So. . . this is Potosi, yet another beautiful colonial city. . . after leaving Rurenabache, I decided to go back up into the cold mountains one last time. I had heard allot of great things about Potosi and wasn't disappointed.
Overlooking the city is Cerro Rico, a mountain from which tremendous amounts of silver have been extracted for the last four centuries, so much in fact, that the Spanish monarchy, for a time, came to rely entirely on the yearly treasure fleets which brought the Potosi silver. Rare occasions when the ships sank or were intercepted by pirates were national disasters for Spain.
Upon learning of the enormous amount of wealth stored below the mountain, the Spanish immediately set thousands of indigenous slaves to work extracting the silver. So many died that literally millions of African slaves were imported to bolster the labor force. Slaves were required to remain underground for four months at a time, eating, sleeping, and working in the mines. It is estimated that during the years of Spanish rule(1545-1825), eight million African slaves and indigenous Bolivians died working the mines at Potosi. Ironically, during the same time, Potosi's population reached 200,000 and more than 80 elaborate Catholic churches were constructed with profits from the mines. Silver extraction still continues today, though on a much smaller scale. The work is still extremely difficult and dangerous.
I had the
opportunity to visit the mines on a tour set up through the
hostel I stayed at. It was anything but comfortable.The mines were extremely hot ( around 115 degrees), the air was toxic, and the tour involved quite a bit of climbing and crawling through tight spots on my hand and knees. I was down there for about and hour and a half breathing god knows what and sweating bullets. . . by the time it was over, I was glad to get out. Regardless, I'm glad I had the
opportunity to experience the mines. Meeting the miners and seeing them work was quite an impressive and memorable experience. The miners work twelve hour shifts, six days a week and make about $700 U.S. a month, more than three times what your average Bolivian makes. Children as young as eight years old work alongside adults in extremely
hazardous conditions,
although not for as many hours a week as adults. There is no law requiring kids to go to school in Bolivia and as silver output isn't what it once was, a chance to work in the mines is viewed a great
opportunity to make a good living in a very poor country. Despite the
horrendous poverty that exists in Bolivia, this attitude is difficult for me to understand, as most miners die of pneumonia within 10 to 15 years of entering the mines.
This is a shrine to the Quechua god
Tata Kaj'chu, a devil type figure, to whom the miners bring gifts of alcohol and coca leaves in the hope that he will offer them protection from the underground world over which he presides:
The following day a few friends and I visited what was described by locals as some "hot springs" outside of
Potosi. They turned out to be a perfectly round thermally heated lake in a volcanic crater. . . Below the lake are several ancient Inca pools which, through irrigation channels, use the warm lake water. Today locals use them for swimming and washing clothes.
Ancient Inca bath:
Villa Tunari. . . I spent a few nights in this little town out in the middle of no where in the jungle. . . nearby was Parque Machia, an animal rescue sanctuary.
Parque Machia. . . This place was awesome. . . a big wildlife sanctuary out in the jungle. The owners rescue abused, neglected, and abandoned animals from zoos and private owners. The result is a park where the animals are totally used to people and therefore extremely friendly. There are no cages. . . they are all free to roam about. It was kind of like going to a zoo, except your part of the exhibit. The monkeys here are so friendly, they just jump all over you. . . one even began to go through my pockets, and tried to take my camera, something I had been warned about, but didn't entirely believe. I have a video of one riding on my shoulder. I met an old Puma and actually pet him. . . it was very cool!
This family owned the hostel I stayed at in Villa Tunari. . . they were celebrating the first Friday of the month, a Bolivian tradition. . . 
Buena Vista. . . Yet another incredibly sweet town on the way to Santa Cruz. . . not much to do here, but a very relaxed little place.
