I had not visioned I would visit Central America
when 2005 began, but on the invitation of my friend,
Tenasi, I began to consider it.  He laid before me his
vision of a walk from the mountains toward the ocean
over a week’s time with a circle of people learning to
be conscious guardians of Eden.  My role would be that
of plant guide.  This all sounded wonderful and
everything began to fall into place.  I traveled to CR
the beginning of December for 2 weeks and felt my
expectations were met and, indeed, exceeded!  Check
out pictures from our trip, other peoples’ accounts of
the journey, and future plans at www.artofunion.com.

                                    Floating Islands

     Throughout my time in Costa Rica I was frequently
informed about the unique qualities of this small
country (1/2 the size of Kentucky).  What amazed me
the most was being told that CR (and Panama) were
formed as an island six million years ago near the
Galapagos Islands from the same volcanic activity that
created the Andes.  This island rode on the Coccos
plate north and rammed into the Caribbean plate  (and
still is) connecting North America to South America.
(I am reminded of the “Dr. Doolittle”  movie with its
floating islands reunited.)  Hence there are active
volcanoes and hot springs.
     I was amazed to find out that this place is home
to over 10,000 flowering plant species (including 3000
orchids) and delighted to meet a number of endemic
species.   There is a wide range of ecosystems from
the tropical to the alpine to the desert home to a
mind boggling number of birds and other fauna.  This
year was CR rainiest in 30 years and the dry season
had been delayed a couple of weeks spelling for us:
MUD.

                                Getting Acquainted

    From the moment of my arrival, I felt well looked
after.  Tenasi and Savitra met me at the airport and
before we had left the parking lot they were splitting
open coconuts and filling me with scrumptious fruits.
We had three days to set the tone before our opening
circle and we wasted no time heading to botanical
gardens outside the capitol and the next day visiting
the wondrous CATIE tropical gardens
(www.catie.ac.cr/jardin botanico) sampling all sorts
of fruits from mangosteen (one of the best fruits I
have ever eaten!) to litchi to cacao.   We walked
through a labeled plant area and learned that they
grew 11 spp. of coffee there and all sorts of positive
aspects  to the remarkable  noni fruit
(Morinda)[Rubiaceae].    We gathered some seeds of
borojo (another Rubiaceae) from Columbia whose fruit
has the highest levels of phosphorus in the world and
is used as an aphrodisiac, wound healer, and visceral
system tonic.  The information they shared was great,
I only wish there were more plant labels!
     Then off we drove to the high mountains to visit
our hosts for the beginning of the journey, The Seelye
Family.  The drive off the main road to their house
was 4WD only  with crazy turns and slippery slopes.
Once there it took me a little while to acclimate as
everyone sat around a barrel stove (with heating coils
for hot water) talking and sharing.   The parents had
left the US more than a quarter of a century earlier
and raised six kids high in the mountains creating a
back-to-the-land homestead.   Their history there is a
rich memorable land.  Lately they have been creating
an ecolodge with customized tours (email:
tourvueltas@yahoo.com).  The four 20 to 27 year old
kids who still live there are all very knowledgeable
about the mountain plants (and many other things) so
we had a lot to talk about.
     The next day we went down the mountains on the
west side to the produce market in San Isidro to get
supplies and mingle with the locals and the growing
number of organic farmers settling there from afar.
Then we drove into the hills near by and up to the
retreat cave.  This remarkable place is an hour and a
half walk  up the into the jungle.  Words are hard to
find to describe this place with waterfalls cascading
over caves equipped with beds and kitchen and
bathrooms.  Below a waterfall drops off 600 ft to the
valley below; above are pools clean and fresh.  Our
walk would end near here and we would spend 3 days in
this space reflecting on our journey.

