Ari’s Burger: Vignettes of Iquitos (Part 2)
Mundo Amazónico – July 01, 2018
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A captivating exploration reveals that Iquitos thrives on eco-tourism, with a vibrant expatriate community. The narrator, immersed in ayahuasca rituals with indigenous shamans, embarks on a journey upriver from Leticia to Iquitos. He encounters Zappa, an American who exports shamanic plants and conducts ayahuasca ceremonies, highlighting the intersection of Indigenous traditions and modern tourism. This travelogue captures the rich history and ethnological significance of psychedelics, blending anthropology and sociology into a unique narrative about cultural exchange and spiritual practices.
Abstract
This is the second of a three-part account of a visit to Iquitos at the time of the New Millennium by the narrator, who lives in Colombia and has been drinking yajé (ayahuasca) with its indigenous shamans. For a book he is writing about the subject, decides to investigate the rituals in Peru. It is in the form of a travelogue divided into vignettes: his voyage upriver from Leticia to Iquitos, his impressions of a city which revolves around eco-tourism and his encounter with his host, Zappa, an American expatriate who exports shamanic plants and runs ayahuasca ceremonies.