Everyone loves a cultural jolt now and then - it's part of what makes travel so exciting. Even a quick trip to Hawaii or Mexico can fulfill a yearning for the exotic. However, there are plenty of societies around the world that haven't joined the Western - or any other - way of life. The Achuar people of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon rainforest are one of the few lucky enough to have finally achieved a good balance between Western influences and their own way of life.

They took Ayahuasca and in their collective dream, they asked their ancestors what should be done. The ancestors spoke, and so it was decided - there would be no more negotiations with oil companies.

The Achuar nation may be one of the fiercest in the Southeast Amazonian region of Peru and Ecuador, and the world. This aggressiveness and their skill in shrinking the heads of their enemies, in which the head is reduced to the size of a man's fist, are sensational parts of their culture that often eclipse other aspects.

To ethnologists, the Achuar are better known as one of the 'dream peoples'. Contact with this tribe was only made in the 1970s, and their culture is more intact than most of the world's tribes. This is not to say that they weren't almost eradicated by disease and aggressive exploration - numbers have fallen from an estimated 25,000 to some 4,500 today. However, ceremonial customs are still adhered to, and when the tribe received an offer in the early '90s to allow test drilling for oil on their land, they sent runners to branches of the tribe hundreds of miles away, summoning them to a great vision ceremony. The most isolated tribes attended telepathically, in concurrent ceremonies of their own.

Achuar vision ceremonies, led by shamans, take place on a regular basis for ceremonial purposes. The vehicle that enables contact with the elders and the gods is Ayahuasca, or yage - a hallucinogenic vine that according to one ethnobotanist can "free the soul, allowing it to wander in mystical encounters with ancestors and animal spirits".

In this ceremony, ancestors were duly consulted, and their response was uncharacteristically strong and unequivocal: No, don't have anything to do with oil. Many Achuars now work as guides they have allowed onto their land. Here they share their encyclopedic knowledge of flora and fauna with guests like you and me. Most if not all of the 4,500 remaining Achuar have adopted some Western customs, but still protect their way of life by remaining sequestered in villages of their own and adhering, for the most part, to traditional beliefs.

The Achuar traditionally live in houses shaped like large ovals with high roofs containing inner, but no outer walls, for the sake of ventilation. They hunt and fish for protein, but rely heavily on large gardens of indigenous plants kept near their homes. Bigger houses fit multiple wives and many children, indicating status. Women are in sole charge of gardens, and it's there that they go to give vent to grief and other emotions that are not socially acceptable. They also bear children among their crops, which gives you some idea of the garden's importance in society. Gardens are watched over by their own dedicated protective spirit, Nunkui.

Visit iExplore if you're interested in finding a tour that will open up the Achuar world to your eyes. iExplore offers both privately guided and small group tours of the Amazon Rainforest.

I have arrived in Quito and have had our first day here. It is a great city although I find the altitude is quite difficult. Apparently that is why the Exodus group spend the first 3 nights here - so all the tourists can adapt. My friend is fine as she lives in Denver at 5700 feet so that is annoying. Quito is at 9200 ft.
 
Quito is as delightful as I remember. We took a walking tour with Pablo our guide today - left about 10 and got back about 2:30. And you do learn so much more when with someone. I took a lot of pictures already - lots of people ones - as it is Sunday and the people were all gathered in the main square. There is also a celebration today - 201 years after the first battle for independence August 9 1809. So music in the squares, families out walking, ice cream sellers as  people wearing their best! great fun.

We had our full tour briefing when we got back and now have some free time until going out for dinner. A Cuban restaurant is on the agenda - you can walk and it is open tonight. Pablo is all about safety suggesting taxis to go anywhere - even a restaurant 6 - 7 blocks away. This one is around the corner so off we go. Tomorrow have another day sightseeing in this area - out to Cotopaxi Volcano and some other things and then back here again. Back to sleep in Quito for the 3rd night.

As part of my 2009 Antarctic Expedition with Quark Expeditions I received a 3-in-1 hooded parka.  The jacket was designed by New Headings for Quark specifically for Antarctic and Arctic expeditions.  It is fully insulated, water-proof, seam-sealed and bright as the sun.  The last feature is mainly for safety, and for me the one barrier from actually using the outer shell once back from the end of the earth.

Although I have used the inner fleece portion of the jacket, the bright yellow outer shell had remained stowed in the closet since my return. That is until this past weekend, when I discovered another appropriate place to wear the Quark Expeditions Parka - Lambeau Field.  

The NFL's Green Bay Packers call Lambeau Field home and in December and January it is best known as the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.  Typically the stadium is packed with people in colorful snowsuits and camouflage outdoor gear.  The colors of the Packers are Green and Gold so a bright yellow jacket actually fits in providing you are supporting the team. 

This past weekend as the Packers took on their division rival Chicago Bears the temperature was well below freezing for the late afternoon game.  Throughout the game the only part of me bothered by the weather were my toes. The Quark Expeditions jacket kept me cozy throughout the game as it did on my Antarctic Expedition.