Visit of the Corporative mines of Potosi, Bolivia

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The mines at the altitude of 4.300m are really impressive. The name of the movie about the mines and the life of the miners called "The devilish miner" is accurate. The miners are working in middle age conditions getting out of the mines remains of stones with minerals inside (silver, copper, tin, etc.). The security is completely missing, there is almost no oxygen in the mines which is even worse with the dust everywhere and the hot temperature, which reaches fourty degrees in some parts. The miners often die within ten years on the pneumonia. But they are surpisingly very friendly, explaining how the life in the mine is and making jokes with the turists (maybe because of all the gifts the turists are buying for them inculing 96% strong alcohol which they are drinking pure inside the mines or mixing with water). It is not possible to eat in the mines (because of stomach problems), which means, the miners are working upto 15 hours daily restoring its energy just with water, cigarettes and alcohol...

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Photos

vesting...
in Potosi near to the miners market where we have bought gifts for the miners

last preparations
putting the safety helms, flash lights, etc.

the city of Potosi below the mines
the mines are in altitude of about 4.300 meters, Potosi around 4.100

one of the mine workers
but luckily for him not inside the mines

ready to enter the mines
there are different mines inside the hill with few kilometers length and three or four floor (if you can call it this way ;)

me with the gifts for the miners
(coke, coca, cigarettes)

this small carts have around 400kgs
the miners are pushing the full of stones up the almost destroyed rails

our guide
explaining how to fill the mouth with coca leaves

pur guide was chewing a lot of coca
(but the efect was not as big as it looks like ;)

this is the oldest part of the mines
(more than 200 hundred years)

crawling in the mine
not so sharp photo, but the only proof that the most parts of the mines were really low

first miner we have met getting stones from his place
every miner with authorization finds its own place from where he gets stones with minerals and puts a wooden door before it to not to be entered by another miners