Puerto Maldonado and Infierno.

Once I found a hostel for three dollars in Puerto Maldonado I decided to investigate and know more about this city I never planned to come. I made friends with a tourist agent and he advised me to go and visit an animal shelter. I saw jaguars, anacondas, monkeys, warthogs, tapirs and scavenger birds. I was given a tour of this place, which included also a lecture about the uncomfortable situation they had by not getting enough funds to stay on business. They welcome volunteers to help with the care of animals as well. I love animals but it is not my thing to spend a lot of time playing with them. I gave the guy a tip for something they may need there. “El Jaguar” is the name of this place, in case you want to check the place someday.
Puerto Maldonado was for me the city to take a break from Cusco. People don’t beg on the streets. They do not offer you all sort of things to party or make money and the traffic is very well organized even though there is no police in every corner. Puerto Maldonado is in the jungle so it is really hot here, 30 C (92 F) on fall season. I thought I was going to be there only a couple of days but I ended up staying about five. The place is small, warm and the people very friendly or perhaps they don’t get into your business. I, and the group of turn I had on this warm and humid city, went to Lake Sandoval to spend the whole day. We swam in the lake, the waters were a little brown, I imagine because the soil is not rocky. The group of turn was two couple of parents and their kids. One couple was German and the other Peruvian, but they all spoke German since the kids were on a German elementary school in Lima-Peru. The kids’ excitement was contagious and I also enjoyed watching crocodiles and parrots on the wild. I didn’t have the energy to climb trees as the kid did though. By the end of the day we say goodbye but to my surprise I saw the families a couple more times before our departures.
Next day I decided to go to “Hell”…(‘Infierno’ in Spanish, is the name of the small town). I heard it was a mysterious place, where a chaman lives and the people are not very picky about the people who go there. A chaman is a sort of sort of sorcerer who gives Ayahuasca, a type of beverage that makes go in deep conscious touch with your inner self. They say it makes you face or at least see your fears and insecurities and that the Incas used them for operations and sacrifices. I went to Infierno with the intention to find out more about this Ayahuasca and the Chaman who assisted you with the ritual. It is indeed a ritual when performing this activity. One has to fast for about three days, the ceremony starts at dawn or a little later and you fall sleep and spend the night in the chaman’s center. There is also the possibility of throwing up and even loosing control of your bowels. A young man sat next to me in the car I took to Infierno. He was a little arrogant and without hesitating and with a rude tone he asked me what I was going to do at Infierno, and if I wanted them to burn me there. I told them I was just going to check the place. I decided to keep talking to this guy who little by little changed the way he talk and was less aggressive. He was from Infierno, this city located about forty minutes from Puerto Maldonado with about only fifteen houses and an elementary school. The car we were in was the last one going to the Infierno, the driver told me he would wait for me if I was going back to Puerto but I changed my mind and accepted the guy’s invitation to stay in Infierno to spend the night. I was on shorts, T-shirt, flip-flops, long-sleeve shirt around my waist and my camera. I had to say I thought anything can happen in this place and if this guy was as tough and rude as the way he impressed first then I had to be careful, but I decided to let my guard down and let myself be the guest of this guy and his town. He took me to the popular Chaman Ignacio who already had a Swiss girl and a guy from Puerto Maldonado who were just making time to experience the Ayahuasca. They told if I wanted to do it too, and after I told them all the greasy stuff I had eaten for lunch they told me I was going to be very sick by drinking the beverage. I also was not too interested on doing it. I chickened out but perhaps I want to resolve my traumas without any hallucinogens. We left the Chaman, the Swiss girl and the third guy and left to Juan’s house. We walked for about twenty minutes, no light at all, I could hear the animals and insects. It was still warm and we had to walk through a lot of vegetation, mud and little creeks. We also had to watch for our heads since there were some low tree branches. Juan pointed the road with his flashlight as we walked. I felt several times being far away from everything whenever I heard the long grass and leaves we touched, the insects and when I saw the view of the stars above me. When we got to his house, his brothers were there. We talked a lot, about what they do and what I do. His house was very simple and typical of the houses on the middle of the jungle. It was about three feet above the ground. This is a rainy region so they protect themselves from floods by buildings their houses that way. They had cows, pigs and roosters. It was not electricity just candles. Juan and I went to another house yet, since they had no space for us on the first one. The night was cold but I managed to sleep well. Next day we went back to the main house and our breakfast was avocado and rice. I liked it. The brother’s wives and kids were there too. They were sleeping the night before. Juan, one of his brothers and I went to the river, about one hundred yards from the house, and we swam there. It was very relaxing. It was around eight in the morning. The water was cold and the Tampopata river was not that strong so I let myself being dragged by the current a couple of times. It was a sunny day and Infierno was not being as bad as I thought, to the contrary, I was very happy I trusted myself and stayed here. We then walked back to town. Juan and his brothers had a meeting with the rest of the community about exploiting their land for tourism. They asked me not to stay there because the rest of the community may get a little confused about who I was and if I was another extreme capitalist trying to get some money by exploiting this land. I looked around and thought about this place again. The kids attending school, because it was a Friday, the community getting together, the houses above ground, the tall palm trees. Juan and his brothers and family. It was time to leave Infierno. I looked at Juan and thanked him for his hospitality. He was a young guy with penetrating eyes. We hugged and shook hands goodbye and wished to be in touch. I am sure we will.