                        Plant Divas atop the Mountain

     The next day we traveled back to the mountaintop
to an opening circle of 20+ of us.  Thirteen of us
formed the core of the hikers with a support crew and
family members. In the morning we headed out with a
couple of the Seelye sisters, Satya and Wendy  as our
guides.   I was thoroughly impressed with their
knowledge and teaching skills as we moved through some
very unique zones.  At our highest spots we were in
the ancient Andean paramo (10,000 ft) with it
valerian, Ericaceous plants, high mountain bamboos and
a host of both familiar and endemic plants.  In the
subparamo we passed through huge forests of two
species of oaks  (one of them endemic) and came across
a huge population of Ganoderma mushrooms.  Very
wonderful.   Then down the mountain we walked to our
pick up point for the night.  We walked about 6 hours
that day and I managed to get down 20 pages of notes
from all that our guides were sharing!  Over 50
families were recorded (perhaps 1/4 of the families of
CR).
    That night we gathered for a big feast on a
wonderful homestead outside La Piedra where they had
built a bunkhouse in which we stayed.  I feel this
family is really turned on to a lot of permaculture
qualities and are be really important models for
conscious living in many ways.  We began the next day
practicing group yoga with the rising of the sun then
a huge breakfast and talk on plant evolution before a
tour of the gardens and lessons in how to make bamboo
mats and how to press sugar.  All that before we even
began our hike for the day.  And what a hike it was…

                                    You have to go Up to go Down

        We walked about 20 kilometers on that day.  At
first we walked along a dirt road up and up and over
and down slowly and across the pastures.  Eventually
we went into the woods and half way through our walk
we turned and headed down through lots of mud.  I was
amazed on this walk in general how much up we went to
go down (dropping over  9000 feet during the hike).
On that day we descended several thousand feet to the
small encampment called La Chaqueta miles from the
closest road.  That trek down was trying on me as I
was wearing sandals.  I later found that wearing socks
helps to keep a grip for some reason.  But on that day
I suffered from it some and walked several kilometers
barefoot.  I finished well in the night and was
thankful for the comradeship of one of our guides,
Jonathan.  I was thankful to be done with that walk.
We ate a wonderful meal and then slept well being sung
to by some of our companions.
      Music was a big part of the journey.  Rebecca
kept a wonderful focus of keeping us in musical vibes.
 Many in our circle had musical talents and two
guitars accompanied us.  A wide variety of acoustic
instruments provided many sounds.  We gathered several
times a day to tone together.

                                Away from Roads

     In the morning we had a large breakfast and
gathered on the front porch to hear a reading from the
“Cosmic Serpent”, to discuss mushroom identification
and look at a number of them that had been found along
the way.  The walk that day was less strenuous but
still long.  Over the five hours of walking I picked
all the different ferns and their allies that I could
find—gathering around 20 spp.   We also came across a
wide range of mushrooms some of whom we could identify
(we eventually noted the names of over 25 from our
walk).   Once again mud accompanied us and we arrived
after dark at our next home outside Piedras Blancas
for the night.  Many of us took nighttime swims in the
Rio Savegre to wash all the mud off under a big moon.
We had been following this river for several days and
had heard about it being the cleanest watershed in the
western side of Central and South America.
Apparently the Spanish Government has funded
ecotourism as an alternative to cattle farming and
other environmentally destructive ways of living.
From this effort I saw a well-made map laying out
places for people to stay throughout the watershed and
enjoy nature’s abundance.
     In the morning we heard a reading from “The New
Earth” by Towle then gathered our forces for a several
hour hike to our next destination, the retreat center
of Curandero Albino.    This walk though muddy went by
quickly with a short break to talk  about the
differences between monocots and dicots.  Then we had
a long wonderful swim in the river before crossing it
two at a time on a small gondola.  The retreat center
was lovely with an abundant garden all about and a big
covered space for yoga and massage.   I appreciate how
in the tropics there is much less of a barrier between
inside and outside.
      Curandero Albino (age 55) took us on a walk
through his gardens showing us the common medicine
plants of CR.  We then sat down and asked him
questions about his life.  He is half indigenous which
he feels gives him insights into the plants.  He is
largely self-taught starting at age 15 and has a
repertoire  of about 100 plants that he draws from for
healing.  In addition to plants from his garden he
finds a lot of healing power in the lianas (woody
vines) in the jungle.  Savitra complimented him on his
good health.  This he attributes to having
tranquility and a varied diet.    In the jungle he
eats a lot of flowers and seeds.
     One of the special features of his place is a
sauna built into the hill with rocks and a barrel
stove in the middle.  He feels it provides healing in
a physical, mental, spiritual, and supernatural way.
He gave some guidelines such as going in naked and
entering clockwise.  Full moons he felt were the best
time and pictured it as a kind of rebirthing from the
mother earth.  We all participated in a sweat going
three rounds with a round of singing, one of silence
and one of sharing heartsongs.  I slept well that
night in the bungalow.
    The next morning we shared a breath work session
opening up stuck energies and memories.   Then
breakfast, another short plant walk, and we were off
walking to our next destination.   Eventually we came
to a huge teak plantation that was mud laden, then
another river crossing and we had come to the end of
our walk.  We washed off and were given a lift to our
next stop the homestead of Finca Brujo  This place
provided a wonderful night’s rest.

