Blogs from Potosi, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 6

Next stop was the mining town Potosi at 4070m it's the highest city in da world. The main reason we went there was to do a tour of the mines which we sorted through the hostel. It's also quite a nice town and we spent some time exploring the busy market. The mine tour was pretty cool but hard work. After getting kitted out we went to the miners market where we bought them some presents (fizzy drinks and a stick of dynamite). I also had a taste of the miners' favourite drink, a 96% spirit which must be close to poison. We saw a refining plant before heading to the mine itself. The miners work in a cooperative, renting their bit of mountain and keeping all the profits from the minerals they mine. Some of ... read more

On Monday morning we headed to the immigration office early to get our passports stamped so that we could legally be in Bolivia! We were expecting dramas because we had been stamped out of Peru the Thursday before, but it was hassle free. We bought some 5 Litre bottles of alcohol for less than $5 each! We left La Paz at 11.30 and headed to Potosi. The drive took about 8 hours and we didn’t arrive until after dark. Some of us went for dinner at a pizza place, the others had street food. We stayed in a random hotel that had no free wi-fi, and a shower right beside the toilet with no shower walls or anything and electric cords hanging from it! It was impossible to have a shower without totally flooding the bathroom. ... read more

Potosi is the highest city in the world -not a bad claim to fame. The city stands tall in the south of Bolivia at 4,100 metres or 13,500 feet above sea level. Today, one of the biggest attractions to Potosi is the silver mines, which brings tourists from all over the world who would like to experience life in the mine on a tour. While the tourist dollar is now vital in Potosi’s economy, the town did not always have such a dependency on outside factors and Potosi used to be the wealthiest city in the world. The town lies beneath the mountain known as Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain). The name was conceived because the mountain used to contain an abundance of silver and this is the reason Potosí's historical importance. Founded in 1546 as a ... read more

Cheap food, cheap accommodation, cheap transport, and cheap activities…where else in South America but the wonderful BOLIVIA! After coming down off our high from the salt flats, we came to the realisation that we had another new country at our doorstep ready to explore. And the first thing we noticed about being in Bolivia was the price of things….overnight we went from paying about $20 each for accommodation to less than $6 or $7, finally something for our wallets to smile about. Being the cheapest country in South America for tourist’s means that unfortunately Bolivia is also the poorest; however it is incredibly rich in natural wonders, resources and attractions. The Amazon jungle and Andes Mountain Range just to name a few. So where to explore first then? We decided to head to the worlds highest ... read more

In Spain, Potosi is a word used to describe riches, its origins come from the town of Potosi which has been mining silver for over four centuries. The work of today´s miners has changed little from that of their fore-fathers. The miners have formed a cooperative and are self employed meaning that modern machinery is prohibitively expensive. Stepping into the mines is the same today as it was in the 1600´s, dark, oppressive and incredibly hot. One sixteenth century spanish writer described it as stepping into the mouth of hell. A visit to the mines is certainly not for the faint hearted, it can get up to 60 degrees in places, while dust caused by dynamite explosions clogs your lungs. If you hear shouting - you run - your life literally does depend on it. ... read more