Bolivia's Road of Death, Coroico, San Felix

Jan 2006

Leaving La Paz bright and early, our destinations were Coroico, the coca fields,  and the San Felix falls.  

In this ceremony, Johnny, Lino, Dave and Manin made a traditional Ch’alla offering and Despacho to ask for a safe travel over the “Road of Death” in Bolivia.   We made a despacho as a group offering to the mountain spirits, or Apus, requesting their assistance traversing through their territory.  

Johhny, Lino, Manin
preparing the despacho offering. 

Offerings of love, joy, forgiveness, peace. 

Gratitude and Prayers

Dave offering prayers.  We are
surrounded by fog as the ancestors
swirl around.   

  

Burning the despacho.
Smoke and fire take our prayers up to the heavens. 

When the fog lifts,
it is time to go. 

After the ceremony, the fog lifted from the mountainside.
We hopped into Johnny’s suv and continued on our wonderful adventure. 

Fog lifting at entrance to 
the mountain road. 

   

The winding road is carved into the mountainside.
It is  barely wide enough for two cars.
Uphill movement of fruit-laden trucks have the right of way. 

We stopped at a waterfall.
Received PURIFY attunement. 

Around hairpin turns.

Past many waterfalls.

UNDER waterfalls. 

   

That is a long way to the bottom. 

Traffic. 

Johnny got some bug bites.
Manin applies essential oils to stop the itching
and prevent infection.

What a beautiful view! 

Town of Coroico.
Taken from a motel restaurante on the hilltop.
Lunch was excellent.

Church in San Felix township

Tienda in San Felix township

Lino in the coca fields.

Manin giving thanks to the coca plant.

Coca fields on hillside.

Coca plant.

Dave offering humor.

Indians working the fields. 

Blessing: 2 condors in tree.

Walking through the jungle

Lino and Dave navigate the trail. 

Falls ahead! 

Sky above falls.

San Felix Attunement

Lino and Manin exploring the pool.  

If there's water around,
I'll be right in it. (-:

San Felix falls meander down the mountainside. 

Creating pools, crossing the road.

Manin found a most interesting specimen.

A large millipede.

Millipede. 

Thank you for a beautiful day.
APUs bid us adieu. 

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Brother Lino Quispe is Aymara Shaman.  He lives and works in La Paz, Bolivia, as an environmentalist, plant medicine man.  He proudly carries the tradition of the Condor.

  

Brother Lino recognized
my vulture medicine 

He graduated (initiated) me as Condora. Such a blessing.  Many thanks, brother Lino. I carry the medicine with honor.  Aho.