Silica Rivers

Warm silica rivers flow through the grounds of the Moshel St School. They carry on from there, cascading down the terraces of Lola through rivulets and creeks until they meet the sea. You weren’t supposed to bathe in them because they were full of “hellpoints” – hotspots that would burn you badly. Thick plumes of steam rise from where a hellpoint meets the air.

The algae and silica in the water is good for your skin, and has antibacterial properties. The riverbed at Moshel St School consists of black sand and nectarine-sized stones which press the arch of her foot. In her hands, the milky blue water is opaque and salty to taste. There is no other place on Earth with a school like this.