If we ever thought we had it tough - Potosi!

Trip Start Jun 01, 2008

Trip End Jul 27, 2008

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Where I stayed

Hotel Jerusalem

(Potosi hotels)

Flag of Bolivia Potosi, Bolivia
Sunday, July 20, 2008

G´day everyone!

Well from Uyuni we had a fairly amazing 6 hour bus trip on to the town of Potosi, famous for the Cerro Rico or rich mountain where they mine silver, copper, tin and other minerals. We say an amazing bus trip because the roads weren´t even up to the usual Bolivian standard (awful)! Plus the bus driver had a death wish.. Anyway, the result was more complaints from the British contingent in our group....seriously...why are these people travelling..!!

Got into Potosi in the evening and checked into the salubrious Hotel Jerusalem with it´s cold rooms and tepid showers. Mind you, after 4 days without a shower in the freezing Bolivian desert we were grateful for anything!

The town of Potosi is famous not only for its mines but also for the prevalence of strikes in the area. It seems that many travellers get stranded here by the strike action, with transport in and out stopped frequently. We could probably think of other places we´d rather be stranded!! Apparently the last group from GAP to get into the area had to be flown out in a helicopter - now that sounds like fun!

Anyway, we found a reasonable cafe which served passable coffee (for once) and spent an interesting night with the group eating falafels and omlettes (the vegetarian options on the menu)!!

Next morning it was into the mines. These mines are famous as being the principal employment in the area. The miners work for a co-operative and get paid 50 bolivianos (less than $10) per day for working their guts out.

Child miner - 12 years old!

Kids start in the mine as young as 12 and the life expectancy for these people is 10 to 20 years after they start working.........it´s really grim. First off we headed to the miners market where we bought ´´presents´´ for the miners in the form of coca leaves, cigarettes, alcohol (we´re talking 96% pure here - disgusting stuff) and, of course, dynamite. Yep, that´s right. Grab a couple of sticks of TNT, fuse cord and don´t forget the detonator!!! The kind lady kind gave us a step by step demo of how to connect the fuse, detonator and stick of jelly together - consequently we were all absolutely crapping ourselves in the little tour bus........! Little were we to know that our lives were in mortal danger later on!

Anyway, we were taken into the mines which more resembled rat tunnels than anything else. Absolutely basic, there are injuries every day and an average of 3 deaths per month.....not good. An interesting experience to see but pretty horrific conditions.

After exiting the mines we were ´treated´to a real live explosion with some of the dynamite we´d bought in the miners market. Our guide connected a couple of sticks up with fuses and detonators BUT THEN PROCEEDED TO LIGHT THE FUSE IN THE BUS...!!! Apparently it was too windy to light the fuse outside!! Anyway, our guide then proceeded to run to a pile of sand, dig a couple of holes for the ´bombs´´ and then run like all hell back to the bus - just in time to avoid the explosion and cascading rubble and dust!!! Only in Bolivia!!!

Anyway, on a lighter note we´re moving onto Sucre which is the official capital of Bolivia...even though La Paz would like to claim that title. It´s in the richer part of Bolivia AND the hotel we´re staying at is meant to be really nice........a hot shower would be great......!!!

See you all!

nic & Pam