Day 7 Kayak, Shaman

This morning, we had the option of kayaking or taking another skiff ride.  Both were in Iricahua Creek. Jean (from Florida) and I opted for the skiff ride.  Julio took us out.

We saw two large Iguanas.  The smallest photo helps depict how camouflaged they are...

Looking us RIGHT in the eye!

Julio and I were VERY excited to have a second sighting of Hoatzin (pronounced watson). The are also known as the stink bird.  (Because of aromatic compounds in the leaves they consume and the bacterial fermentation Hoatzins use, the bird has a disagreeable, manure-like odor.)

Hoatzin 

Cecropia

Wattled Jacana:

White Eared Jacamar 

Caracara

And we saw one tree with more than 30 blue and gold macaws!
(To enlarge view of photos is this post, click on any photo.) 

Quite far away

Zoomed in a bit

Rain

As we finished our ride, I felt the prelude (a few tiny rain drops).  Donned my daypack’s raincoat and burried my camera and long lens under my coat. And then… many BIG rain drops fell.  Guide Hulio passed out ponchos; so I put that on over my raincoat as further protection for the camera and lens. The rain was glorious!  No wind, just BIG drops.  We were drenched!  The temperature and taste was heavenly refreshing.  

12:30pm lunch.  Then siesta.

Shaman

3:30pm Briefed by Guide Segundo on Shaman.  Learned Sharman can also be either men or women.  Training for the Sharman we were to meet took 9 years. Segundo told us this Sharman healed Segundo's son.

4pm: visited 76 year old Sharman (aka the Maestro Juan).  Three bottles of liquids were passed around for us to smell.  These liquids are consumed by the Shaman at varying frequencies each week throughout his life.

Guide Segundo & Shaman

 The blessing was given by the Sharman in the form of him chanting, shaking a bundle of straw over our heads, smoking locally grown tobacco and blowing smoke into our hair and hands. 

During the event, I was thrilled to see a Festive Parrot fly in!

The Festive Parrot performed his festive dance.

When the Sharman finished, villagers removed the room’s furniture and transformed room into a bazaar of handicrafts.  The festive parrot supervised both events, walking back and forth over the room’s hand rails. 

I accepted my blessing as a clean slate - oh and as a blank check for mischief-making.  During harpy (eagle) hour cocktail hour, I snuck into the dining room and hid Renzo’s announcement bell in a drawer.  The joke was on me though because later, when we all went in for dinner, the bell had been returned to its prominent place near the room’s front door!

Before we sat down to eat, my secret-partner-in-crime re-hid the bell in a drawer.  In the absence of the bell, Renzo ‘tinked’ a fork against a glass and made his announcements.  When we went up for dessert, the shiny bell was staring me and my partner-in-crime in the face again.  The darn bell had been mysteriously returned to its prominent place!  LOL!