The Oddest Place for a Job Interview
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
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54
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Trip End
Feb 01, 2005
Potosì,
Bolivia
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Mine Tour
I wanted to visit the cooperative mines in Potosė and after Chris told me in Copacabana that it didn`t affect his asthma, I was definitely on my way. Chris recommended Koala Tours as being excellent, so I didn`t even bother to research anywhere else, and it turns out that Koala Tours had more than just an excellent tour of the mines to offer me!
I arrived on a Sunday afternoon and Potosė was very quiet. Walking through the plaza I saw a picture of a koala on a wall so I went over and found Koala Tours. I went in and was told about the tour by Stuart from Sydney who used to work here 5 years ago and was back for a holiday with his girlfriend Kat
01 Miners Pushing Wagon
. So I signed up for the next morning at 8am for my tour and got invited out to dinner with Kat and Stu that evening, along with other tourists they`d met during the day.Just before 8am I arrived at the office and waited on the couch for the tour to leave. There were 17 of us on the tour and we climbed on the bus ready to leave. We were given the option of an English or Spanish tour, so I opted for the English tour which was with Pedro Negro (his cousin Pedro also works at the agency and he is Pedro Blanco to avoid confusion!). First we kitted up in rubber boots, pants, a jacket and a helmet and then went in to get our lamps which were clipped to our helmet and the electric battery that was belted around our waists. We left the deposit looking like ghostbusters and I felt like a real worker!
Next stop was the Miner`s Market where Pedro explained what sorts of things the miners buy every morning before they go to work. He showed us the different kinds of dynamite, and we found out that the Bolivian dynamite is best (of course!). He also offered some of the 96% alcohol to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and then took a shot and asked if anyone else wanted some. I certainly wasn`t tempted to try what was virtually methylated spirits! After that we had an opportunity to buy presents for the miners
02 Miners Shovelling
. They appreciate soft drink, so I bought a big bottle of it, some coca leaves and some dynamite (for 16bs or just AUD$3 for the complete explosion, no ID necessary). We then had time to wander around the market, buy some snacks and have a looksee. I also bought a dustmask for 1bs.Second up was the refinery where we saw the plant where they crush, wash and separate the silver, lead and zinc from the rocks that the miners bring up. This plant was so ancient and the only safety concession was a hard hat for the workers. Big vats of chemicals lay open ready for someone to fall in and get separated too. 95% of minerals that come out of the mine are directly for export and after being bagged, they go to Chile to leave on a ship for some foreign country to make things from and then sell back to Bolivia. We also saw a black river and lake behind some houses near the refinery. All the waste just goes straight into the water system and heads to Argentina. The poorest people in Potosė live near the refineries and black lakes and they suffer from a lot of illnesses and diseases.
We then went to the mine and the guides kitted up and put all our gifts in backpacks made of fertilizer bags. We saw some miners at the entrance of the mine and then we started walking in the mine
03 Los dos Pedros
. It was reasonably narrow, but we could walk normally and we followed the wagon tracks and the pipes that take air down to the bottom of the mine. My helmet was perched on my head and I had no idea of the height, so I managed to bang my head quite a few times on the rocks overhead. After a bit of walking, playing follow the leader, we arrived at the mine where there was lots of information about the mines, miners the history and lots more info. There was also a statue of El Tio, the devil that the miners offer coca leaves and alcohol to. El Tio`s face also bore an uncanny resemblance to an Italian guy on our tour. I was trying to read the information about El Tio, but my eyes were being drawn like magnets to the massive erection that he had. We then took off down the passage to go deeper in the mine. We climbed down a bit and then stopped for a rest where Pedro told us some more info. I did a quick count and realised that I hadn`t seen 2 people leave our group and go out of the mine. We went down to the second level where we came across a miner. I was the last person to go into the hole to see the miner and his name was Walberto and he was 16 and had been working in the mines for 1 year. He was hammering in a steel pole where he was going to put a stick of dynamite. He was working in a team with 2 others who were working elsewhere on the level.
