The Shaman

As I was sitting on the rooftop terrace in my hostel in La Paz up came a mysterious person. He had a shaved head with a mini braid off the back.. We started to chat in Spanish.. since that is all he speaks.. after hacking through some of my shitty Spanish he showed me his tattoos he told me how he is a Shaman from Argentina. I found it interesting and I wanted to know more. As the days went by we spent more and more time chatting. We went on a few walks to some cool ruins and viewpoints. He taught me some meditation techniques and he talked alot about the universe. We seem to run into a few coincidences throughtout our walks.

I thought this was a cool way to expand my horizon and inspiration.

After I told him my birth date he told me that I am a Red Dragon. A Red Dragon is to remember information and spread the knowledge.. . He told me that I have been 'sleeping' for a long time and am now starting to 'wake up'. I thought it was kinda cool to hear.

However, the more I hung out with him the more I saw different sides of him. He was not consistant. We would have good talks and we seemed to connect.. but if I started to do anything he didnt appove of it would make him upset. He decided he wanted me to be his apprentice and he would teach me what he knows. He was very connected and knowledgable in Spiritual and historical things from South America.

After awhile he wanted to hang out all day with me and started to act a bit controlling.. he told me it was my destiny and that he sees something different in my eyes... I said it was because they were blue... he didnt laugh. He started talking pretty heavy how he was both good and evil and how he needed to bring out the good in me. Red flags were flying. Apparently my brain is damaged and needs repair. He sees the devil in me and I need 'a treatment'. He wanted to take me into the mountains for 5 days to drink cactus juice and wash my brain. The more I learned.. from what I know of Spanish.. he was in a cult. He started telling me about his 'community'. That is when things got serious... I was in deep and needed to get out.. I was at the hostel and he had, what I believed to be, other members with us.. it was me and 4 of them... Last night he told me that he can't leave me alone... he sees the dragon in me but he is afraid that if I go to sleep then the devil will take over again. WTF. He tried his hardest to mindfuck me but I guess I am too stubborn.. he told me this would be freedom.. but it seemed like he wanted control.. I played along like everything was cool for that night then went to bed anyways.. he waited outside my door all night.

Today was my escape. I told him that I had to do some stuff for my Paraguay visa and took off and never returned. I checked in with the Canadian embassy and got a different place to stay. I still have my guitar at the hostel.. I gotta go get it sometime....

The weird thing is.. looking in his eyes.. he truely believes everything he said.

I now have my guitar back... still in La Paz though cause a bank machine ate my card.. got wait to get it back.. I think ATMs should always give you the card back before the cash.. here, after getting the cash... it waits for 5 seconds then asks you if you want another transaction... at that time I was gone with my money...

I also have to mention that at my new hostel... I 've run into Barry and Tommy from Grandpa Fight... Barry said that night he felt like he was drugged from the first bar we were at..