We ran away from unwelcoming town of Uyuni same day we came back there. Heading to the highest town in the world, Potosi.
28/05, Wednesday. Potosi, town with the richest history
Potosi is the highest town in Bolivia, and I could feel it. I could not believe I was able to run up the hill on Isla del Sol, but could not get to the second floor without a little break in Potosi.
Nevertheless the place is absolutely beautiful with narrow colonial streets and numerous churches, miradors, fantastic museum in the former Mint palace ($ sign is originally from here! I am in the middle of world economic history!!!) And lovely people. They are talkative, ask 'how are you' when they greet and they smile! I feel like I am in the other country.
Ok, I started liking Bolivia somewehre in the middle of the salt flats, but now I can feel how difficult it will be to leave this place.
![]()
29/05, thursday. Mines, or the place where one truly needs hard hat.
Rich history of Potosi starts when one lucky quechua instead of finding his lamas lost in the mountains found silver. According to our guide in the museum yesterday, Cerro Rico was 80% silver. That is when Spaniards come to exploit local mineral and people resources to stamp silver coins for their market, that is when Potosi become richest and biggest city in the world. Dozen thousands of quechas and african slaves (who obviously did nt survive at such altitude) worked here in the mines for months without seeing daylight. The story starts in 16th century.
Devil and its victim
![]()
![]()
now there is almost no siver in the rock, but mines are still functioning producing tin and lead. The miners work in cooperatives and they got what they got. Mines are still main employement organization of the town. Now they are also main tourist attraction and a reason why many tourists come to Potosi.
Climbing out of the mine
![]()
we have been to one of the oldest mines (that was also shown in the documentary Devil's mine - check out the Tio), which is still functioning, we have seen how miners work, talked with them, brought them presents (part of the tour is visiting miners market to buy these presents). Miners tolerate tourists as they also repreent part of the income.
Behind is an entrance to the mine
![]()
I was hapy I had hard hat: sometime tunnels were so low and narrow that I hit my head a lot. This is first time when hard hat proved to be useful, after 5 years wearing one in safeenviroment of SLB.
Later in the week I watced Devil'ls miner about kids working in the mines. Unfortunately, after 10 years when movie was filmed, the boys still work in the mines. Sad reality of Bolivia. Wiki has some follow up information . Sad, isn't it?
30/05, Friday. Second capital of Bolivia
after the tour we moved to Sucre as road to La Paz is blocked by political protestants, Sophie was not able to catch a bus from Potosi , so we bought her plane ticket from Sucre.
Bolivia is amazing country, where one can never be bored: electricity shortcuts ( we have experienced 3 in 10 days: Titicaca, Uyuni and Potosi), dial up internet, grumpy Altiplano people, friendly miners, roads closure, etc.
Sucre is also student city with many Universities and Spanish schools, so I have decided to have a break here and study some more Spanish for another couple of weeks. So I spend a day looking for a school, but found loads of old acquaintance from Buenos Aires to Santiago.
Clubbing in Bolivia is nothing like in Chile or Argentina: girls are wearing high hills and short skirts (hello, UK) and loooooove gringo guys.it is all upside down here: men got more attention and if a girl has a choice between gringo and local, gringo has an advantage. Usic though is terrific and requires tremendous amount of alcohol to be appreciated.
31/05, Saturday. Homestay, sweet homestay.
Along with the classes, I found homestay with the old Bolivian couple. So I moved to my own room, with my own shower room and wardrobe.
I have never expected to see houses like this in Bolivia: three floors, five (if not more) bathrooms, roof terrace and gardenin a town center 1 minute from my school.
They were married for 45 years, 3 children, there is a young quechua girl from countryside who is helping around.
A husband is gynecologist and has his pactice in house.
01/06, Sunday. Day off
Was trying to catch up with my blog all day, had famiy lunch at my host's daughter's house with all the family.
28/05, Wednesday. Potosi, town with the richest history
Potosi is the highest town in Bolivia, and I could feel it. I could not believe I was able to run up the hill on Isla del Sol, but could not get to the second floor without a little break in Potosi.
Nevertheless the place is absolutely beautiful with narrow colonial streets and numerous churches, miradors, fantastic museum in the former Mint palace ($ sign is originally from here! I am in the middle of world economic history!!!) And lovely people. They are talkative, ask 'how are you' when they greet and they smile! I feel like I am in the other country.
Ok, I started liking Bolivia somewehre in the middle of the salt flats, but now I can feel how difficult it will be to leave this place.
29/05, thursday. Mines, or the place where one truly needs hard hat.
Rich history of Potosi starts when one lucky quechua instead of finding his lamas lost in the mountains found silver. According to our guide in the museum yesterday, Cerro Rico was 80% silver. That is when Spaniards come to exploit local mineral and people resources to stamp silver coins for their market, that is when Potosi become richest and biggest city in the world. Dozen thousands of quechas and african slaves (who obviously did nt survive at such altitude) worked here in the mines for months without seeing daylight. The story starts in 16th century.
Devil and its victim
now there is almost no siver in the rock, but mines are still functioning producing tin and lead. The miners work in cooperatives and they got what they got. Mines are still main employement organization of the town. Now they are also main tourist attraction and a reason why many tourists come to Potosi.
Climbing out of the mine
we have been to one of the oldest mines (that was also shown in the documentary Devil's mine - check out the Tio), which is still functioning, we have seen how miners work, talked with them, brought them presents (part of the tour is visiting miners market to buy these presents). Miners tolerate tourists as they also repreent part of the income.
Behind is an entrance to the mine
I was hapy I had hard hat: sometime tunnels were so low and narrow that I hit my head a lot. This is first time when hard hat proved to be useful, after 5 years wearing one in safeenviroment of SLB.
Later in the week I watced Devil'ls miner about kids working in the mines. Unfortunately, after 10 years when movie was filmed, the boys still work in the mines. Sad reality of Bolivia. Wiki has some follow up information . Sad, isn't it?
30/05, Friday. Second capital of Bolivia
after the tour we moved to Sucre as road to La Paz is blocked by political protestants, Sophie was not able to catch a bus from Potosi , so we bought her plane ticket from Sucre.
Bolivia is amazing country, where one can never be bored: electricity shortcuts ( we have experienced 3 in 10 days: Titicaca, Uyuni and Potosi), dial up internet, grumpy Altiplano people, friendly miners, roads closure, etc.
Sucre is also student city with many Universities and Spanish schools, so I have decided to have a break here and study some more Spanish for another couple of weeks. So I spend a day looking for a school, but found loads of old acquaintance from Buenos Aires to Santiago.
Clubbing in Bolivia is nothing like in Chile or Argentina: girls are wearing high hills and short skirts (hello, UK) and loooooove gringo guys.it is all upside down here: men got more attention and if a girl has a choice between gringo and local, gringo has an advantage. Usic though is terrific and requires tremendous amount of alcohol to be appreciated.
31/05, Saturday. Homestay, sweet homestay.
Along with the classes, I found homestay with the old Bolivian couple. So I moved to my own room, with my own shower room and wardrobe.
I have never expected to see houses like this in Bolivia: three floors, five (if not more) bathrooms, roof terrace and gardenin a town center 1 minute from my school.
They were married for 45 years, 3 children, there is a young quechua girl from countryside who is helping around.
A husband is gynecologist and has his pactice in house.
01/06, Sunday. Day off
Was trying to catch up with my blog all day, had famiy lunch at my host's daughter's house with all the family.
No comments:
Post a Comment