Blogs from Potosi, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 30

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South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi October 20th 2006

ITALIANO! Da Uyuni decidiamo di continuare il viaggio con Annie and Tom. A Potosí arriviamo dopo 6 ore di viaggio infernale in bus superaffollato. Tutto cio’ perche’ due agenzie di viaggi non avevano abbastanza passeggeri per un autobus quinde decisero di farne uno solo. Risultato: piu’ persone avevano lo stesso numero di posto a sedere; se poi aggiungiamo pure gente salita senza biglietto otteniamo un gran casino. Fortunatamente noi sismo riusciti a sederci fingendo di non capire quel che ci dicevano. L’unico problema era che le 6 ore di viaggio erano in strada sterrata e il finestrino di Chiara era rotto e rimaneva aperto. Con l’aiuto Della Lonely Planet che ormai funge da tavolo e cuscino, si e’ in parte risolto il problema anche se meta’ Chiara e’ arrivata a destinazione di un altro colore. Potosí ... read more
Mount Cerro Rico
New Hats
Bolivians going to work in the shadow of Cerro Rico

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi October 20th 2006

Premièrement, désolé pour le titre particulièrement sensationnaliste. J'avais le choix entre ça et « Tiene cambio? Non j'ai pas de change maudit! Débrouille toi! », ou encore « Plus que 20 heures en Bolivie! ». J'ai donc opté pour ce qui était le plus vendeur. Finalement, j'aurais peut-être dû prendre celui du change... Nous avons passé la fin de semaine dernière à La Paz à pas trop faire grand chose étant donné que Marie-Claude partait lundi matin. Elle devait dépenser les bolivianos qui lui restaient et donc ça a été principalement du magasinage. Samedi midi, nous avons tenté notre chance au restaurant de l’hôtel Plaza (5 étoiles...boliviennes) qui offre un buffet "All you can eat" pour environ 6 $. Le restaurant est au penthouse et la vue sur La Paz est donc très impressionnante. J'ai enfilé ... read more
La Paz chaotique!
Brosso!
Le Carnavalero

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi August 28th 2006

We are currently in Potosi struggling for breath and suffering from severe altitude sickness. This isnt strictly true, we both had a slight headache for a few minutes in the night and Lucy got out of breath going uphill today. As I have never known Lucy not be out of breath going uphill I dont know how this has been interpreted as altitude sickness. However after consulting our guidebook we were pleased to discover the best thing to recover from our ´illness´ is to take it easy so we are using it as excuse to do very little. Walking in the street today we were overtaken by a massively overweight 4ft 6in old lady. I would have tried to overtake her back but her walking stick kept getting in the way and I didnt want to ... read more
Miner Anderson
Silly hat competition - Chutillos fiesta

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi August 10th 2006

Our visit to the Tarabuco Sunday market was like a step back in time. We hired a private taxi to drive us the 30 miles or so. He was such an animated fellow, driving like the usual Bolivian: using the left lane on the windy road, passing on curves, pointing out various sites that we couldn´t understand, and going faster than I would prefer. Aside from that he would have a great laugh and then go all quiet which led me to believe he may have had a bit to drink and was tired, but Dennis didn´t think so. Once I asked him to drive more slowly and that we weren´t in a hurry he was just fine. Once we got to the main square where all the vendors were selling their wares we saw what ... read more
Market shopper
Checking the coca leaves
Cerro Rico

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi August 7th 2006

I arrived late in Potosi, and climbed into a classic Bolivian taxi—a Starky & Hutch inspired muscle car painted bass-boat style in iridescent red and grey. The driver had officially the world´s largest cheek-full of coca leaves and he bombed me up to the hotel san antonio where I climbed into a warm bed. 15 minutes later I forced myself out of bed to experience some culture. Myself and three others went to the Bar Sebastian for some dancing and beers. The Bolivian´s are celebrating their independence day, and I´ve never seen so many drunk people. People falling on the dance floor, on the streets, down stairs and in front of cars. The drink of choice here can be bought at most market stalls, and the bars, and is 96 percent pure alcohol. No wonder people ... read more
entrance into the mine and the mountain behind
in the mines
unloading

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi August 7th 2006

After La Paz, we have now travelled down to Potosi, a mining town in the South of the country. Supposedly the Spanish took so much Silver out of the mountain here that they could build a bridge to Spain with it. What they also tell you is that you could build a bridge to Spain and back again with the bones of all the people who have died here as well. As the working life expectancy is only 10 years, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and do a tour of the mine. As Nadine wasn´t overjoyed at the prospect of crawling on her hands and knees through the middle of the mountain she stayed in the hotel to buff her toenails. Before I entered the mine, we were treated to a ... read more
BFC
96% spirit
Mine Entrance

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi August 5th 2006

Kjub temu, da sta minila samo dva dneva, moram napisat mail, ker sem dozivel eno najboljsih izkusenj v zivljenju. V glavnem po osem urni voznji v busu, kjer je pihalo in zmrzovalo iz vseh koncev ter se je po tleh plazila zival nedefinirane vrste (nekaj med podgano, jezem in mravljincarjem), sva ob stirih zjutraj prisla v Potosi. Mesto, ki je nekoc bilo najvecje in tudi med najbogatejsimi na svetu lezi na 4000m, nad njim pa se vzpenja Cerro Rico, najverjetneje najvecja zakladnica rud na svetu. Iz njega ze 400 let neutrudno kopljejo srebro (Spanci so se par sto let prav uspesno bogatili z njim) in ostale kovine. Baje je v nemogocih razmerah v rudnikih do sedaj umrlo prek osem milijonov Indijancev in crnih suznjev, ki so ziveli tudi po 4 mesece pod zemljo. Sedaj pa v ... read more

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi July 29th 2006

we had an early start today to travel to potosi. we had all put in a few more dollars so we could go by taxi instead of bus. on the way the taxi drivers all stopped for us to take photos of something, not sure even what is was as all we could see was power lines so didn´t bother to get out the taxi!!!! the scenery was really nice along the way, but instead of appreciating it like we should have done we went to sleep!!!! was early when we got to potosi, which is known for the silver mines. those who wanted to arranged to go on the tour down the mines, this was all of us except Kim and Nic who instead went on a walk round the city. we were picked up ... read more
theo smoking our cigarette
me and heath dressed as miners
our presents for the miners

South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi July 21st 2006

Its me again! I know its Grahams turn but I really liked it in Potosi so I stole this blog off him! My story begins at the border between Bolivia and Argentina ..... God, what a nightmare! Our book said that it was open 24hrs so we planned to get there with plenty of time to catch the 8am bus to Potosi. Of course, we got there and it was closed. After an overnight bus the last thing that we wanted to do was wait an hour outside in sub zero temps. I thought I was going to die!! It was bloody fffreeeezing!! Brrrr .... Now, work this one out .... Bolivia open their side at a different time!! Another hr wait, this time in no mans land. Seriously, I was going to die!! We eventually ... read more
Bolivian Lady 1
A miner ...
Shocking!




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