No big bang in Potosi
Trip Start
Apr 05, 2008
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78
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Trip End
Mar 20, 2009
Potosi located at the base of the Cerro Rico mountain (Rich Mountain) looked like it's glory days from silver mining were but a distant memory. It's believed that the mountains veins were so rich with silver that a bridge made entirely of silver could have been built from here all the way to Madrid. Ramshackle and dusty with narrow lanes and cars and buses tooting their way round you definitely notice the pollution especially when it's already hard enough to breathe at an altitude of 4,000m. But even still somehow this small mining town, now for predominantly tin, zinc and lead, manages to exude charm and character that made us take an instant liking to it. The people here are friendly and take an immense amount of pride in keeping the streets free of rubbish and their squares well maintained with well established trees and flowers. Obviously a very safe place as children run free in the squares and there's a real community feel as they all seem to look out for one another. In the afternoons the ice-cream men make their money as families congregate in the square to enjoy the sunshine with an icy treat. Our main goal here in Potosi was to organise a tour to the Salt Flats and having accomplished that we spent our two days here enjoying the warm sunshine and wandering the city. Although it's warm during the day here at night the temperature plummets suddenly once the sun disappears behind the mountain, so it's no wonder we were weighted down in bed under 5 heavy wool blankets and a duvet and it was just right. The boys did get really excited when we visited the Miners Market where you can buy dynamite. Figuring that the altitude had affected the common sense part of their brains or maybe it was just that boys and things that go bang are always going to be a dangerous combination, they soon had purchased 5 sticks of dynamite and fuses. After a rudimentary explanation in Spanish on how to use the dynamite, translated by us girls so as not to cause a loss of any limbs (one or two more brain cells really wouldn't matter), they were eager to get the fuses lit. We reached the mines and looking for a guide who could lead our deranged husbands to a site where they could let off their dynamite proved challenging. One local girl offered her services, for a price of course, but before they could happily charge off we came across a guide who spoke English. She informed us that the police were monitoring the mines and this week no dynamite was to be set off due to instability in the mine. Letting off dynamite is usually a daily occurrence thanks to the tour operators who lead loco tourists to an area where they can go crazy. Instead the dynamite was given to a local miner as a gift and the boys had to be happy with the fact that at least they had been able to buy dynamite and holding it in their hands had gotten the adrenalin pumping.