I found the mine a big challenge and wanted to be the fastest to scramble through tunnels and up the ladders. We descended down to the fourth level and while we were having a rest, Pedro asked us if anyone had some time to stay and work in Potosė as Koala Tours needed a secretary/receptionist. I thought he was asking everyone, but I think he was addressing the girls. I said that I had time and that I would think about it
04 Guides
. We then crawled up over rocks to where a miner was working on putting a hole in the rock. He had his shirt off as it was about 40 degrees Celcius down there and was displaying the most impressive set of ab muscles I have ever seen. I could have stayed watching for ages, but Pedro dragged us out of the mine!Just before we were about to exit, when my lamp was getting low, Pedro asked if I had thought about it, and I said "Yeah, why not". He then said to come to the office at 8pm and we would talk about it some more.
New Job
At 8pm I went to the Koala Tours office and was warmly greeted by everyone. I spoke with Eduardo, the owner, for about 5 minutes and was told I could start the next day at 8am and then we went out to celebrate for dinner and then to a club. I noticed that there was a nice cosy group of four couples, and Pedro was the other half of my "couple". This was a sign of things to come in the way Bolivians go out. Always in pairs. Everything happens in pairs.
The next morning Eduardo was going to La Paz to pick up his son who was arriving from Germany, this was the urgency with which I had to start. Pedro had told me that he would pick me up at 7:30am from my hostel. I waited until 7:50am and when he didn`t come I went to the office and found that it was all locked up and they were trying to find a key. Pedro had been working upstairs in the cafe and he told me to wait there until the office was opened. So I sat around upstairs, had breakfast and then went downstairs and found that the office was open. I met Doņa Donata, Eduardo`s mother, who was the boss, and we cleaned the office together. I was a bit nervous as I figured out that she is a woman not to be crossed!
After work, I went to Chivas bar with Pedro, Stu, Kat and Kell. It is apparently the best bar in town and is a little obscure to find. A nice end to my first day!!!
On my second day, Mark and Becky, who I met in Baņos, saw in Cuenca and then saw again in Lima came in to go on a tour. It was great to see them again and they were surprised to see me behind the desk! Efrain and Pedro Blanco (2 of the guides) came in with beanies, a shawl, panpipes and the ukelele that is made out of an armadillo and started stomping (dancing) around the office. It was very funny!
A Bolivian Fiesta
Pedro Negro had invited me and some other gringos to a party for the university on Friday 13th. During the week I had been getting vibes from Pedro that he wanted to be with me. I was adamant that I didn`t want anything happening with any of the guys from work as it would probably all turn out bad.
We were among the first to arrive at the party, and as we walked in, I saw the Bolivian girls sitting outside ogling the very tall Dutch and Irish guys that were in our group. There was some music happening and we were the only ones dancing. After a little bit the music changed to some monotonous music where the DJ yelled out "hands up" or "hands up if you`re single". The strangest thing was that as soon as this music came on, the dancefloor suddenly filled up with Bolivian couples who danced in pairs, in a big line standing about 80cm from each other. The room was soon packed with Bolivians dancing halfheartedly to this music, which they apparently enjoy and is actually crap from Argentina.
Pedro got drunker and drunker and then came up to me and told me that he really liked me and that he wanted to be with me. I told him that I didn`t want to be with anyone from work, and he kept saying how much he liked me, how much he wanted to be with me, etc etc. I held my ground, but was feeling myself being persuaded. We went onto the dancefloor where he said that he just wanted to kiss me, and I let myself be kissed. We then went outside to talk, as I wasn`t happy with myself for giving in. While I was outside being persuaded into being Pedro`s girlfriend someone let off tear gas inside and everyone came running out with tears streaming from their eyes. It seems lucky that I was outside with Pedro rather than inside. Pedro then walked me home.
Things I Learned
* Sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time or down a mine to get a job.
* Bolivian dancing leaves a lot to be desired (unless of course it`s of the traditional kind)
* Everything is a celebration in Bolivia.
