The Ugly Side of Colonialism

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I left and Uyuni and took a bus to Potosi, which was about 6 hours away. This was how I imagined travelling in Bolivia to be. My backpack got strapped to the top and the passengers crammed into an old, beat up heap of metal. The gangways were filled with bags and extra passengers, who had been a sold a seat, as had everyone else. It was hot and dust filled our lungs for the entire trip. There was no toilet on board but luckily we stopped after about 3 hours. The only baño was what appeared to be a hole in someone's back yard.

Back on the road we eventually arrived to Potosi, which is the highest city in the world at over 4,000m. I grew immediately fond of the place, with its narrow streets, colourful colonial buildings and fried chicken stalls at every corner. Back in the mid 16th century Potosi had a bigger population than London or NY and was the wealthiest city in the world. The city lies next to Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) and huge silver deposits were found there. The Spanish forced the indigenous Indians to work in the mines, so that the silver could be sent back to Spain. It is estimated that over 8 million slaves died during that time.

Bolivians still work in the mines today and a tour of the mines was the main reason for me coming here. The tour started with a visit to the miner's market. Tourists are allowed to visit the mines on the proviso that they bring gifts for the miners. We bought cigarettes, soft drinks and everyday items like cocoa leaves, 95% proof alcohol and some dynamite.

I get quite claustrophobic at times, so I was apprehensive to say the least about spending two hours underground, but I was quite surprised how much room there was. Most of the time I could walk without bending my head. The hardest thing to do was breath, what with all the dust and the fact that we were so high up.

The Bolivians that work in the mines start as young as 14. If you work in the mines you can expect to earn $50-80 a month and die before you reach 35. The toxic fumes in the mine cause syxciosis (or something like that). I asked our guide why the kids start working there if they know that it is going to kill them. He replied that for some working in the mine is the only option in a city that doesn't offer a lot of jobs and for others working in the mine carries a lot of social prestige. I was shocked.

Chewing cocoa plays a huge role in the life of a miner. Not only doesn't it give them important vitamins, it helps prevent the toxic fumes entering the body and more importantly from the colonists point of view, it lets them work for longer. Back in colonial times, the indians had to work 24 hours continuous before having 8 hours rest and then starting all over again. These days the miners work for 8 hours a day, but if they haven't found enough silver to meet each week's quota, they will have to work non-stop until they do.

Back outside the mine, our guide gave us a dynamite demonstration. He used two sticks and it was the loudest bang I've ever heard. In the mines, they sometimes use up to 12 sticks for one area. I can't imagine what that must sound like.

I left Potosi and headed to Sucre on 26th May. Four of us shared a taxi. Amazingly we had a paved road all the way. The only problem was that we descended over 1200m, winding our way round hair-pin bends, getting thrown right and left - and my passenger door didn't properly close. It was an uncomfortable ride.

Sucre used to hold all the governmental power in Bolivia. La Paz now has that title, but Sucre remains a beautiful city full of colonial buildings. It's very European and has a warm climate for Bolivian standards.

I was expecting to get ill at least once whilst I was in Bolivia, as I'd heard that hygiene wasn't high up in a chef's agenda. I've been eating at street stalls and markets and so far my stomach has been fine - that was until Saturday. I'm not what was to blame, but that night I spent 18 hours in bed with a fever and a dodgy stomach. I had a bus booked to La Paz the next day. Luckily I felt better, although my digestive system was very delicate. I'd paid extra to have a bus with a baño, so imagine my horror when I boarded the bus and there was a big sign on the toliet door saying "SOLO URINARIO" - it was a difficult 14 hours to La Paz. The joys of travelling..............

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