                                Pura Vida

     The next day we walked around the permaculture
farm and took a swim in the Rio Division.   Then we
made our way back to the cave behind the waterfall and
spent several days recuperating from our walk and
integrating what we had learned.  In our five days of
walking we visited six homesteads and walked about 60
km descending 9000 feet.
      On one day a local person, Carlos, took us on a
walk in the jungle and showed us the plants his
grandmother had shared with him.  He said he could
confidently live off the food of the jungle.  The next
day another local person, Marcos, came and took us
high into the hills showing us plants to eat and for
medicine but also vines for making baskets and getting
fresh water.
    In the cave we were nurtured and had a chance to
reflect on our time and share our lessons from the
adventure.   We were fed a wide range of delectable
foods from raw food wonders to grounding soups.   We
had a memorable closing circle that went on for a
couple of hours with some beautiful sharing.
    The next morning our circle dispersed and several
of us headed from the green jungle to the concrete
jungle of the capitol and the next day I flew back to
turtle island to continue my world walk.


                           Notable Flora of Costa Rica

We met hundreds of plants and mushrooms of all shapes
and sizes.    To do justice to them would take a lot
of pages but I know people are busy so I wanted to
highlight a few plants that could not go unaccounted
for:

Gotu Kola (Centella sp.) [Umbeliferae]:  We never were
able to confirm the aid of the gotu kola we were
looking at (and eating a bunch of ) that grew near the
cave.  I saw pennyworts throughout our walk
(Hydrocotyle) but none of them had the smell or taste
of the one I called a kind of gotu kola.  One day
several of us were accidentally mildly poisoned by an
undercooked wild cucumber.  I was weak the next day
from it and found eating several rounds of leaves
detoxified me and brought back my energy.  One other
person experienced a similar relief.  Books noted
Centella asiatica as a weed in the area.

Angel Leaf (Piper sp. ) [Piperaceae]:  Being shown
this common large leaved substantial Piper that was
literally weedy, had a large impact on me.  The smell
of sassafras exuded from all parts of it and endured
well in dried leaves.  This seems like a great source
for getting our sassafras needs without having to pull
up young trees here.  I really enjoyed the tea while
there.

Noni (Morinda citrifolia) [Rubiaceae]:   This
miraculous fruit native to the West Indies was brought
to Central America with the builders of the Panama
canal and has been commonly planted ever since.  Its
uses were extolled where ever I went.  At the CATIE
gardens they noted that it was used for treating over
10o ailments.

The Sloth Tree (Cericropia spp.) [Moraceae]:  There
were apparently four species of this tree all having
huge palm shaped leaves.  A favorite food for the
sloth it also is used a lot by humans for medicine.
One curandero commented that is moved liquids through
the body.

