Today we are heading out to Santa Domingo to spend a couple of days in an indigenous village with the Tsáchilas (true people).

After our 4 hour journey we arrived at the village to very warm welcome. Wearing his tradition clothing (just a striped skirt) and body paint, the head of the community, Alejandro told us all about the history of his people and how they continue to live with very little interaction with western cultures. Accompanied by his sons and granddaughters, Alejandro then performed a welcome ceremony with traditional music and dancing. We felt very privileged to be there!

After a tasty lunch of fish and plantain (served on a large leaf), Alejandro's son, Roberto showed us around the family's land. They grow all their own food, eat fish from the river as well as free range chickens. Body paint is very important to the Tsáchilas and we were shown where they find the fruits (containing the dyes). We both had our wrists painted in a traditional motif with a black dye which lasts for about a week.

Dinner was chicken, but first we had to catch one! Roberto's wife did the dreaded act. She simply grabbed an unsuspecting chicken and twisted it's head several times until is was dead (although it continued to flap around for a minute!). We helped her pluck out all the feathers and it was put into a pot for cooking. While the dinner was prepared by the women, we were treated to more traditional dancing by the children and invited to join in ourselves. We also had a go at playing the musical instruments - badly!

After dinner we were invited to the shaman's hut for a 'spiritual cleansing'. Wow - what an experience. The chief slipped into a trace and began mumbling and murmuring a ritual in his own dialect, just visible under the eerie candle light. We took it in turns to be cleansed - Steph was told she had envy inside her from another personality, which was released. I had a lot if pressure in my head which was removed with some traditional potions found in the forest. Floating on air, we retired to our hut to sleep.

The next day we were taken for a walk through the forest and shown lots of plants and trees which the people use for everything from construction materials to medicines. Back in the village, we were taught how to make bowls from hard fruits, baskets from vines and bracelets from beads and seeds.

It was then time for us to leave - what an experience ... truly "once in a lifetime" stuff!

Check out 'Ecuador - Tsáchilas' at http://gallery.me.com/peterjprice/101707