine.

Under Ayahausca, I saw colors, patterns and shapes that would not even seem possible. I had good visions and some maybe not so pleasant. It was during the not so pleasant times that Maestro Nilton came to me and began working feverishly over me. He knew what was going on. It was powerful.

Every so often, he would leave the main part of the Maloka and the ceremony and visions would sort of fade out. When he came back and started singing the Icaros again, the only thing I can compare it to is a campfire. It begins to die down and you add another log. It fires back up in intensity. That was the effect he had with his Icaros. Extremely powerful and amazing to witness.

At first, I found the noise of the jungle to be quite intersting but a little much to try and sleep. After the first nights ceremony, the sound of the jungle was like a beautiful symphony and I could not get enough of the different sounds I was hearing. I was in tune with nature after my first ceremony and that is one of the benefits of the medicine. What a gift!

One night in ceremony, listening to the unique nature sounds I had never heard, I hear something fly by. I swear it was singing “it is going to rain” “it is going to rain” and Kev said that whenever that bird flies through, he has never seen it not rain.

Coming from a lot of childhood trauma, and experiencing some of the terrible aspects of life and loss as a full-time firefighter, I found peace and release from the burdens I had been carrying around. I have always had a healthy dislike for treatments that came in a pill form and believe that Ayahuasca is a gift and amazing tool for personal and spiritual growth.

When you know the story of how this retreat center came to be built stick by stick, floated down the river and hand carried to its location, you appreciate the beauty of this place and the commitment Katerina, Kev, Nilton and Roberto and staff have to helping people grow and heal.

They offer a lot and have a fair price knowing what all goes into building, growing and maintaining a facility like this. They employ villagers from the village adjacent to them and have giving heart to them and their children and school.

I had one on one access to all the staff including the Maestro. I give Lupuna and its staff the highest rating I possibly could. They broke from routine quite a bit to add value to my experience by going up river, swimming, fishing for little fish with teeth and eating fresh from the market place. They even shamed me into holding an Anaconda. I have pictures to prove it. LOL.

I am sure there are other fine retreats out there but, when I return to Peru, I am going to go to Lupuna again. The retreat is safe, the jungle is not scary and the healing and growth from the experience are unmatched.

Scott M.
Indianapolis, Indiana USA