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Published: November 26th 2007
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Very little sleep on the overnight bus (though we didn´t smell of beer), but that didn´t seem to matter too much the following day. We got to Potosi just before 6:00 in the morning and had a lot of hanging around as nowhere was open on that Sunday morning. When the cafes finally started to open, we had breakfast and then went to visit the Casa Real de la Moneday (or Royal Mint). The city of Potosi exists because of the rich silver deposits in the nearby mountain, Cerro Rico, which has been mined since 1545. The city was therefore a convenient place to produce the coins that were used right across the Spanish empire (these days, it is Spain that mints most of Bolivia´s coins). We were given a tour of the museum, which showed some of the original coins minted there and the tools used to mint them. We spent the afternoon generally relaxing around Potosi and doing a bit of organising.
The mountain is still mined today, and these days, lead, zinc and tin are also produced. It is still very important to the local economy. We arranged for a visit to a couple of the cooperative
Buying dynamite at the miners market
Don´t we look good in the yellow outfits? mines for this morning. Before going, we were given bright yellow jackets, trousers and helmets to wear (making us stand out wherever we went). The first stop was the miners´market where we were able to buy presents of coca leaves, alcohol (96%) and dynamite for the miners (fortunately, the miners don´t drink the alcohol before using the dynamite). There aren´t many places in the world you can get hold of these things so easily. Up on the mountain, we were given a demonstration of the dynamite and then went to the mines.
Given the value of the minerals mined here today, the miners apparently get a decent wage. However it is dangerous work. Our guide told us that two miners died of silicosis every week, and a further 30 per year due to accidents. The coca leaves keep them going all day, and to every miner we met, we gave a present of a couple of handfuls of coca leaves (and in one case, the dynamite). Although we didn´t see any, children as young as 13 sometimes work in the mines here. Women are not allowed into the mines, lest Pachamama (Mother Earth) gets jealous (although the three females
in our tour group could enter).
We entered the first mine and began walking through the narrow and often low tunnels, all the way seeing the rich mineral veins that the miners follow. Through a door, a small museum showed us some of the clothes the miners used to wear and the lamps they used. At this point, the guide turned off all our lamps to try and give us an idea of how the miners felt when their lamps failed. In pitch black, we crept along for a few metres, our guide constantly saying "two metres more, two metres more". When we turned our lamps back on, we found ourselves in the presence of "Tio", the god of the mountain. This life-size clay sculpture of a demon was made by miners a long time ago, and offerings are made to him in the form of coca leaves, cigarettes and some of the strong alcohol (of which we all had a sip), so that he might continue to let the miners dig the mountain, and find a lot of minerals. There is one of these idols in each mine in the mountain. While the guide was describing this ritual, we heard a loud boom - dynamite being used somewhere in the mountain.
Leaving Tio, we continued into the mine and began descending to a lower level. At one point, our guide told us we had to move fast because miners were probably working overhead and there was a risk of rockfalls. Concern for safety there. Descending to a lower level, we entered a different mine, worked by a different group of miners. At the bottom were a set of tracks, along which a trolley was being pulled by a couple of miners. The filled the trolley full of rubble from a chute and went back the way they came. We followed them to where they were loading the rubble into a bucket to be hauled to the surface. Walking past them, we began to climb back out to the surface. This was exhausting, given the combined action of the altitude and the dusty atmosphere. Here was the end of the tour, and we returned to Potosi.
Our next stop is Uyuni (our bus is this evening), and from there the jeep tour of the salt flats and beyond into Chile. We tried to organise the tour from here in Potosi, but it is impossible to guarantee and English speaking guide. We will have a lot more choice from Uyuni, but unfortunately, it means spending a day there. The only thing going for it is the tours - people only go there to leave again. Will let you know how it goes when we get to Chile. Meanwhile, does anyone have any suggestions for wacky photos on the salt flats?
Jamie
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Tom Whitney
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A photo of people in yellow boiler suits who aren't Jon? What's the world coming to? Can you bring me back some dynamite, please: the sink's blocked.