Down them Mines and at Altitude!!
Trip Start
May 28, 2008
1
14
18
Trip End
Oct 31, 2008
Potosi, Bolivia
Monday, August 25, 2008
From Uyuni we got a 10 hour bus journey to Potosi for around 3quid, although it was a bus journey from hell. A tiny bus which was full and then full again. For about 8 hours I had an old Bolivian man sitting against my legs as I was the back middle seat and the roads were so rocky and steep, it meant for most of the journey we were just trying to hold ourselves still!
Anyway on to Potosi...... Potosi is famous for two things; It is the highest city in the world at an altitude of around 5000m and also its Silver mines (which were still active). We did have a nice hostel however and so spent the first couple of days chilling out and getting to the know the city and adjusting to the altitude. We booked the mine tour for the third day and what an experience this was.
Firstly you get picked up and you are all made to change in to mining gear (check the photos), you are then taken to the miners market where you are supposed to buy gifts for the miners. Our guide Pedro (another great guide with a great story) took us into his favourite shop, where me, Sat, Owen and Maddy (one of the girls from Southampton, the others were too scared/claustrophobic) each bought a stick of dynamite and a bottle of fizzy pop for the miners.
The mine was unreal, it went down 5 stories ( we only went 3 down). You literally have to scramble and crawl through tiny holes and at 5km up it was hard work. We met a lot of the miners and heard their stories. Some would get lucky with Silver and could make 300 US dollars a week. Others struggled to make 8 dollars a day and these guys worked 8 hours a day 6 days a week. The average life expectancy was 43 of the miners! Our guide Pedro had started work down the mine when he was 10 years old to help his father who had begun to grow week and fragile. Pedro studied English out of work until he became a guide for the tours! It was an incredible experience to see what these people had to go through in order for America, England and Western Europe have to go through in order to get jewelery etc. 12000 workers worked in this mine in poor conditions.
Anyway onto the more positive stuff, we managed to keep to sticks of our Dynamite and so when we got out of the mine, Pedro showed us how to make explosives, we then lit the 3 minute fuse and posed for a couple of pictures before Pedro´s helper ran off into a nearby field and planted the 2 explosives. The explosions were massive and I made a video for you all to enjoy which really shows the power! Unfortunately a 2 minute video and Bolivian PC´s means that I would probably be here all day until it uploaded. That said enjoy the pictures for now and the video will follow at some point!
Lots of Love, Stuart. x
Comments
explosive stuff!
Hmmm I'm glad you told us about your adventures AFTER you had experienced them! On a serious note it is sad to think that Bolivian people still have such a hard life when we have it so much easier in the Wests it really does put thinks into perspective and qqite an eye opener to you all after your previous part of the journey. I bet you are glad you can talk in Spanish to make converstion with the miners.
Good thing I wasn't taking the photos of you holiding the dynamite as I always take about 3 minuters to take the pose as you know!
I expecet you are moving on from Bolivia soon but I think it has made quite an impression on you which is what it is all about.
Glad your meals are only £2 - we are going to RAmseys this weekend so we can probably add a few noughts!
Love you and miss you - see you in 2 months!! Love mum xxxxx
Yet Another Mine!
Hi guys, another excellent entry Stuart. Owen must be an expert at visiting mines, I think that's coal, slate, tin, copper, gold and now silver. This looks the most primitive and explosive so far!
What an adventure South America is proving to be, normal holidays will seem dull after these experiences.
Sue xx