Having been pleasantly surprised by the lovely picturesque city Sucre, Ann-Katrin, Annie and I made our way to Potosi - a place that had come highly recommended from a few travellers we had met along the way, who had told us that the working silver mines in the mountain were somthing not to be missed but not really for the faint hearted. We were reluctant to take a bus there due to our previous encounter, so opted for a taxi cab that got us there quicker and cheap enough. The only other passenger we had to put up with on this one was a nice history teacher from the university in Sucre who was intrigued to hear about our experience and perception of his country.
On arriving in Potosi, the first impressions were of a bit of a ranshackled old town, not as plush and scenic as Sucre, a little browner and very hilly (having been placed on the side of a mountain to support the silver mining industry). However, As with many of the other cities we´d been to, the centre was quite nice and included some quite charming colonial churches and buildings that gave a hint to the original charm that the city would have shown it´s visitors. We had on this occasion not booked ahead for hostels, so ended up doing a little walking and asking around for a place to stay. This was done whilst carrying all of our backpacks and with a wild dog following me and becoming enraged for a piece (or all of) the doggy bag of meat that we had brought with us from lunch at Sucre. That was an interesting experience considering I have not had my rabies jabs!
We found somewhere nice though and booked a room and our tour of the silver mines for the next day. Then we went to find somwhere to eat in the torrential rain that had started and ssoon found a little restaurant, which seemed to be the only place in central Potosi that was open. I was however very pleased that I goot to try a llama steak for the first time. It was a similar texture to beef but more tender and definitely had a distint flavour - very tasty! Due too the rain, we then decided to use the hostels "cinema" (flat screen tv room) and watched the "Butterfly Effect" to wind down the evening.
Ann-Katrin and I were up and ready for the silver mine early the next day. Annie had decided she would not go for this one due to Potosi´s high altitude again affecting her (4100m above sea level) and the mixed reviews we´d heard about how harsh it was inside. After being kitted out in mining helmets, overalls and head lamps, we were taken by the minibus first to go and get some gifts for the miners that we were going to meet who were going about their daily jobs. We were asked to buy them a combination of coca leaves, which they chew on all day for the working at altitude, cigarettes for them to wind down, dynamite for them to blast through the rock, and orange juice.....for a drink! None of us went for the dynamite (i can hear your moans of dissapointment!) - personally because the Lonely Planet gave a nudge against it, and also because I pictured a big rock flying across the mine and implanting itself into the middle of my face. But we took the rest. Having waited out side the tiny black hole into the mine for 15 minutes, we went in in a group of 5. Straight away the harsh atmosphere was felt as you walk into this little hole supported by old wooden beams and walk in a hunched position through the mine. As we walked further in to the mine it got hotter and harder to breathe even from the reasonably little exercise we were doing. But as our guide walked us round the dark passageways and chasms we got chances to stop, wipe the sweat away from our brows and to get our breathe back. Things were a little more uncomfortable once we had to start climbing rocks and abseiling down using pieces of rope nailed to the rock. This was made more interesting as there were a lot of loose rocks which we were trying to get hand or foot holds with. "So this is why they made us sign our names on that piece of paper!", I told myself as I crawled along a passage with a gaping hole down to my right. It was at about this point where a couple in the group where feeling effects of being 1km into the mountain so we stopped, tasted the miners´95% proof alcohol that keeps them going, and discussed some of the culture and history surroundings the mine and its workers. Soon after we got to a place where a couple of miners nicknamed "the fleas" ( I should have asked but I didn´t) were piling bags of silver ore (in rock) into a wheelbarrow and taking it along the passage. They answered a couple of our questions in a "leave me alone I´m at work" vibe, but were obviously very deep and committed into their mining. There was a glisten of excitement in their eyes though as we handed over orange juice, cigarettes and coca leaves, which would probably get them though a day in there. After a couple of hours in there, we left having had an amazing experience of seeing a really raw working mine, and a lot more appreciative of our places of work / study!! We went back to the hostel to clean up and wash the zinc-ey, sludgey mess off of our faces and hands, regathered with Annie , who had rested well and was back on track, and got ready to take our night bus to the capital La Paz. Our last stop in Bolivia.
