We were able to witness the Brazilian-turned-Guyanese tradition of fire walking. Each spring, every Amerindian village has a large bonfire. The night is filled with traditional storytelling, dancing, and singing. Nearing midnight, when the wood of the bonfire has burnt down, one man scrapes the coals out over the ground. The villagers

have about ten minutes to walk the coals. Apparently, the only rules are to walk, not run, and have very dry feet. No wet feet and no sweaty feet, or else the coals will stick to the feet and the firewalker will get burned.

When the time came, we all gathered around the coals and waited for the brave villagers to step forward. It took several minutes; we all watched the glow of the coals. Soon, the villagers, in groups of two or three, stepped forward and walked decisively across the coals. The crowd stood still, little sound escaping as we watched the firewalkers. Here are some pictures of their walks.

I should clarify; Chris and I did not walk. We are quite happy with this decision after seeing the blistered (and infected) feet the next aftern

oon.