This is crazy isn’t it. To us now, at least.
I’ve been in Peru and Bolivia for the last six months and have got to know a bit more about all this stuff. The coca leaves is the one I enjoy least, to me it was like drinking five cups of coffee and being wired with a bit of anxiety. But it helps with the altitude, kind of.
I really hope the aya was given to the kids early to help them accept their fate like the psilocybin does that you mentioned, rather than it being at the same time. That would be utterly horrible.
I’ve found the cactus stuff especially interesting in these parts. You can buy it in markets in powdered form and do as you will. You can get Ayahuasca ceremonies from tourist tour operators. It’s all a bit crazy. Inca history is fascinating though, and it all starts to make a bit more sense when you see these plants all growing in the wild.
Good piece as always!