Don Gerardo ‘Orete’

Don Gerardo is a phenomena seldom encountered in Peru. He is probably the most noble person I’ve met in my entire life so far. His language reflects his ease of heart and the praise to Creation he offers first thing in the morning as a way of giving his gratitude to life. Having survived chain fights, stabbings, car accidents and gunshot wounds to the stomach, he, indeed, has much to be grateful for, first and foremost to plant spirits and Mama Dina who put him back on his feet. His body is loaded with medicines and this is why ayahuasca that he cooks is so potent.

Gerardo also prepares remedies for anything and everything, starting with prostate, diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis and ending with cervical cancer, epilepsy and Parkinson’s. You can order his preparations in paste to be sent to your country of origin.

Don Gerardo is second oldest son of Mama Dina. He travelled all around Peru climbing electric towers to install high voltage power lines, which gave him a higher perspective, and taught in school as a professor. Complement this with appearance of a buccaneer with physique of a heavy athlete, a couple of golden earrings and a two-inch alligator’s tooth around his neck, a pair of penetrating eyes and impeccable speech of all but extinct down-to-earth nobleman, and you get the picture.

One day while visiting Mama Dina’s house, we were embraced by a primary school-age girl with a radiant smile, not shy in the slightest, who turned out to be Gerardo’s daughter I had no idea he had. She was gifted to him, he explained. Literally so; her mother was unable to look after the baby and gifted the child to Gerardo who took her in sick and malnourished at the age of two. Three years later he registered the child under his own surname. Valeria is pure trust and full of vigour and lifeforce, one of the happiest kids I’ve seen in my life.

A man who has capacity to receive such blessings from the Universe is a rare phenomenon in my books and I treasure my friendship with Don Gerardo a great deal. I refer you to a blog entry Bottoms Up: Knowing the Cost of Your Brew written to honour Don Gerardo’s work.

Thank you!