Hummingbird Screening Process
For our screening and reservation process we prefer to keep a personal touch, initiating a dialog via email so we can get a good feel for your personal needs and wishes. There are a series of steps in the application process, but it all flows naturally from you contacting us and letting us know what you are looking for and a bit about your background.
1: Contact Us
The first step in applying for a place in one of our retreats is to Contact Us and provide a brief description of what you are looking to address or receive from your time with the medicine plants. Any physical or emotional issues should be described in brief, even if they are not the primary reason for coming. Please also tell us about any past experience with ayahuasca or other medicine plants and entheogens.
There may be series of emails asking more questions if needed to help us better understand your needs.
2: Booking Form Submission
Once we have determined than an ayahuasca retreat is the right choice for you, we will email you a link to our online registration form. This includes a section on your medical history, and it is important you are as complete and accurate as possible in this section. You will receive a confirmation email after the form has been submitted. We will review the information and try to get back to you within 24hrs.
3: Submit Your Deposit
Specific payment options and instructions are listed below. A 50% deposit is required to reserve a place in our ayahuasca retreats. You may pay in full if you choose, and you may pay the remaining balance in $US cash on arrival if you choose. You may also pay the balance by any of the options listed below. Your reservation will not be confirmed until we receive the deposit. Our Terms and Conditions contain a detailed explanation of our refund policy. We will confirm your reservations after we have received the deposit.
4: Book your Flights and Hotel
After we have notified you of acceptance to a retreat you may begin finalizing your travel arrangements. You should plan on arriving into Iquitos the day before your retreat begins so you have a night to rest from your travels. We have a ceremony the first night and it is important to be rested. See our Traveling to Iquitos page for hotel and travel suggestions.
Retreat Payment Options
We will notify you after we have approved your booking form. To confirm your reservation please send a 50% deposit using one of the following methods:
Credit Card or PayPal
You may pay using the PayPal service to pay by credit card or directly from your PayPal account. If you want to pay by credit card but do not have a PayPal account, PayPal may ask you to create one depending on which country you are in. In the drop down list below, please select either 50% Deposit or full payment Retreat for the length of time you are reserving.
Cash on Arrival
You may also pay in cash in $US on arrival. We will need your complete flight itinerary in an email to confirm your reservation. Please bring only crisp new bills with no writing and no tears along the crease. The banks in Peru will not accept bills with minor damage that are fine in most other places.
Bring the money with you and do not expect to get it out of cash machines when you arrive. Cash machines in Peru only allow one to withdraw $200 at a time. While you may make multiple withdrawals up to the daily limit set by your bank, the fees will add up quickly.
Many people pay the deposit with PayPal, then pay the balance with cash on arrival. This is our preferred option as there are very high fees in Peru for receiving payments via PayPal.
Bank Wire Transfer
The information below can be used to wire your payment from your bank to ours. If you choose this option confirm with your bank all fees that will be charged for the transfer. Note that wire transfers routinely show up $30-$100 short, and neither the sending or receiving bank has ever claimed responsibility for the shortage.
Bank Name: Scotia Bank
Bank Address: Calle Prospero 278, Iquitos, Peru
Bank Branch: Iquitos
Recipient Name: James Drake Davis
Recipient Email: [email protected]
Bank Account #: 009 754 217540001963 32
Swift Code: BSUDPEPL
If your bank requires a recipient address please use the following. There is no zip or postal code in Peru. If the system requires a zip code enter 00000.
Iquitos, Peru
Western Union
You can send money online using Western Union from most countries. Send your payment to Iquitos, Peru in the name of "Gina Ysabel Mosquera Vega de Davis" (yes, all that!) then email us the information about the transfer . Please be sure to include the name of the person paying, the MTCN number, and the exact amount sent. We cannot pick up the funds without all three pieces of information.
Gina has five names. For online systems that only accept two names you can put her first two names in the First Name field and her other three in the Last Name field.
If you are asked for an address please use the following. There is no zip or postal code in Peru. If the system requires a zip code enter 00000.
Iquitos, Peru
Getting to the Hummingbird Center
All participants that begin their stay at the start of one of our 7 - 12 day retreats will be met at the Fitzcaraldo restaurant on the Boulevard, a river front park a block away from the Plaza de Armas and near the hotels. Here is a link to Google Maps for Fitzcaraldo. It is on the left corner facing the buildings. You will be picked up at 10 am on the 1st day of the retreat. This is a very easy restaurant to find, just ask your hotel or any motocar driver. We will send out a reminder email about the pickup time and location a few days before the retreat begins.
Unless you have arranged to pay in cash on arrival, please be sure to pay any remaining balance before the pickup time in order to board transportation to the center.
For those beginning your stay on a different date, we will work out the pick up on an individual basis. We do encourage you to start your stay with the 12 or 9 day retreat programs as it flows smoother than other starting dates.
Preparing for your Ayahuasca Retreat
Please be sure to read all of the following pages before embarking on your retreat as they contain important information for your comfort, health and safety: