⛰️🏞 A stream in the distant lands of South America begins deep within a dense forest, hidden beneath the canopy where the air is thick with moisture and secrets. It is a quiet revelation, an inexhaustible whisper emerging from the earth as if the world itself seeks to tell its innermost story. So too, does the human mind.

The stream is not a mighty river, not the Amazon carrying cities or feeding oceans. It is a modest origin, a winding thought between roots, rocks, and moss. Yet therein lies its strength: it understands what remains hidden. Its water, clear and cool, reminds us that the inconspicuous often harbors the most essential things.

The stream mirrors the mind of someone with ADHD. Its flow is unpredictable, leaping from one point to another, changing pace and direction, as if it searches for a path with no clear destination. But like the stream, this mind has a deeper purpose, an inner harmony that reveals itself only to those who look closely.

The dense forest symbolizes the societal prejudices, the misunderstandings surrounding it. It is thick, a labyrinth of opinions and stereotypes, threatening to swallow the stream whole. Yet the denser the forest, the clearer the truth becomes: the stream cannot be stopped. It carves its path because water must flow—it is its nature to move.

Elementally, the stream is a metaphor for the relentless force of life. Water, finding its way through obstacles, is the symbol of the mind that unfolds despite pressure and constraint. It may seem wild, impulsive, and chaotic, but it carries within it a purity and depth that can only be revealed through movement.

And when the stream leaves the forest, uniting with other waters and finally emerging into the light, it is no longer the small, chaotic trickle it once was. It becomes part of something larger, a river that gives life and connects worlds.

Just as the human spirit with its uniqueness: every impulse, every curve, every sudden turn drives it forward—toward a greater understanding, a deeper current that unites it with the world.

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🌀 My trip to Peru was very impulsive – I felt a sudden urge, and it took only two weeks until I was on a plane to Lima. So this modern interpretation of the Chakana replaced my talisman six years ago.

⛰️ I bought this Andean cross from an old man on a hill in Sacsayhuaman. My intuition led me, on my first day in Cusco directly to this mysterious place, where an estimated 20,000 people once worked on its construction. I sat with the man on the hill for about half an hour, and he explained his interpretation of the Chakana to me, along with this site, which was likely used for military and ritual purposes.

🌐 The original Chakana existed about 2,000 years before the rise of the Inca Empire. The triangle is a modern variation for tourists; however, it symbolizes the trinity of the condor (upper world), puma (this world), and snake (underworld), and perhaps the three moral principles "do not lie", "do not steal", and "do not be lazy". The four planes represent the cardinal directions, seasons, and stages of life. It has 12 edges, like the months of the year. In the center, as a unifying element of origin, is the sun, a central deity.

🏔 The traces of the Inca were visible throughout my entire journey. Rock carvings, often with animal motifs, can be found on almost every mountain. Every mountain is alive, and many are sacred. It was a deeply nature-connected, inquisitive, organized, and spiritual culture. In Quechua, "Chakana" roughly means "acting as a bridge". The old man told me – even if it was his imagination – that the Inca at Sacsayhuaman would repeatedly undergo ritual cycles of the cosmos here before setting out to other places, like Machu Picchu. My journey also led me toward Machu Picchu a few days later, and the pendant accompanied me on this exciting adventure.

🧭 A few months later, I created "megagroundsloth," and to this day, I wear this pendant daily because, for me, it’s not only a powerful memory but also a symbol of guidance and encounter.

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Where the sun is tied. The Intihuatana Pyramid in Machu Picchu. 🌄

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Some selfies when I was hiking in the Peruvian Cloud Forest near of Machu Picchu. Only 1% of the global woodland consists of cloud forests. It's the habitat of numerous unique animal and plant species. Cloud forests are among the most endangered terrestrial ecosystems on earth. They are particularly dependent on constant climatic conditions (e.g. leaves that are very drought-sensitive), which will change as a result of climate change. Many cloud forest regions are important agricultural production areas due to their always humid and mild climate.

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Power to the people ⚡

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At the Hidroelectrica train station. You can reach Machu Picchu only via train or on foot. On my way to Machu Picchu Village (Aguas Calientes) I walked from Hidroelectrica along the railroad tracks. On my way back I took the train. I had a first class ticket, but didn't even know about that. I didn't notice that I entered the wrong compartment. We already started when I figured it out. After about half of the journey the train had to make a stop and a train attendant ran with me to my compartment. There I was completely alone except for two other passengers and the service staff.😁

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That's on my way from Santa Teresa (Machu Picchu) to Cusco (capital of the Inca Empire). I traveled with a colectivo, that's what the collective buses are called in South America. The whole trip was an adventure. A little later, when it was already dark, we stopped in the middle of a winding road somewhere in the mountains. We had to push the bus for it to start again. Most of the other passengers, although native, hardly spoke Spanish. Not every Peruvian speaks Spanish as a mother tongue. Quechua is the most spoken language in some regions. When we finally arrived in Cusco, it was after midnight. I remember how excited I was when I finally got to the hostel.😁

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The narrow path to Mount Machu Picchu.🙃

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Traditionally, coca leaves are consumed in the Andes. You get it offered on every corner in plastic bags. The original form of consumption is by chewing the leaves. Mate de Coca is something of a national drink in Peru. It's also available in small tea bags, but I always had loose leaves. There's even chocolate with coca leaves! Very often there are restaurants and bars that somehow refer to coca.

The leaves are used as a stimulant, as a dietary supplement, for ritual and medicinal purposes. They help suppress hunger, fatigue and cold and are very effective against altitude sickness as they improve oxygen uptake. Also, the coca leaves have always had a spiritual meaning.

I found it similar in effect to black tea. There are no known side effects and you won't get addicted to it. It would take about 300 grams of dry coca leaves to extract 1 gram of cocaine by chemical extraction.

And please don't misunderstand, I'm absolutely no friend of the drug cocaine. People who snort this in order to feel superior, thereby contribute to terrible atrocities such as murder and trafficking.

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😂 When I waited in Santa Teresa for the bus to Cusco, I met a Swede. He was in transit and brought some rapé from the Brazilian Amazon. He couldn't tell me exactly what's in it. Tobacco and other plants, he said. It looked a bit like crack, so I just tried it. What should happen bad?😅
Shamans use it ritually to establish contact with the Great Spirit. You blow the rapé with a v-shaped tube into the nostrils. The shamans actually take longer pipes and blow each other's nostrils. It's very strong tobacco, which burns in the nose and goes directly into the head. Shortly thereafter, a deep relaxation spreads throughout the body. I found it very pleasant, so I got some on the San Pedro market in Cusco and brought it to Germany. I still have most of it. It is really strong! Always fun to offer it to my friends. 😜 But actually there is a much deeper meaning behind it. Those who are interested should search for "sacred rapé rites".✌☺

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