Sham, Ross Heaven & La Gringa in Karma Cafe Iquitos

Hola everyone! (that's Spanish for hello)

I've been having a fantastic time in Iquitos Peru hanging out with Ross & Tracie at the Hummingbird Healing Centre

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I am finding out who I really am and at times begin to wonder if I am truly a hedgehog or perhaps some reincarnation of an ancient jungle shaman. In fact a shaman here has discovered my true name, Iziekel, but you can still call me Sham if you want.

So far I've been to 2 San Pedro ceremonies and 2 Ayahuasca ceremonies, where I learnt a lovely icaro which I shall sing for everyone at Indie Shaman when I come home.

About coming home...I miss all my friends in England but I feel very drawn to the jungle and I'm having a flirtation with a sloth called Finn.

Ross & Tracie took me to the 6th Annual Amazonian Shaman Conference, but I got very tired as it went late in to the night and I had my photo taken with all types of people who wanted to cuddle me and it was all a bit too much for a small hedgehog (if I am in fact a hedgehog). On the way home from the conference our motocaro tipped over, but don't worry, no one was hurt, some burly men tipped us right side up and we continued home.

I have also made friends with 2 lovely dogs, Felis Compleanos (a small headed, big bodied creature who isn't very bright) and Moon Vomit, who is really still only a pup and a bit silly.


Ross introduced me to a giant dung beetle called Michael at the Anaconda market and I wasn't even scared even though he tried to roll me like a peice of dung. There's to be a retreat at the centre next week and Tracie has asked me to help with the flower baths so when I come home I can show everyone how to make them.

lotsa love to everyone
Izekiel (Sham)

Going to stay with Ross Heaven in Peru!

Hi everyone. Here I am back in England at Indie Shaman. It was a pretty exciting journey back from Greece which started out with me travelling on the back of a motorbike through the streets of Athens! Here are some photos from my last look around Athens.

Here is a wonderful photo of ancient Greece in Modern Athens - The Acropolis. I will miss Cathy and her family very much and had a lovely time while I was staying with them.



Here are some apartments like the one I was staying in. Look at those lovely balconies.

Biscuit was waiting to greet me when I got back to Indie Shaman after my long journey. She told me the sad news that my dear friend Cara, the black Labrador, had passed on to the Otherworld last Friday.

She also told me something about the secret surprise. Apparently she overheard June saying something to Simon about the best way to send a hedgehog to Peru!

So after there had been cuddles all round I asked June and ...

Today I am going to start my journey again as I AM GOING TO STAY WITH ROSS HEAVEN IN PERU! (sorry about the shouting ... June said I have to calm down before I go so I may have to practice my deep breaths and meditating).

June says its a very long journey and I can't go in my box because of my weight and that stuff humans use called money. I'm not sure what's wrong with my weight although admittedly I'm quite a healthy round hedgehog. June said if I was brave enough they will wrap me up well in a bag I can sleep in for the journey. Of course I'm brave enough so I'm off today!

There may be a gap in my blogs while I travel to Peru but do check back for updates. June will also let you know when I have a new blog on our Facebook page

I am so looking forward to meeting Ross Heaven and his friends in Peru. Plus ... I'm going to be blessed by a Shipibo shaman! I must be the luckiest hedgehog in the world!

Here in Greece but where next?

Ο εξαιρετικός περιπλανόμενος σκατζόχειρος σαμάνος Σαμ
( o exeretikos periplanomenos skanjoheros samanos Sam)

Shaman the extraordinary wandering hedgehog

I think my Greek has improved .... don't you?

Cathy and June from Indie Shaman have been plotting a secret surprise. I'm not sure what is going on other than I have to start packing again as I'm going back home to Indie Shaman. But apparently I won't have time to unpack as then I'm on my way to a secret destination. Will tell you all about it as soon as I know. It's all very exciting and very mysterious.

