The air is getting thin!

Trip Start Aug 16, 2007
1
47
52
Trip End Jul 16, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Bolivia  ,
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

    Postosi is the highest town in the world and is famous for it´s mine that is embedded in the mountainside. We stayed here for one night, then went to Uyuni to do the salt flats tour, then came back here for 3 more nights to do a mine tour. We did this so that we wouldnt be on the salt flats when the final day of the premiership´was being played and we could watch the game. I´ll just cover what we did in Potosi now though to save confusion.

The main reason for being here was to go and do a tour in the mines. It was probably one of the most shocking experiences of the trip so far. Aside from the altitude which makes it impossible to exert any amount of energy without getting out of breath and the cold from being so high up, the mines are dusty, cramped and old. After 2 hours in there we couldn´t wait to get out but the workers have to spend 8 hours a day in there, sometimes more 1
1
 . We helped some of them fill a basket of rock and I could hardly breath, it was horrible. Apparently working in there shortens life expentency by 10 years and they still use methods used 500 years ago when it opened and only get about 150 pounds a month in wages. It was a pretty shocking experience. As a gift you are told to get the miners drinks, dynamite and coca leaves, the latter of which they chew in the sides of their mouths all day for energy and to help with altitude but they don´t eat anything else all day.

Other than that Potosi was a nice place and the rest of the time spent wandering around and relaxing after the 4 days salt flat excursion was well recieved. I might add though that Bolivia is cold, poor and dirty, with terrible transport. All part of the fun I suppose though!
Slideshow Print this entry Potosi hotels