Highly recommended

Description

I spent 11 days at Ebando in December 2018, undergoing Bwiti initiation ceremony with Tatayo and his crew. I highly recommend Tatayo and his facility for anybody considering Iboga ceremony. Tatayo is kind, sincere, compassionate, knowledgeable, patient, and masterful in his work- it is clear that his work is an expression of his life’s passion to bring the power of iboga to people. Furthermore, he is the perfect conduit between Bwiti culture and the West. His initiation experience provides all of the richness, beauty, and authenticity of traditional ceremonies while remaining accessible to non-natives. I felt safe and cared for while experiencing every detail of my time there, from ceremonies to meals to explorations into Libreville and beyond. The facilities are simple and somewhat rustic but clean and comfortable. The textures of the property are a fundamental part of the overall experience- a vibrant, beautiful, and complex expression of mother Africa. I assume anybody researching this kind of place to not be expecting the kind of physical environment one would find in a western clinic, which I have also experienced. The fact that this is not a westernized experience is not a detraction but, rather, a critical ingredient. Still, in the beautiful way Tatayo is a bridge between cultures, he also adheres to the safety protocols and medical preparations of the West- those that are personally important to me in this kind of work that carries with it some inherent risk. Finally, Tatayo’s crew of support staff share his dedication to the medicine. And, like Tatayo, they became family to me. It is an experience for which I am eternally grateful and, to anybody considering it, I offer my most heartfelt encouragement.