I’ve drunk Ayahuasca quite a number of times, with quite a number of shamans, in quite a number of locations and this has got to be my favourite.
First off, the location is stunningly beautiful, away from everything but really only a short distance from Iquitos in Stacy’s four wheel drive. The maloka (ceremony house) and tambos (cabins) are set round a natural lake that you can swim in, complete with water lilies. For me, being next to the body of water added even more to the calm and safe feeling of the centre. The deck also provides a great space to soak up some jungle sunshine! Thankfully, there are few pesky bugs or mosquitos but plenty of wildlife such as butterflies, dragon flies, frogs, birds and even a few toucans that do a normally rarely seen fly-by.
The staff are fabulous. Isabel is such an experienced and skilled shaman. I felt that working with a woman shaman added a very special level of wisdom, not only for other females as myself, but also for the guys that were there. And she oozes experience that has been built by being part of generations of curanderos. Stacy is great. He’s natural and refreshingly unpretentious in what can be a minefield of ‘woo woo’ Ayahuasca centres.
I went for one ceremony and was so impressed I straight after booked myself in for a ‘dieta’. Isabel is incredibly attentive and regularly checked how it was going. Throughout the week I felt so cared for by Isabel, Stacy and Drew and the rest of the staff. It made it very easy to relax and take full advantage of the dieta process.
The centre is also incredibly comfortable and so clean, with modern tiled toilets in the main area, and the tambos and other areas keep a great authentic look and feel at the same time as being clean and safe. The attention to quality and detail is lovely. And the food is fresh, good and plentiful.
I really liked the Ayahuasca ceremonies, again always with a lot of care and attention with quality Ayahuasca. There were a number of people who were drinking for the first time and a lot of time and attention was taken to explain it and provide help. I see it as a very good place for anyone wanting to experience Ayahuasca for the first time. The maloka is beautiful and spacious, with polished local wood floor. I had a tambo, but on ceremony nights I chose to stay with the group and sleep in this lovely maloka after each ceremony.
Everything about the place helped everyone to relax and really make the most of the experience. The location, buildings, staff, food and of course to remember the resident pets – the very entertaining and affectionate cats and dogs.
I feel very lucky to have found this delightfully exquisite and special place – I hope you find it as well. I know I’ll be returning.
Thank you everyone at Dreamglade.
