ATS® Cape Town, South Africa 2013

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Having my Bones read by a Sangoma

                      “As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” 

― Martin Luther King Jr.

 I went to see a Sangoma while I was in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

His name is Sylvester and he lives in a township called Alexandra.

Becoming a Sangoma wasn't a choice for him, his ancestors pushed him into it, it was a calling.

We offered my Ancestors tobacco as a gift to summon them.

The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 537~ Mefloquin pill #1 day#4

Some days I wake up in a funk, a heavy grouchiness that meditation and yoga don't take away, perhaps it's the effect of the Mefloquin, perhaps it's just life.

So like the rest of the world I turn to my friends for guidance and support, I don't mind pouring my heart out to them.

One person I always turn to, we'll call him Mr. Hubcap-J to save his identity, I bring him statements like this as I try to bring more honesty into my blog:

"I share with an audience that doesn't really talk back,  it's an intimate act to stand there naked for all to see."

This is the encouragement I get back, read from bottom to top:

Thanks Mr. Hubcap-J, you really know how to comfort a girl when she's down and I love you for it.

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The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 536~ Mefloquin pill #1 day #3

The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 536~ Mefloquin pill #1 day #3

I think I feel the drugs diluting, I'm in a constant state of dreaming but they aren't quite as detailed as the first night.
Last night I dreamt of giving birth, but I didn't even know I was pregnant.

It was quick, I spent more time being confused than anything else.

Then I was presented with a wrinkled raisin of a person and I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

This was the scariest dream as of yet.

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The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 535~ Mefloquin pill #1 day #2

The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 535~ Mefloquin pill #1  day #2  

Dream #2

Last night I was showered with spiders of all shapes and sizes, unknown individuals launched them out of the darkness.

As each spider neared me it curled its legs and its momentum slowed as it transformed into a Jelly (aka jellyfish) and drifted elegantly past .

I wasn't afraid.

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The Mefloquin Diaries: Day 534~ Mefloquin pill #1

Right now I'm sitting in Jo'Burg, South Africa sipping on whisky eating apples with cashew nut butter.

It's been 534 days now,  on the road, living out of a bag, and relying on the good graces of others.
My recent adventures have me traveling through some high risk Malaria country and have to take an anti- Malaria drug called Mefloquine.

Mefloquine is taken once a week and it's the big gun's of anti- Malaria tablets, if you have psychotic tendencies or depression this is NOT the drug for you.

Oh and the other side effect is super crazy, like looney bin dreams.

This is my second experience taking Mefloquine and my dreams are noteworthy.

Think about the most painfully lucid, long lasting dream you've ever had then triple it, those are my nights now.

Dream #1

I am in Kruger Park walking with two male rangers one to either side of me, we are walking in a long snaking gorge made from a deep red dirt and sharp rocks. The land is littered with long iridescent bodies  of snakes, they are discarded ribbons all different shapes and sizes each ending in a smashed head as if stomped in by a boot, marking the ground with bursts of glitter.

At first I'm horrified by the destruction that is clearly wrought by man and I ask the rangers why this is happening.

At some point between the questions and the answers a large brown snake launches itself from some undisclosed location and sinks its fangs into my legs. 

Generally this is the point you wake up, not me, not with these dreams, instead I keep my calm (actually I'm not afraid) and pry the mouth apart, pulling fangs from flesh just to have it clamp down somewhere else.

This happens several times.

Then the ranger grabs the snake and breaks its head open with his heel and glitter explodes like a NYE popper all over the ground.

Something happens here I can't remember what and we walk on for some time.

This time a bigger scarier albino snake latches onto my body.

Each time the fangs sink in I see them and I have to grab the snake near the head peeling back the lips, the jaw, extracting the fangs slowly from my flesh. Each time I'm free it somehow gets its grips on me again.

I don't remember how but that one ends in a glitter bomb too and then I wake up.

I don't remember feeling afraid at all, more interested in the fact that I knew I was experiencing a dream.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 77days has in store for me, I'll keep you posted.

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What goes into my bag

I get that question all the time, not only what goes into my bag, but how the hell do I fit it all in there?

With a little bit of elbow grease and a soundtrack, that's how I get it to fit.

Please to enjoy.

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ATS® Jo'Burg, South Africa.

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ATS® Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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