By David Mandich - 

If I were an ancient Aztec juiced up on Damiana, I could go happily to the altar to have my heart ripped out. Or better yet, mambo the night away wearing nothing but feathers at the village fertility orgy.

The Damiana plant is a small shrub with smooth, green oval leaves and little aromatic yellow flowers that grows in many parts of Mexico, Central America and most abundantly in Baja California del Sur. For over a century it has been gathered by locals from Todos Santos to La Paz where it has been bundled, bagged and shipped throughout the world for use as an herbal tea, medicine or distilled into a magical liquor. Its use, dates back to the time of the ancients.

True confession: Once upon a time (between marriages) this old Gringo hitched a ride with two bonita senoritas from La Paz to visit Todos Santos (fifty miles north of Cabo on the Pacific side of Baja). After a day of visiting the galleries, and enjoying a beautiful sunset at the beach, we stopped at a little roadside stand, which offered locally made candies, beer, soft drinks, beer, snacks, more beer, and something unknown to me - a local liquor called ‘Damiana.' It came in a recycled green half liter bottle, crudely corked, with a burlap cloth cover on its bottleneck and a brown wrapping paper label. Baja class.

The counter boy who, incidentally was deaf, offered me a sample. I would soon find out his handicap didn't slow him down a bit. For he noted right away I had my hands full with two ‘Chikititas' over twenty-five years my junior. And he was going to help me out with my problema. He entertained the three of us with gestures and sexy motions indicating the aphrodisiacal potential of Damiana all the while whistling what sounded like bird calls. My young lady companions were quite amused by it all. I was not. Something was happening here.

After downing a couple of shots (the ladies demurred), one Senorita handed me a note the lad had written in Spanish asking for her telephone number. "What was the poor mute going to do..." I flustered, "Call you up and make bird calls over the phone?" Time to hit the road I thought, darkness was coming. High time for the range cattle to play Hide and Seek or Tag with the cars on the highway.

It was soon after we had passed the nights first victims - three burros and a Trans Am, all smashed up and looking very dead by the roadside, that I started feeling the effects of the Damiana. First my temperature started to rise. I started to sweat a little, then (seated in the middle) I moved my right arm around the shoulders of the senorita on my right. "So far, so good" thought I... Then I moved my left arm up and around the shoulders of the senorita driving. She didn't resist...Good sign I thought.

I proceeded to massage the necks of both of them at the same time... What was I thinking? I honestly don't know.

Then all of a sudden they screamed, both having simultaneously an ‘Aha!' experience upon discovering my game. "It's the Damiana...Not me!" I howled, embarrassed and fearing they must have thought I was some kind of latent polygamist from Utah. Then they teased me about how everyone in Mexico (except Gringos) knows that Damiana stimulates ones sexual appetite.

Used as an herbal tea or medicine, Damiana is also reputed to cure or relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, asthma, poor circulation, cold/flu, fatigue and sexual frigidity. (Is this where I fit in?) Well, the Aztecs determined that high doses would induce euphoria and loss of balance (Kept ‘em in line during Aztec god Chacmool's heart removal fiestas). American doctors in 1919 noted that during the frontier days, "Women of loose morals and midwives" used it as a remedy.

Nowadays, one finds it as a basis for many herbal alternatives to Viagra, as well as a wonderful drinking liquor, and a delicious tea. Damiana served as tea or as a liquor, exhibits a fresh botanical desert fragrance, unique and truly reflective of Baja. More succinctly put, it tastes and smells like the desert and you can get drunk and horny on it. It's truly a treasure of Mexico, like Tequila, great beer, beautiful beaches and forgiving senoritas. You can get Damiana at better stores, hotel bars and cantinas throughout Mexico.

David Mandich, has been living, writing and selling real estate in Cabo for 10 years. A Cabo Century 21 Agent and expert on Condos, Villas and Gated Communities, he can be emailed at: yachtdorado@yahoo.com or reached via telephone at: (From the USA) 1 866 722 1785, Local: 624-143-1011, Cel. 044 624 132 8919