Cuculmeca or Zarsparilla (Smilax) [Smilacaceae]:  I
was very excited to come across this genus first in a
curanderos garden then on two different plant outings.
 I think we saw a different species each time and was
excited to see all the virtues they attributed to it
calling it tropical ginseng.

Ortiga (Laportea) [Urticaceae]:  We saw a number of
members from this family including the European
Nettles (Urtica) and a several tree sized members.
Various species of woods nettle (Laportea) appeared
before us on the walk with their milder sting but
still nutritious and medicinal properties.  A family
that demands respect from humans.

Bocconia  [Papavaraceae]: I was impressed with this
tall big-leaved shrub in the poppy family that oozes
orange sap used for dyes and to treat skin ailments
and ulcers.  The bitter roots help the liver, bring
down fever and expel worms.

Palms  [Palmae]:  I do not wish to take away from the
amazingness of the individual species by clumping them
all here.   With over 3000 spp. some argue this is the
world’s most economically important plant family.  I
really enjoyed eating the boiled insides from the
peach palm (Bactris).  Hardly a day went by when I did
not enjoy either the water or the meat of the coconut
(Cocos).  We were introduced to a number of palms
whose hearts are commonly eaten.  Knowing this
certainly made survival in the jungle much more
feasible.

Jackass Bitters (Neurolaena)[Compositae]:  There are
bitters and there are bitters.  This one is notable by
its sharp bitter taste in its leaves and its long
presence in the body.  Used to expel worms and often
used by farm workers preventatively.

Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla) [Rosaceae]:  I had only
encountered the European species of this plant
apparently used to gather dew for the alchemist’s
medicines and to treat women’s ailments.  Up on the
Paramo we found at least three species of it, all much
more diminutive than the one I am familiar with.

Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma):  We were blessed to find
frequent clumps of this mushroom from a couple of
different species including G. applanatum.  Most of
our crew had never had its rich broth before so we
frequently made prolonged decoctions of it and shared
it throughout our journey.

Frank

August 1, 2005


Greetings Family and Friends,

I am doing my best to keep balance in this expansive time of year here on turtle island. I am on the west side a little while longer. It is hot here but not humid. I am thankful for the cold streams. I had a wonderful time with family here. I enjoyed seeing Doug Elliott tell his stories here at the Sierra Storytelling Festival and to have a day with him walking about the Sierras. Soon I head east attending some of the happenings listed below and continuing to write out the report of my African travels.
I learned a number of lessons from my two weeks with a flu. Humility comes to mind and how health is
a gift. I hope you all are enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables of the times. What local food is really abundant around you now? As we enter into Lammas- half way between the solstice and the equinox-it is a good time to assess our crops (and visions) for the year and to determine our preparedness for winter. And then act accordingly. This is traditionally the time of the first harvest cycle of wheat and corn. May you take some time in the next few days to look behind at the year that has been and ahead to what lies in the horizon. I hope to see you in the North Carolina hills in the next couple of months. I will be a Celo this
weekend then walking up to Mt. Mitchell and onward for a day at Earthaven (details below. ) Then hopefully some time for writing, research and east coast family. Please take care….

Peace and Love,

Update from Frank Cook - February 2005

MAY 2005 UPDATE:

Waning moon 

Greetings Family and Friends! 

Life has continued to be full as well as fulfilling since last I communicated with you through 
this medium. I have been fortunate to have some quality time with elders and am being presented with 
many lessons. (Some of them are even starting to sink in I hope!) I am sure many of you are feeling the 
energy of spring rising in you. May that energy be expressed in wonderful ways. There are several 
opportunities for us to get together over the next month in NC and California and in the virtual world. 
Hope to see you there. 

May your light shine! 


Peace and Love, 

Frank

Feb 7, 2005 

Hola Mi Familia,     
     We have finished the jungle leg of our journey to Peru and I wanted to check in and let you know what we have been up to.  Three of us left the snows of the northeast to converge with our other two companions in Miami for the overnight flight to Lima.     

     Though Lima is not a gem (in the rough or any other form), there were a few places from my previous visits that I was excited to revisit. Also it was an opportunity for my companions to see the coastal reality of Peru.  We made the most of our 12 hour layover visiting the central part of the city with its big markets and Spanish architecture then settling in for a few hours at the Jardin Botanica ( est. 1787) located on the grounds of the oldest university in South America--San Marcos (1520).  While the rest of the group rested among the flowers and butterflies, Christina and I walked about comparing our new discoveries with my notes from two and a half years before. 
   
     That evening we flew to the tropical jungle of Iquitos, a big town on the Amazon river accessable only by river or air with its humid air and alive with floral smells.  We found a hostel to stay in and the next day Christina and I went in search of our friend Shaman Don Juan Paima hoping to arrange with him a journey into the jungle.  We had no idea if we would find him as he is hard to reach.  But fortune favored us and though much had happened to him, we found him and his family healthy.  And he was willing to take us into the jungle. (remarkably this simple man in the last 2 1/2 years since we had seen him had been taken by ayayhuasca  (a visionary plant healing medicine) enthusiasts to many places including France, Finland, South Africa, and the US.)  He was excited to see us and we made plans for a four day excurison to his jungle camp.     

     With this decided we reunited with our companions, moved our stuff out to Don Juan´s house and took them to the famous Belen Market full of exotic fruits, herbal medicine booths, and stalls of almost every imaginable thing.  It is always an overwhelming experience especially the first times.    

     The next day we purchased provisions such as food, mosie netting, and other things that people need to be strong in the jungle.  We took Don Juan´s younger kids to the zoo/botanical gardens and I was impressed by the cleanliness of the place and health of the animals. There was a lagoon for swimming which the kids were very excited about. I had not been to the gardens before and was delighted by how diverse they were (over 1300 plants). We were guided about by the charismatic Alberto whose enthusiasm was contagious as he showed famous plants and told us their stories.  
 
     The next morning before the sun rose we awoke and headed out--the five of us, Don Juan, his brother, and two of his sons to catch the boat up the Amazon River to the village of Barro Florido. From there we walked for three hours first seeing the destruction of modern life with clearcuts and roads, finally entering the forest and its winding trails. Mushrooms were coming up all over the place including one of my favorite: artist´s conk (Ganoderma). About half way there the sky opened up drenching us and our heavy packs; challenging us but making the arrival at the outpost healing center all the sweeter. We were taken to a wonderful dry wooden gazebo where we could set up our hammocks, nets and hang our wet clothes.  As the rain passed, the sounds, the whoops and whistles, the ra-tat-tat...of so many birds and insects welcomed us, consumed us.   
 
     With the passing of the rain, Don Juan set to work on making the medicine for the ceremony that night.  We assisted mashing the ayahuasca vine and cooking it for hours with the chakruna leaves.  He invoked its energies with prayers and intentions.  We ate a little and rested for the night ahead.  (As I write this on the bus an elder Quechua Indian woman teases me by playing with my hair.)    
 
     The details of our experience will need to wait for another time, but needless to say we were each moved and affected in powerful healing ways with visions and physical purifications.  We had another ayahuasa circle two days later with another batch of medicine.  The days were filled with food preparation, plant walks in the jungle and gardens, time slowing down with our host family, bathing in the creek, sharing information circles, and getting into the vibe of the jungle.    

     As it happens, next thing we knew we were on our hike out accompanied by many of our jungle family.  We had grown stronger from the fresh air, good medicine, and loving community.  In Iquitos we reacclimated to modern life and prepared for the second half of our journey to the land of the Incas. (Details on that in a week or so.)  We bid farewell to Don Juan and his family.  With this third journey to Iquitos in the last 6 years I am starting to get a feeling for the jungle, though I know it is the walk of a life time.  Perhaps you will join us on the next trip down.    

     I know that many of you reading this are in the throws of winter. Mosquitos and flowering orchidsmay seem far away, but perhaps these words have warmed you some and stirred your imagination.  I hope so.   

