Potosi

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After a fleeting overnight stop in Oruro (currently the holder of “Most Boring Town” in our South America Awards) we arrived in Potosi.

Potosi would be a pretty unremarkable place if it wasn’t for the silver mines that created it and boosted the Spanish economy by a shedload of pesetas a few hundred years ago. The mine was ‘closed’ by the Bolivian government in the 1980s, since which time the mines have been worked by ‘co-operative’ miners, but when Jez asked him to give him some of his silver he wasn’t very co-operative at all. (Boom Boom!)

Many companies offer tours of the mines, so we went on one. On the way to the mine we stopped off at a corner shop to buy lemonade and dynamite, presents for the miners who we were about to meet. Apparently even ten-year-old children can buy dynamite in Potosi. Good job there’s no silver mines in Leicester, or Braunstone would have disappeared long ago. After getting dressed up in helmet, lamp, and protective overalls we entered the mine. It was very cramped (people of normal height have to stoop most of the way, but the mums - Bowden and Phipps - would be OK) and very dusty.

After about 20 minutes Bridget decided she’d seen enough, so headed back out. (What was that about Venture Scouts, Mrs Woolman??!!)
When we got down to ‘level 2’ Jez bailed also (claiming respiratory problems caused by a chesty cough. It´s true! - Or maybe you had a point after all Mrs W!)

Early evacuation turned out the best decisions we have made for a long time. Not long after Jez departed an air pipe split, sending thick clouds of fine dust throughout the tunnels. The guide had to try to move the group to a safer area, but when he couldn´t he told them that they had no choice but to keep moving towards the exit. Some of this was through inclined tunnels on their hands and knees, with barely enough room to move. When they emerged they were all coughing and spluttering, and a couple had lost their voices. An Aussie woman said she was scared and we think most of them had not enjoyed it one bit, especially when they were aware that the dynamite blasts happen everyday at 5pm and they were stuck in a dust cloud at 4.30!

This kind of thing is very rare (we’re told), but we were a little bit disappointed with the tour anyway because we didn’t see working miners, machinery operating, etc. If stooping through dark, hot, dusty tunnels is your thing then go for it, but otherwise we would hesitate to recommend this kind of mine tour.

Bye
Bridge and Jez
xxxx

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Photos

View from the roof of San Francisco church.
You can just make out the mines on the hill in the background.

Bridget´s finger.
Can you guess what the brown stuff is on the end of it?
Clean answers only please!

Hotel Jerusalem.
Just missed out on the 5-Star rating.
(Actually our room was at the back and was OK, although Stu probably wouldn´t have set foot in the door!)

Comments

[Dawn]

Brown stuff hhmmm.... I'm guessing it was the dust from the mine that Bridget retrieved from her naval.

[Dad B.]

Dusty Finger
We guess that it was the dust from the mine removed from Jez's left nostril!!