6.23

today I hiked up the mountain close to the school - incredible view of the entire town and the surrounding mountains. Passed a man carrying loads full of firewood on his back and suddenly felt incredibly guilty that hiking is fun for me and work for him.

by far the strangest holiday I have ever experienced - San Juan in Bolivia. All day long people kept asking me ¨Vas a quemar?¨ (are you going to burn?) for a dreaded moment I thought that this school full of catholics had discovered me as an athiest until someone finally explained to me that this is part of a custom here. They burn whatever, wherever, all night long. Its said to be the coldest night of the year here, and youre supposed to spend it raging all night long along with the fires. The questions of "isnt that dangerous?" seemed to be laughed at. They kept telling me that there was normally so much smoke that the next day it was hotter! I didnt believe until i saw the entire mountainside ( the very one which i had climbed earlier) engulfed in a series of fires.