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Mountain Beauty
On this journey I was to discover the world of the Kogis, whom I had heard about and greatly admired. I learned the world of civilisation was a separate reality to theirs. In the Kogi world, time stood still. Harmony and perfect order as God had created was theirs to care for, and they governed the sacred mountain as serenely as they blended into it.
It took two days to walk to the home of Mama Santos. Through different landscapes and shades of green, varying plant-life and temperatures we passed and kept walking. We stopped for first night in a little village where some of Mamas relatives lived. The younger members of the village found me to be somewhat interesting, it seemed that brushing my teeth was one of my most intriguing activities.
As I was preparing myself for sleep, I discovered I was covered in small painful red bumps on my legs and thighs. Mamas diagnosis was, to my horror, a condition called myasis - or human maggot infestation. I was not impressed by the fact that I was to give some of my blood to the mountain as payment for being there, but I had a suspicion that my character and attitude was being inadvertently tested by the Indians, and so kept my protests to myself.
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