Before I packed I got out and about to take a look at some of Athens which is the capital of Greece. I'll post some more about that soon before I go. Its got very hot here, mid 30's C (90's F) so it will be quite nice to be somewhere a bit cooler for a while .... I'm not really designed for this heat.

While it was so hot I took the opportunity to look at some of Cathy's artwork. I'm sure she won't mind. Here's the Baron and a pretty lady. I've met him and he's quite the gentleman.

Cathy takes commissions on these wonderful Spirit Guide Portraits and you can see more of them if you click on the link. I had been hoping to paint a little something myself as I have a small talent of my own you know. But I somehow never managed to get the time so I think it will have to wait until another visit.

Humm ... I think we have the same chin. How great is this painting?! Cathy also takes Portrait and Pet Portrait commissions. Incidentally don't my glasses look cool? I think someone should paint my portrait as apparently I'm pretty memorable.

Got to go now as I'm going for a last look at Athens and have some more packing to do. I'm so curious as to where I'm going next. I'm going to see if I can get Cathy to tell me. Will let you all know as soon as I do!

Shaman Sham meets Mr Yucca Tree

I’ve taken a nice long rest since my arrival in Athens. The journey had been a bit bumpy and I seemed to have caught a slight chill but Cathy had been looking after me well with plenty of bowls of hot snail soup.

But today as I opened my eyes I felt much more as a strapping young hedgehog should feel.

”Kali mera Athina!” (Good morning Athens) I said stretching my arms wide and yawning. Yes, Josephinaki the cat has become a good friend during my stay and has been teaching me a little Greek.

Through the balcony doors I could see the large yucca tree waving its leaves in welcome. So with a little hop I slipped from beneath the covers and padded out onto the balcony. As a very polite little hedgehog I had greeted the giant yucca on arrival but hadn’t yet had time to form a closer acquaintance with the illustrious green being and Dilbert the Dragon of the pot.

“Hello young fellow.” said the tree in a benevolent tone.

“Hello Mr. Yucca tree sir” I said, rather bravely I think, as I stared up at the awesome being. Slowly the great old yucca lowered its fronds to stroke me on my head.

“Oh that’s very touching.” Came a voice from the pot. “I suppose no one thought to say hello to me!”

And there sure enough was a rather grumpy looking dragon guarding not only the pot but some marbles of which he appeared to be very fond, seeing them as some kind of exotic jewel. Being a rather wise little hedgehog I decided not to enlighten him on the matter.

Instead I gave a quick little bow in the Dragon’s direction and hoped he wasn’t partial to a nice bit of hedgehog pie.

“Don’t worry about Dilbert,” said the old yucca reassuringly. He’s always a bit grumpy till he’s had a drop of dragon’s dew. “How about you climb up on my branches before I getting a crick in my neck.

“Here “said the Jessie weed, “take this golden flower it will help you to fly.”

So I clicked his heels together 3 times and holding the golden flower ever so tightly set off on my journey up the giant yucca. I spent many an hour listening to the tales of long ago and what it was like when trees walked the earth. I could see Dilbert the Dragon sitting at the bottom pretending he wasn’t listening as he polished his marbles and watered Jessie the weed.

I slept very happily in the tree that night as the large green being sang me to sleep deep into the night.

From Athens with love

It was sad to part from Oldrock and Pebbles but once I was safely tucked up in my box I soon became caught up with the excitement of the journey before me.

I was on my way to Athens. home to the gods of ancient Greece, and the thought of being able to breathe the same air and tread with my little paws where they had trod was more than a little thrilling. I wondered if Zeus would be there to meet me and hoped he wouldn’t prod me with his thunderbolt ...but then decided from what I’d heard he would probably be off somewhere chasing a nymph or two.

I slept for most of the journey and munched on my supply of wormy things ,(which I just happened to have about my person).

