The Magical Cigar of Roatan
News from the Honduras Bay Islands and North Coast
02 December 2001
By Pierre Renaldo, The Coastwatcher©

After much coaxing I finally convinced my housekeeper, Lady T. to give me the inside scoop on the most secret of secrets about the local superstitions. She was not quick with her answer, holding out on me for a full week. It was late on Saturday afternoon when she announced that she had completed the chores for the day.

I was sitting in the solarium, enjoying the late afternoon scene, and suggested that she have a seat. I then offered her a glass of wine obviously to her surprise, which she readily accepted.

"So tell me, Lady T. of the deepest darkest secret magic that the islanders practice. Do any of the island people believe in Voodoo or Santeria?
The ancient magic from Africa? Spirits and communicating with the dead? The living dead and that sort of thing."

She sipped deeply, then looking at me with a very serious face she replied. "There is one thing that I have seen for my own self. It worked for me a long time ago and I seen a woman jes recent, who
done the same thing. Made me sick so I don't use that way to bring me a man I favor. We calls it PURO."

"Puro? P-U-R-O," I spelled it out to make sure I had it right.

"Yes. It is a herbal that we rolls in a cigar shape, and you has to smoke it. Gits you real high but that ain't all."

"Well you have my curiosity up now. Please explain. Is it some kind of ritual performed with Puro?"

"A dance. You have to do a dance." Her reply was nervous, anxious. She seemed hesitant. I plied her with more strong drink, topping off her glass. That made her smile and relax a little, but I could see that she was apprehensive about something she wanted to tell me.

"Come on Lady T. I'm a big boy. I can take it."
That made her laugh.

"Mr. Pierre, I jes tryin to say it right so I don't git embarras. This is done when a woman want to attract a certain man. She roll up herself a Puro and got to smoke it all up. She go in a private place, outside, and she got on no clothes. Then she smoke and dance and she singin' a special chant. She thinkin' on that certain fella she want attract, and he gits a bad headache and don't know why. But then he start thinkin' on that woman, and he hafta go where she at." She fidgeted nervously, then continued.

"The man, he don't know why he got that headache from, but he draw to that woman, and find his way. When he get to she he beat her for to give him the headache. She bees very happy to receive that beatin' because then they has sex together and she got her man."

"What is the Puro made from? Is it marijuana?"

"No. It bees some special herbs from in the bush. It bring the man to she, because the smoke go to him direck from she lips."

"Fascinating! I have never heard anyone speak of this before." Pretty wild story but she was very serious and I wanted to make sure I could get more island lore from her in the future, so I nodded my head in as if acceptance.

Discover Roatan and the secrets of "How to Build Your Dream Home in a Third World Paradise". Just click on http://roatanet.com/pierre/dreamhome.htm for a preview

Ciao, Pierre

By Pierre Renaldo, Mountain Coastal S.A,. General Contractors, Construction Management and Construction Consultants.