     I will write again with some lessons from Machu Picchu.

Via con Dios, Frank

Upcoming Evnts

If you live in the Asheville Area I recommend attending the below conference featuring one of my mentors James Duke and many other wonderful plant, mushroom and health teachers whom I know and respect.  Information is available at:http://www.ncnaturalproducts.org/conference.html

For those of you in triangle area I am working to get a day put together with James Duke during the week of March 7th.  Let me know if you are interested in attending.  Assuming we can make it happen I will be sending details around next week.

Lots of events are being scheduled for April and May.  I will be sending out details in March. 

Hope to see you then.

FCC

Update from Frank Cook - Spring 2004

Hello there Family and Friends.

I have been back on turtle island nearly one moon cycle yet in many ways I still feel as if the plane is landing! But everything in good time. I have built up quite a stack of writing projects to work on but I also feel spring calling out to me to come out and play. It seems to me that now as much as ever the world and our species need us to spend time connecting with the plants.

A new edition of "Botany in a Day" by Thomas Elpel has come out and I helped some with the edits. You can order a copy from www.hollowtop.com (tell them I sent ya). There will be two classes I am facilitating online starting sometime in May. One will be emphasizing families as in passed years (my forth year doing this!) and a new one emphasizing orders and genera of the world. I hope you will consider participating. I am also preparing to launch a 100 hour acknowledgement program as many of you are showing up and putting in the time with the plants. Basically I will keep track of time we spend together on walks and classes and will give you a certificate when you get a 100 hours which can be used to acknowledge your commitment to knowing the plants. If you want more information on either the classes or certificate program contact me at planttalk2004@yahoo.com.

It is becoming clearer to me that one of the most important responsibilities as stewards of the earth is to know the plants that are growing around us. With that in mind I want to make myself available to help you do a plant survey of the land you are living on. Contact me at plantnettalk@yahoo.com so we can arrange an opportunity to do this. As you know I have published a couple of books on journeys to India/Nepal(97) and Peru/Ecuador(99) {and am currently working on one from last year's trip to southern Africa}. If you would like copies please send me your address.

Below is a list of events I will be teaching at that I hope you will be able to participate in. Other opportunities will come up as the season moves forward. I will keep you posted. I am working on trying to put together another plant medicine weekend with James Duke in Maryland in July-let me know if you are interested.

Please drop me a line occasionally and let me know how life is treating you. May your body, heart, mind, and soul remain open and free!

Friend of the Weeds,

Frank
plantnettalk@yahoo.com

Letters and donations thankfully received at:

Frank Cook
1119 Old Greensboro Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516




32nd Annual Rainbow Gathering - N.California This is the first time the children of the rainbow will gather in the sacred lands of California from all across turtle island since 1984. I will be a memorable time. I am excited to share in walks and daily talks concerning the special ecosystems of this part of the country. It is also a wonderful opportunity to check in with family from all over the world.
>> Plant List

October 1st-3rd Enjoying Nature's Bounty Sunnybank Retreat Center Hot Springs, NC For more information contact Elmer at 828-622-7206 You are welcome to join us in the pristine, ancient mountains of the southern Appalachians enjoying nature together. These mountains provide us with one of the richest ecosystems in the world. With Frank Cook facilitating, our group will venture into the woods seeing, tasting, smelling and feeling nature give forth its fruits and rainbow of colors. We will share discussions around ecology, health, nutrition, meditation, as well as folklore and other areas of group interest. Wild food will be served with each meal.


Though Frank Cook feels his roots in Appalachia, his quest to meet the every plant family in the world has led him to Africa, India, and South America, meeting healers and visiting sacred places along the way. Building on a B.S. from Duke University, Frank was trained as a clinical herbalist at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in 1995. In Spring 2001, Frank walked across North Carolina, observing nature and foraging edibles as he went. Frank approaches plants as friends, teaching others to make plants their allies and food their medicine

I hope one or more of these events works with your schedule. Let me know if you would like to host a walk or have a plant inventory done of your land.