Advertisement
Published: March 3rd 2007
Edit Blog Post
Finally, not planning a trip to Potosi at the beginning of the week has allowed me to go to Potosi finally to visit my friends Sandra and Nicole, but also to see what used to be the richest city in the world and one of the highest at over 4000m above sea level. Every other time that I have planned a trip to Potosi at the beginning of the work week, the protesters must get drift of it because there always seems to be road blocks the weekends that I want to go. Potosi being ten hours away by bus, this is a trip that I would not imagine doing in Canada on a weekend but it isn't very often that I have the opportunity to visit friends in a foreign city. The bus ride was pretty uneventful, which was nice, because eventful in this country usually means a flat tire, break downs or even an accident. I am still not sure how the bus companies are making any money because I passed $10 CAN for my ten hour ride to Potosi.
Arriving early Saturday morning a few minutes before seven, I decided that I would let my friend
Nicole sleep some more, so I walked from the bus terminal to where her and Sandra were living, which is quite a long walk considering that Potosi is not that large. When I arrived at their apartment, Nicole said she needed a little more sleep (which I found out later was due to a more than normal consumption of sangria the night before 😉 ) so I took a short nap as well because sleeping on overnight buses is never easy.
After some conversation over coffee, Nick was off to a Quechua class and I was off to explore the city of Potosi and also to book a tour into one of the mines around Potosi. I was recommended a tour agency by both Nick and Sandra and finally after passing by it a few times in the morning, someone was finally in the office. I went in asking about mine tours and then told them that the placed was recommended by my friends Sandra and Nick. The woman at the desk, picked up a picture and showed it to me and said "Sandra?". I was very surprised to say the least. I was not expecting to walk into
this travel agency and find a picture of my friend. Anyhow, I signed up for a tour in the afternoon and then headed back out into the streets of Potosi to explore the city, including its many, many churches. Around lunch time, I was wandering around trying to find a good restaurant to eat at and just by chance, I was walking by the travel agency and the women you was there in the morning, Evelyn, and her sister were just closing up for lunch and saw me pass, called out my name from the other side of the street and invited me to eat lunch with them. They took me to a local restaurant for a 10 boliviano lunch and I was shocked by the amount of chuño (rehydrated freeze-dried potato) that was on my plate. I am really not a big fan of it but Evelyn and her sister were as they finished it off. Coming to think of it, I really don't know any expat here in Bolivia that really enjoys chuño as they have so little flavour and have a strange texture.
After lunch it was off to the mines for a tour of them.
I have been in mines in both Falun, Sweden and Bell Island, Newfoundland, and from what I have heard from other tourists, if these mines existed in either Canada or Sweden, they would be shut off to the public due to safety concerns. From what I heard as well, Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) where all the mining is done is suppose to resemble swiss cheese. First off, we were suited up to go into the mines with suits to keep the mud off of us, a pair of rubber boots, and a helmet with a torch attached. We entered the mines and said goodbye to daylight for a couple hours. The conditions of this mine definitely would not be up to code in Canada. I can't tell you how many times the guide would say "Be careful. Hole on the right!". We were able to see some of the miners at work, since this is an active mine still. As I was the only person in my tour group that could speak Spanish, the miners took to me well and talked to me quite a bit. A few of them even asked if I would come work in the mines
after my job finished.... I don't think so. Mining silver and zinc by hand does not like my kind of work. I have to say that I was really impressed with the miners... all the work they do is manual and they make between 50 bolivianos and 70 bolivianos a day ($7 - $10 CAN a day). And then there is the fact that most of them get sick early in life due to the gases and dust they are breathing in everyday. Unbelievable! Before going into the mines, the group bought coca leaves for chewing, special cigarettes for the miners, 96% alcohol and other drinks for the miners. In the mines, there is a statue of the god of the underworld to keep the miners safe. At this statue, we all gave a little of the 96% alcohol to pachamama and took a swig ourselves. Deadly stuff I tell ya! We continued through the mines for a while before heading back up to the surface. What an experience that was...definitely eye-opening.
Besides the silver mines of Potosi, the rest of my weekend was spent going out for dinner with friends then out for drinks and sitting around the
kitchen table until 4:30AM talking to Sandra. Someone who can talk just as much as me 😊 I guess someday I will have to come back to do the other "touristy" things there are to do in this city and I am sure I won't mind coming back.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.151s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 21; qc: 96; dbt: 0.1028s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Lina
non-member comment
Quechua class
Beautiful photos! By the way, I'd like to find out more about Nick's Quechua class. Is it one on one or in a group? How can I contact the teacher/school? Does Nick recommend it or was it only so so? Thanks for sharing about your travels! Best regards, Lina. email garzadrive-billpay@yahoo.com