Journey to the Heart of Ecuador

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Guest Post by RJ McBride

While temporarily lost in the depths of an Andean jungle, I was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This saga began back in Portland, Oregon, when I met Beatrice (Bee), a four foot, five inch dynamo who had arrived from her home in Quito, Ecuador, with a request.

This adventuresome spirit, well into her seventies, stood tall before a room full of people at a spiritual gathering I was attending. She declared for all to hear that she’d arrived from Ecuador and was looking for someone to accompany her back to Quito to help set up a Spiritual Center. 

Hearing the words “I’ll go with you!” tumbling out of my mouth had placed me in a haze of disbelief. 

Little wonder I would later call myself an idiot: widowed mother to care for, broke, with no foreseeable income, and I’m going with Bee Horton to Quito? The idea of such a far-flung adventure left me tingling all over with excitement, but what were the chances? 

All the while, I kept getting “trust in the path your feet have been set upon.” 

Taking my state of confusion into contemplation, I sat down, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began singing an ancient prayer song called HU (pronounced as Hew). This ancient mantra brings calm and peace to anyone seeking answers and balance in their daily lives. 

Little could I have known how this opportunity was to play a major part in my spiritual life, not least, that momentous occasion when Bee and I hacked our way into the Andean jungles in search of the rarely visited Colenuma Falls. 

Pushing our way through densely covered hills and valleys, chest deep in swirling rivers, and crawling up steep canyon walls had brought us to the base of these lesser known falls. Standing beneath the life-giving waters, knowing that a mere handful of trekkers had ever stood where I was now standing, filled me with excitement, awe, and wonder. 

Bee said it had been many years since her last visit to the falls; this experience was just for me—to see and feel the sacredness of the place. Yet, what was to come would prove even more exciting and wondrous.

Our journey back to Bee’s farm house where we’d begun our trek, took us into a region we couldn’t remember having passed on our way to the falls. “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong trail, but not to worry” says Bee. “I’m sure it will take us back up to the Banderilla plateau. 

What we next came upon would open my heart as never quite before. Reaching high above the jungle clearing was the most magnificent tree I’d ever seen. I’d walked among the giant Redwoods of California and gazed upon monumental Sequoias, but this forest sentinel was a unique treasure all its own. 

Reaching a height of approximately 250 to 300 feet tall, its base circumference spanned a good 30 to 35 feet. It was surrounded by younger growths of matching likeness, giving the impression that we’d been invited to a sacred cathedral hidden far from the masses, available only to a few fortunate Souls who would find their way into its presence. 

Bee said this was an ancient Romerillo tree, which once grew throughout Ecuador, Peru. Venezuela and Columbia, but because of its straight unblemished surface and steel-like hardness, it had mostly been logged for construction. Its wood was especially prized by those desiring massive wooden doors for churches. 

The only reason this one had survived so long was because of its isolated location. It would have been a mere seedling long before Columbus sailed in search of the Americas. 

As I drew closer to its base, soft waves of divine love left me knowing I could not leave this tree without physically embracing its grandeur. With arms stretched wide, body pressed close to its massive bulk, I closed my eyes and began singing the ancient song of HU just for love. 

As if immersed in the warmth of a calming stream, I sensed an abundance of loving energy flowing freely between two kindred Souls, sharing the Light and Sound of God’s love. To truly know what such a moment as this felt like, you would have had to had been there, high in the Andes, in communion with Spirit. 

As I was later informed, the word, Huilco, refers to a special tree held sacred by the Quechuan Indians of Ecuador. What could be more special or more sacred than an ancient Romerillo Tree growing tall and free in the heart of Ecuador?

Addendum

Of all the stories I’ve shared to date, this one about my adventures in Ecuador highlights perhaps the greatest turning point in my life.

I have reduced five months of copious log entries into as detailed an accounting as possible. More than a record of times, dates and  events, these remembrances preserve invaluable memories of a truly remarkable lady; a bright, beautiful Soul and lifelong friend of immeasurable strength, courageous spirit, love, and wisdom.

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RJ McBride; from The Book of Ray, Volume Three: A Walk in the Light and Sound: Last Will and Testament; A Time to Remember, A Time to Honor, A Time to Forgive, A Time to Heal. RJ McBride is an author, memorialist, novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, and former art instructor. His first two books in The Book of Ray series may be found on Amazon:
The Book of Ray, Volumn One: The Early Years: One Man’s Journey through Time and The Book of Ray, Volumn Two: The Middle Years: In Pursuit of Fulfillment.