temazcal

wow wow wow
so we head off for temezcal, i have no idea what it is, just that it is an indigenous ritual.
after a longer than should have been jounrney. wrong way etc. a man heading to the same place saw our confused faces and uoward thumbs and took us to our destination. i didnt really no what was going on. just that i had to wear a long skirt. then someone shouted temezcal. and we heaeded over to a fire pit within a arena implicated by rocks. on our turn incence is waved over your body both sides. be sure to turn to the right.
then you take a handful of incense and make a wish, say thanks for something or other and throw it into this big fire.
you then proceed to a tent... looked a bit like a the shape of a turtle shell. where at the entrance lower your head and ask for permission to enter for all of your relations. those inside respond warmly. you squeeze in to this tent with a pit in the center. skin to skin you sit.
then the leader talks to the men of fire outside asking for an amount of hot rocks for the first round. these are passed in, and refferred to as medicine, granny, and grandads. they have a kind of herb on them which smells lovely. this is the medicine. the leader talks about connecting to our ancestors and the earth and the people abround us. wateris passed in and then the group together chant puerta, door and it closes. pitch black. especially the one i did on saturday night. water is put onto the rocks and the thick vapur rises. drumming begins and singing or people give thanks. for about 20 minutes. singing makes breathing easier... you are sweating like crazy but the energy of the songs, the drums, the people is incredibel... the door opens and process is repeated 4 times. at the end you are drenched but mentally and physcailly so charged. you exit, , and each person joins the circle forming outside after hugging the poeple already in the circle and thanking them for that experience.
that night we slept under the stars and next to the fire. would have been wonderful... if it werent fot the mosquitos. who could only get at my face due to my ysleeping bag, but boy did they get at it. its wednesday now and i still look like i suffer from acne.
in the morning TEMAZCAL and we go in again. wow wow wow.
a day of sitting in the beautiful countryside munching on various bits. watching traitional dances and live music... admiring some artisanary... but oh no TEMAZCAL. no no more. but this one is just for women. okay i have to go. and it was INCREDIBLE... talking about liberation of woman and sisterhood and singing together was just beautiful.
headed home in the evening with the help of pao, who is one of the most wonderful girls i´ve ever met and olinto. exhausted we ate together,, but i couldn´t, like my mum, keep my eeyes open for the whole affair.
to bed. and what i sleep would follow.