Ari’s Burger: Vignettes of Iquitos (Part 3)
Mundo Amazónico – January 01, 2020
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A skilled shaman can significantly enhance the ayahuasca experience, as demonstrated by a narrator's journey in Iquitos. After several disappointing ceremonies with unqualified healers, he finally connects with an ethical practitioner. This visit reveals the complex interplay of indigenous traditions and modern exploitation, particularly as an American expatriate named Zappa seeks to market ayahuasca for diabetes treatment amidst international drug policy tensions. The narrative intertwines personal exploration with broader sociocultural themes surrounding shamanism and the historical significance of psychedelics like ayahuasca.
Abstract
This is the final episode of a three-part story about 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 its uses in Iquitos, where his host and guide to the rituals there is “Zappa”, an American expatriate who exports shamanic plants and runs ayahuasca ceremonies. Zappa is now trying to exploit a traditional plant remedy for diabetes and is unwittingly caught up in an international intrigue to do with the U.S. war against drugs. This episode starts when, after several disappointing ceremonies with unqualified or ill-intentioned healers, the narrator drinks ayahuasca with a skilled and ethical shaman.