Santiago continued

Yes, I get it...

we're all sinners -

sleeping under a blanket of cozy flames?

(Insert smile here!)

I enjoyed getting out of the 'tourist' section - 

and discovering that market day was in full force.

I spent hours walking around, 

taking in the sights, smells and sounds -

and buying nothing.

 Oops, not entirely true about buying nothing -

I bought grapes! 

Some fruit other than the oranges, apple and bananas 

I'd ben surviving on for over a month!

I can't tell you how much carrying everything on your back 

changes your relationship to things.

Whatever I saw, either at market or in the stores in Santiago,

the question was always -

do you want that enough to be carrying it with you on your back?

And my answer was invariably, NO!

I think that was one of the reasons why 'slack packers' bothered some of us so much.

They generally were wealthier, 

or they could choose to use their resources 

differently for a short period than we could for a sustained trek, 

but it underscored our perception that the rich never have to bear the full weight of their actions;

they rarely have to carry the consequences of their choices.

Maybe thats just more reverse elitism at work, 

but it certainly felt true for may of us. 

I also indulged at lunchtime,

when I met up with Anne,

and got a hamburger.

It didn't look like any of 'our' hamburgers, 

but I was so sick of bocadillos, 

I was willing to try anything!

I also had a taste of big emotions!