Even though I was inside my box it was easy to tell that I was in Greece. The air seemed warmer and I had the curious feeling that the postman danced rather than walked. There was a lot of chatter but I found I couldn’t understand what was being said. It was as they say “all Greek to me.” Fortunately one of the worms I had with me was bilingual and could translate. So I decided that in recognition of his `Outstanding Service to Hedgehogdom’ I would make him a free worm and not eat him.

Once in Athens I slept the night in the post office just up the road from where Cathy lives. The parcel department was pretty full. Now and then I was awakened by the clink of glasses and heard the sounds of ”Ooopa ... Oooopa..” and the distinctive tone of bouzouki music as the occupants of the other parcels danced and sang into the night. Being a very young hedgehog I knew I needed my rest but it was fun to peep through a hole in my box at the goings on around me.

The next day Cathy came to collect me from the post office.

Josephinaki the cat was there to greet me when she opened the box.

I think we’re going to be great friends as she could hardly wait to get into my box and was nice enough to let me sit on her back.

I’m looking forward to exploring the giant yucca. I’ve heard there may be a dragon and some fairies living in it so I’ll let you know if I find any.

Back soon with more exciting news of the Adventures of Shaman Sham.

Help Save the Welsh Badgers!

Hi everyone. As you all know my name is Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog and I was born when Indie Shaman members adopted a hedgehog from Secret World Wildlife Rescue.

I’m getting ready to hit the road again, or rather to go for another trip in an aeroplane. It’s very exciting! This time I’m off to Greece so look out for me blogging from there soon. I’ll be staying with the very talented artist Cathy Leigh-Tsoukalas who also runs the Indie Shaman Forum.

While I was packing I was browsing the Indie Shaman Facebook page and noticed that my friends the badgers are still at risk in Wales! So I just had to take the time to tell you all about it and ask if you would like to support helping the badgers. I’m not going to talk about the scientific evidence in my blog as you can read it here. However I have been studying it and culling badgers has been proved to have no part to play in the control of Bovine TB in cattle so why is the Welsh Assembly carrying on with the murder of badgers?

Please help save my friends, the Welsh badgers, by signing the petition or taking part in an event. You will find more information on the Secret World Wildlife Rescue website or on the Facebook page ‘No to Pembrokeshire Badger Cull'.

Many thanks
Talk to you all again soon
Sham

Learning photography in Tralee

I've been on a trip to Tralee with Oldrock and Pebbles so I've been learning all about it. Here's a photo I took of Pebbles by the famous statue of the Rose of Tralee. Yes, Oldrock has been teaching me to use the camera!

Tralee is in County Kerry and famous for the 'Rose of Tralee', one of the country's biggest festivals. The festival was inspired by a ballad about a woman called Mary. She was very beautiful and that is why she was called the Rose of Tralee.

"The pale moon was rising above the green mountain
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain
That stands in beautiful vale of Tralee.

She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee..."

The words are credited to C. Mordaunt Spencer and the music that goes with them is by Charles W. Glover. The song was made in the nineteenth century which is a long time ago.

Here's another photo I took of Pebbles on the play slide in the park. I was going to have a go but it was too high for me to slide down and I was frightened of getting stuck on my own needles. It would have been embarrassing to ask Oldrock and Pebbles to extract them from me so I stuck to taking photos instead.

We also visited a Saint Patricks day parade in Tralee but it was awkward for Oldrock to get pictures as he had his hands full minding me and Pebbles. He had to hold onto us both because there were lots of people there and neither of us wanted to get lost. I couldn't take photos either because I had my hands full holding onto Oldrock.

Afterwards we went for a walk, so on with the wellies for Pebbles as he enjoy splashing in puddles. I think I took a very nice photo of Pebbles and his Mom during the walk.

Oldrock said he had the massage table ready for treatments back at home if they were needed. Me and Pebbles didn't need a massage though because we had a nice relaxing sleep on the way back.

When I woke up I managed to get a hug from Pebbles mum too .... well she is very pretty ....