Blogs from Potosi, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 2

soviel hab ich bereits darüber gelesen und jetzt, endlich, erleben wir es hautnah!… wir verlassen tupiza in richtung sucre, mit nächtigung in potosí, um den möglichen gefahren des direkten nachtbusses zu entrinnen. wir besteigen also unseren sehr schönen bus (für bolivianische verhältnisse!) und umgehend baut ein, zuerst als gealterter hippie abgetaner, bolivianer sein kleines microphon aus und beginnt. nicht etwa zu singen, sondern sein “wundermittel” anzupreisen. volle eineinhalb stunden wird der gesamte bus von den wunderingredienzen ginseng, knoblauch, quinoa und banane zu überzeugen versucht. ein spannendes beispiel des viel verbreiteten südamerikanischen (aber)glaubens. das wundermittel heilt alles! potenzstörungen, diabetes, übergewicht, gelenkschmerzen und natürlich auch frühzeitigen samenerguss! das ist nicht erfunden, ich bin nur stolz, dass mein spanisch s... read more

Set high, amidst pock-marked mined mountains at 4,100m, Potosi has a faded, drained air. It's glory days are long gone, and while remnants of beauty remain, the flesh has clearly been picked from it's bones. Twenty-three kilometers, 30 minutes, and another world away, lies the rich fertile valley and hacienda of Cayara; the oldest country estate in the continent of South America. Titles were granted to Don Juan Pedrones – one of the original conquistadores – in 1575. Arturo, the present owner, still has them 'somewhere', along with the breast plate of Don Juan's armour. At Cayara, time has only increased the bounty of treasure, each family and generation adding to a melting pot of history and culture, until boundaries become so bent out of shape they cease to exist; countries, personal stories, and world history ... read more

Dès le lendemain de notre arrivée à Potosi, c'est équipés de la tête aux pieds que nous partons aux mines de Potosi. Premier arrêt au marché où le guide nous explique ce que les mineurs consomment : feuilles de coca pour couper la faim, gros cigares, dynamites et alcool à 96° ! Nous profitons de l'occaz pour goûter aux salteñas, petits chaussons fourrés de viande et de légumes, délicieux ! Arrivés à la mine, nous pénétrons dans un passage déjà étroit et qui ne fera que rétrécir. A la fin d'un conduit, nous faisons une pause à côté d'une sculpture du diable. Les mineurs lui font des offrandes afin d'éviter des éboulements dans les galeries. Nous rencontrons ensuite des hommes en plein travail avec qui nous nous asseyons longuement en buvant des coups. Nous en apprenons ... read more

(Post by Mike) Well, while I have perhaps gotten a bit too used to doing minimal work and so have not been updating this blog for a while, I have promised Jess I would work to catch us up today. Disclaimer: Any Brewer or Neufeld parents should probably not read this blog post. If you do, just know we were totally unharmed by Potosi and have learned our lesson for the rest of the trip. Potosi bills itself as the world's highest city, sitting at over four kilometers above sea level. It was fortunately just a short, paved bus ride from Uyuni and had a great hostel (heating in the rooms and hot showers! What brilliant features), so we made it our next destination. The morning of the 6th, we started the day with a short ... read more

Back for some more ! After finishing our tour in Uyuni we made our way to the beautiful city of Potosi - commonly referred to as the highest city on the planet at 4070m. During our stay in Potosi we learnt a lot about how much it played in the history of Bolivia but to the whole of south america and the kingdom of Spain itself. The abundance of Silver in the nearby mountain Cerro Rico indeed shaped the city's history between confronting nearby powers and Spain itself. Later it is as the place where currencies for generations would be forged in the famous La Moneda - the visit of the building rewarded us with invaluable insight, notably that Argentina would somehow get his name from the affluence of Argento coming from the famous city Potosi ... read more