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Day 251 - Wednesday 28 May
After breakfast we headed over to the bus station to take the bus to Potosi. Its only 4 hours away but at 4070m high its the highest city in the world. The temperatures also noticeable as well. Its ok in the sun but in the shade its cold.
Potosis a mining town and was once one of the richest cities in the world with a population greater than London or Paris. Its also pretty much funded the whole Spanish empire for 300 years but now the silvers almost run out its a lot poorer and quieter.
Everyone comes here to visit one of the mines which are still in production today. So after getting lunch and having a look around the local market (still not impressed don´t know where ill get my souveniers from yet), we searched around to find the cheapest place offering a decent tour. After signing up to one we went back to the hotel to watch the film El Minero del Diablo (The devils miner), a documentary film about a 14 year old boy who works in the mines. It gave us a great insight into working conditions
in the mine and if you want to see what the tour im taking tomorrow is like i'd definitely recommend watching it.
After the film finished we headed out to get some food and watch some football. We'd missed the England game as we weren't aware it was on, but watched the semi finals of the south american version of the Champions League.
Day 252 - Thursday 29 May
Today´s the day we visit the Potosi mines. Since mining began here they think 8 million people have died inside and even today accidents occur on a weekly basis and a few people die. Lets hope we emerge unscathed.
Just after 9 am we met the rest of our group and got kitted out in our gear before heading to a local miners market to buy the miners who work inside the mine some gifts. Its still a working mine rather than a tourist attraction so you´ve got to remember the miners are doing us a favour letting us in. We all chipped in and bought coca leaves to give them energy, pop, matches and safety gloves. I wanted to also get them some fags and booze
because given the conditions they work in i´d want a drink and a fag when I finished my shift. However some stupid Dutch girl who was against smoking and alchol, kept complaining its bad for their health. The average life expentacy for someone working in the mines is 35-45 years old. I think liver cancer is the least of their problems. Incedently I got to try some of the alchol the miners drink. Its 96% proof, you only drink a sip but boy its got some kick to it.
It was then time to enter the mine. The working conditions really are dreadful with much of the work being done using mining techniques of a hundred years ago. You´ve got to feel for the miners but I guess for many its their choice. They earn good money compared to the average wage but have to compensate it with their health.
We spent a couple of hours down the mine and met many of the different workers, and I must say it was rather an interesting trip. Whenever I have a bad day at work I´ll just have to think about those guys working their and i´ll realise its
not all that bad. Once we´d left the mine we got the chance to blow up some dynamite. You can easily buy it out here on the street for about a quid a stick. I was hoping to film the explosion but it went off a bit sooner than expected so I missed it. It didn´t half make a noise though I was nearly knocked off my feet.
Back at our hostel early afternoon I started to fel a bit sick. I´m not sure if its the altitude, or all the dust and bad air I was breathing in inside the mine. Whatever it was it kept me in bed for the rest of the day. It also meant that i´m not in a fit state to travel back to Santa Cruz tomorrow so i´m going to have to delay returning until next week.
Day 253 - Friday 30 May
Talking to some of the other guests over breakfast it seems everybody was feeeling ill yesterday night. Maybe the air pressure was unusually different yesterday. Whatever it was i´m feeling a lot better today. As im here all day I thought I´d visit the mint museum. It
was here that the silver from the mines were turned into coins for the Spanish empire. Some of the origional equipment is still there. I went down just after ten but the next English guided tour isn´t until two thirty this afternoon. I dont think it´d be as good without a guide so headed back to the hostel instead.
As Pa is a hairdresser and she was knocking about I thought I´d get her to cut my hair. Its been about 5 months since it was last cut so it could do with a trim. She did rather a good and as there was still a bit of time to kill before the museum we went to get lunch. It was the worst lunch I´ve had since I started travelling and I refused to eat it. Russell thought it was ok but 20 mins after leaving he said he felt ill and needed to lie down back at the hostel. Id told him it was crap food.
With Russ incapacitated I did the museum tour on my own. It was ok and passed the afternoon for only 20 Bolivianos (one pound fifty), but I wasn´t over impressed. Too
much of the tour was spent looking at 18th century paintings which bores me.
I´m sad to report that my custom made trainers from Vietnam are about to fall apart. I´ve only worn them a few times but they must have been poorly made, I only hope my suit performs better. As its cold and I´ve got to do treks through the jungle and the inca trail yet my flip flops obviously wont do, so I spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping for a new pair before heading out with Russ to see what Potosi´s like on a Friday night. We gave it until almost 11 but it was pretty dead. No doubt it will be busy in another hour but as we´ve got to catch an early bus tomorrow Russ didn´t want to stay out. Lets hope Tupiza´s better tomorrow night but as its only a town of 18,000 it remains to be seen.
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