The Year of Living Extravagantly

I walked into the Casa de la Gringa on San Blas in Cusco, Peru; I was greeted Lesley, the owner, Miguel and Noemi, the gal who not only makes the food, but the San Pedro concoction meant for special spiritual occasions. As I check in, Lesley tells me about the San Pedro ceremony I have come for. Miguel, the guide, will take you to the ruins and you will drink the San Pedro and when you are ready, he'll bring you back to here to eat and sleep, if you can. Miguel doesn't speak much English, but he's done this several times and nods when Lesley translates. He gives me a thumbs up and walks away.


Next morning, I make my way to the kitchen and Noemi makes me special breakfast because San Pedro can be hard on a body. Miguel wanders in and takes a glass jar filled with green goo from Noemi and says make a gesture over his shoulder. Time to go. We walk 15 minutes from the hostel to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman and get settled. Miguel hands me the jar, “Rapido”, he says with a shaking motion. He means drink it fast and it needs to stay down for at least a half an hour. I drink the think green liquid as fast as I can and lay back on the grass. My stomach leaps. I look at Miguel who smiles and gives me a thumbs up while I leap to the side, just missing him as the viscous green liquid ejaculates itself from my stomach; Miguel says, “It's okay; always happens.” I lay there for a while longer, but the intensity of the pain in my stomach is increasing and I ask Miguel if we can go back and he thinks I should stay in the trees for a while longer. I can't and we make the trek back to the hostel. We'd been gone longer than I'd thought anyway and Lesley asked what was wrong when she saw my pale face. When I pointed out my solar plexus, she told me it was probably the nearness of the ruins affecting me; they had a lot of residual power left in them, but it's just as likely my journey. I went back to my bed and slept for while. I had a hot, tumultuous dream that involved pulling an anchor out of my solar plexus and a father figure with a bear head.

I woke up and wandered out to the common room; Lesley handed me a menu and told me to pick out some food from the restaurant and it was on her. I was high as could be from the San Pedro and ordered the ultimate birthday/comfort food: mac and cheese with smoked pork and a side of cornbread. When it was delivered, a very large piece of birthday cake was included and Lesley and I spent the rest of the night deciphering my crazy dream.