I can't stand the sight of Tarantulas. Seriously, I mean no disrespect but they just creep the hell out of me. I can barely view images of them on the Internet.

If I go the Amazon jungle, will I be guaranteed to meet them or is there a way to avoid them? Or should I just stick with drinking Ayahuasca in the Andes?

Interestingly, I don't have a general fear of spiders. Just the huge hairy big ones.

Also, since this is a conscious phobia of mine, should I expect to consistently deal with this during ceremony?

You wont see any, unless you specifically go looking for them. Iquitos is a noisy city, the healing centres usually in cleared grounds. you wont be in the thick of jungle unless you go out of your way.

that is not to say there wont be other spiders, cos they love to make homes in the woodwork. Not worth the worry, seriously.

Never saw any in Iquitos, but I saw a couple in Pucallpa. They are way less scary then other stuff in the Amazon - they arent deadly and they are slow and easy to spot. Could be cool to confront and overcome a fear....

Honestly - the mountains are much nicer then Iquitos though.... Iquitos gives the Ayahuasca scene a bad name - too many child prostitutes and people doing coke at "Ayahuasca raves" (yes, they have Ayahuasca raves in Iquitos). I love the jungle and Iquitos is kinda fun for a day, but I think it just accumulates all the worst parts about tourism and brujos and the dark side of Ayahuasca.... For the jungle I personally prefer Tarapoto or Pucallpa. The Andes are also just awesome anywhere you go - Sacred Valley/Cusco, Titikaka, Huaraz, Chachapoyas.... All great places.

Ive been twice to Iquitos, never heard of these raves. Care to elaborate? Probably not a good idea doing ____ on Aya?

A number of the locals in Iquitos are into disco teks and rave like parties where they drink Ayahuasca. Heard about these events from a few different people there.... Never wanted to go to one - it sounds horrible to me.

There is something about Iquitos specifically that really brings out the dark underbelly of the Ayahuasca community... Really off-putting for me.

Just goes to show that simply taking a drug, even Ayahuasca, doesn't automatically catapult you to a state of enlightenment, compassion, and peace.

That's a lesson that a lot of psychonauts seem to need to learn.

Blessings
~ND

Maybe these do exist, i guess there's a lot of crazy underground stuff possible over there, but the average tourist won't know. I would have thought that Aya drinking was more likely psy trance related, though.-Not that Iquitos is really known for that.

Of course tourists are known to party and sleep with locals and party with local stims. That is nothing new, and even worse in Cusco.

It's not underground in Iquitos - people approach you on the streets and try to invite you to things like this or offer you coke.... They are real in your face in Iquitos - some of the pushiest people I have ever met.

Much more rare in Cusco actually. Cusco has a way more chill vibe and much less pushy people. Generally people in Cusco are much more respectful then in Iquitos. Iquitos has the reputation as the dirty Ayahuasca tourist trap.

For real! Nothing more ignorant then people claiming its all love and light... There is a serious dark side to Ayahuasca culture - especially in Iquitos more then anywhere else I have ever heard of. There is a very loving and beautiful side too, but its not the only side and its important to remember that brujos and healers use the same plant medicines!

I drank four grams of mimosa two weeks ago and a large human sized tarantula came up to me in my room and teach me about how silly it is for humans to fear spiders. Humans have atom bombs and assault rifles, jet fighers and genocides, rapists and racism..

What is so bag about a little spider? Spiders got none of that.

""Ayahuasca raves" (yes, they have Ayahuasca raves in Iquitos)."

How?..How does one rave on ayahuasca? San pedro raves in cusco or something I can totally see. But ayahuasca?

Why? What about a party where people dance to techno on ayahausca or use cocaine makes them lack enlightenment, compassion, or peace?

I have not been to South America, but while in Belize, I encountered some very large wolf spiders. Larger than any tarantula I'd seen at home. They're a bit alarming at first, but nothing to fear. They're just trying to make it like you, and they keep a lot of other mean arthropods in check. I wouldn't let it stop you from going. As others noted, could be a good chance to confront the anxiety about them.

I was in Iquitos a couple of years back and none of that happened. The only people who were offering anything were the hippy artesania guys on the boulevard, who only started once i started looking at their jewelwry for sale. They can be obnoxious, etc. Actually, i think they are the same i met in Cusco years back?

Years ago in Cusco, it was pretty full on with hippies selling Artesania, but this has been largely stopped. Procuradores street always was and still is known for that, but was much worse in the past. I dunno, but when i was in Cusco, there were sellers in most bars as well, but never noticed that in Iquitos. I found Iquitos, 'boring'in terms of bars and entertainments. Maybe it was because i'm a seasoned traveller to those parts and i think the locals can tell. I'm not young either!

Never heard of Aya raves though.

How crazy!

It's funny cos i dislike Iquitos city because it's really noisy from the motokarros. It's not much of a cool place to hang out, or linger because it's a bit of a dump too.
Cusco is different, and ok to linger, although it has changed over the years and seems to lack it's crazed vibes and perhaps that is a good thing. What i like about cusco is ease to travel to sacred valley towns. It's a real vacation place.

Maybe you just need to meet these people. They will do anything for a quick dollar. Child prostitution is also huge in Iquitos - really popular there.

It is pretty common to see westerners leave their month long Ayahuasca retreat all healed up and happy with life, then someone asks them if they want a hot local girl and some coke.... They leave for home with zero healing by the time they are done and maybe an STD.

The artists in Cusco arent pushy much... Not compared to Iquitos. People in Iquitos would follow us for blocks no matter how many times we said no. Cusco they ask you once but if you say no they leave you alone.

I have certainly had people there offer me sex with children and I have heard this from a number of others.... Child prostitution is pretty popular there and is a real problem. I think as the tourist Ayahuasca scene keeps growing it attracts more and more seedy people trying to cash in so I wouldnt be surprised if it gets worse....

I only heard about Ayahuasca raves last year but I also met others who heard about them in Iquitos. Maybe it is a new thing. I could see this going in a bad direction quick though - media loves printing stories of people dying related to Ayahuasca and enough of those stories could really make any legal movement for the medicine in other countries impossible (gov's wont legalize if they can show it is dangerous).

If you dont believe me, maybe try a little research and see what others say... Here is one of the first hits on google about Iquitos:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alfonso-daniels/child-prostitution-boomin_b_1086278.html

Mmmm..That link was for miners deep in the Jungle-not tourists.


Talking about Iquitos, i remember the last time i was there i saw another Gringo with a young looking girl. I was quite shocked at how young she looked, but the locals said that young girls liked Gringo's, and whilst i didn't agree with that, it doesn't surprise me because Iquitos is like Brasil, and very relaxed being a Jungle city away from the rest of Peru. I saw ladyboys on the boulevard, and of course the usual prostitutes. Mind you, in Brasil the line between prostitution and 'normal' girls, is very thin indeed.

Amazed that you couldn't shake the dealers off of you. I think i may have had the same thing happen to me, but they were real low life hustler type Artesan guys trying their agressive luck on me. I didn't take any of their rubbish.

You're right about Iquitos though, it's a seedy place, and a bit of a dump, although the people are friendly enough.

LOL talk about generalization there...

I was responding more to the 'child prostitution' thing than anything else.

Blessings
~ND

Yes. Actually i'm quoting what other people said to me.

I also went twice to Brasil and found the locals friendly and the girls to be good company. I couldn't understand men paying for prostitutes when the girls were easy enough to meet.

Btw, thanks for your talk on tlc plates, Endlessness. You explained very clearly, so now i know. I'm just curious how to seperate out compounds. I guess you cut away the silica for the compounds you want, and wash them out?