Down the mines
Trip Start
Feb 10, 2006
1
29
76
Trip End
Feb 01, 2007
Potosi,
Bolivia
Friday, July 7, 2006
Silver was discovered in 1544 and quickly a city sprang up which became the richest in the Americas - rivalled only by Paris,London and Seville. The official shield of the city declares ĻI am rich Potosi,the treasure of the world; the king of mountains, the envy of KingsĻ. Quite a claim eh? Thousands if not millions of slaves were sent down the mines to work in horrific conditions and many died, especially the Africans who had no experience of working at this altitude (Potosi is the highest city in the world at 3977m) and the bitter cold weather that comes with living on the roof of the world
A. Cerro Rico and Potosi
.I joined up with a reputable tour company who have ex-miners working as guides and who spoke perfect English. He kitted us up in suitable clothing, hard hats and torches and off we went...to the market for about an hour where he threw dynamite around with gay abandon, asked us to but gifts of the aforesaid dynamite for the miners we would meet as well as copious amounts of cola and lemonade to counteract the affects of the copious amounts of (96% proof) alcohol that the miners had consumed the night before - Friday afternoon being party time in the mines (check out the photo of the very happy devil - El Tio - that has to be`placated with gifts each Friday). We then bought bags of coca leaves (yes the same coca leaves that are made into cocaine) for the miners we would meet above ground, working at the processing plants. The miners pack their cheeks with a wad of coca leaves and chew it for a few hours at a time to help stave off hunger pangs (itīs too hot and difficult to breath in the mines to make eating possible). It also helps you cope with working at altitude.
The processing plants were huge,dusty,dirty,noisy places full of winding,grinding machinery that you wouldnīt be allowed within a mile of in Britain without fifty certificates. Thereīs not much silver being mined now,itīs all too deep although they are trying to find it still
B. Coca time
. Most of the mines bring up zinc,tin,lead and some other minerals that Iīve never heard of. There are thousands of miners working in the mountain now,some for companies and many independently (although they group together to share the work in many places). We met some of the ĻfreeĻ miners who set their own hours and shared the profits but could go without money for weeks when a new line was being explored. Most miners get first degree silicosis within five years,second degree within ten years and itīs untreatable by fifteen years. The conditions are horrific and we only saw down to the forth level - the mines go down to eight levels where there is no ventilation and great risk of cave-ins. With relatively good pay (often better than teachers) and no other job opportunities, there is little choice for local men here. Felt a bit of a voyeur but the miners get some of the money from our entrance fee, we take them presents and they are often proud of their strength and stamina so that makes me feel a little less guilty. Feel thoroughly ashamed of complaining about teaching conditions in Glasgow now. 
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We (my Bolivian wife and I) also visited historic Potosi on a day trip from sucre, leaving and returning by bus in one day. We saw the famous silver mint (Casa de la Moneda), a colonial period museum/convent, and took an excorted walking tour of the city with its many colonial style buildings. And had alunch in a nice restaurant. Alas, no time for a mine visit, but then that's for the truly adventerous.
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