Lucho is a traditional medicine man who describes himself as a "curandero," or someone who heals. Using medicinal herbs, archeological relics, and hallucinogenic plants (as well as some special powers), he claims to have rid himself of diabetes and his father of cancer. He regularly travels around Peru treating people with all sorts of ailments. On this episode of Far From Home, I travel to Lima and join Lucho as he goes on a journey, searching for a star-shaped stone with supposed magical powers that he saw in a vision.

Visit my website to see photos from my trip to the traditional medicine market in the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo.

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On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl, and Mongolia. For more info, visit farfromhomepodcast.org