Back to Lima, and to my favourite restaurant on the Pacific Ocean, Rosa Nautica, for lunch. It is the most amazing place, with excellent food, and a great atmosphere, with the waves lapping gently on the pier. As we ate lunch the whole reason for our journey came together, and we remembered what these girls had really come here for – to change the things that didn’t work in their lives, and initiate the things that could work. It’s not a magic wand but taking a trip like this is a powerful insight into your own psyche, and into what you could be doing to bring you happiness, fulfilment, and positivity.
Now back to my story about the alligator. Peter, the owner of the lodge in the Iquitos jungle, joined us for lunch. He asked if I had enjoyed the food at the lodge, and I replied that I was surprised to have seen alligator on the menu. I asked how long he’d had it in the river, because two of our group had also thought they’d spotted one when we were on our way to see the Bora Bora tribe (I’d told them it was probably a log).
He said ‘what do you mean?’ Then the light went on and he said, ‘oh my God’. Peter owns a reptile park in the jungle – and two years ago twenty alligators had escaped. He had assumed that they’d all been eaten by the locals – but no, they’d obviously found a new home. I couldn’t stop laughing – I was hysterical at the fact that he’d changed the whole ecosystem of that river without even realising.
It was a long flight home, but we hit the ground running the next day as Simply Healing was full of detoxers, new friends and old friends, and it felt a little bit like my ‘retirement’ had been a nice diversion – fun while it lasted! But watch this space, Peru could be a two-yearly regular trip…
Of course, we still have so many stories about Peru to share – look out for snippets on our blog soon.
Vivien