Pottering around Potosi

Miner Cathal
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We arrived in Potosi at 7.30am. We bravely decided to do the half hour walk uphill to our hostel. It´s 4,070metres above sea level in Potosi, so we were pretty puffed when we found the hostel.

We were unable to check in just then, so headed out and found some breakfast with hot chocolate (coffee has been pretty bad so far in South America). We also (bravely) booked ourselves onto a mines tour.

"Are we insured for this", I wondered?

Juan, our guide 3108
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Let me explain: Potosi is famous for the silver, tin and zinc mines. Once the richest city in the world, the city´s fortunes have waned considerably since then. It is however a UNESCO world heritage site on account of the historic buildings. Over 40 churches alone, most of which have beautiful stone carvings.

So anyway, we first decided to go down the mines. Initially we weren´t too sure about a tour to see the poor miners, but we reckoned that it was better to be aware of what goes on, than pretend it doesn´t happen. We went with Koala tours, the tour agency of our hostel, Koala Den. 15% of the $10 cost of the tour goes to the miners´cooperative. The guide, Juan,  was an ex miner and he kitted us out in helmet with lights, wellies and rubbery suits. I looked particularly good in mine, since it was all much too big for me.

Mine shaft
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We went first to the miners market where you have the opportunity to buy dynamite, alcohol, coca leaves and all manner of things the miners like. We bought some fizzy drinks and dynamite.

Next we went to one of the processing plants. There are over 36 of these, the majority of them owned by Canadian companies. This is where the rock gets the first milling and chemical treatments to extract the metal ores. A variety of dangerous chemicals are used including hydrochrolic acid and cynaide. Consequently the life expectancy of the workers here is less than 40 years old.

The miner couple
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Onwards then to the mine. Inside the Cerro Rico mountain, there are 15,000 men and children hard at work at any one time. So in we went along narrow low tunnels, sometimes having to crawl and slide along. It quickly got very hot in there. This was due to the arsenic and asbestos, Juan informed us. "Are we insured for this", I wondered?

We passed lots of greenish copper sulphate deposits and generally crawled along looking at the miners transporting the rocks from one level to the next. Most of this is done manually. There´s no central organisation in the mine. The miners form themselves into co-operative groups or work for others. The license to mine is rented off the Bolivian Government. Consequently  there are no engineers or planners controlling who digs where. Juan explained this often means that tunnels are blasted anywhere at all and frequently collapse, killing many people. Often fights break out when two groups come across the same seam from different directions.

Courtyard, Instituto Ideas
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At one stage we came across two miners with two full trolleys which had derailed. It took a lot of effort to get it back on with 5 of us, so you´d wonder how they manage to get it back on track themselves.

The conditions are hellish. There´s poisonous dust everwhere, it´s very hot. The miners work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and typically die at age 35 from lung cancers. Children as young as 10 sometimes work in mines, as gophers it´s illegal in Bolivia but nobody is controlling it. Their life expectacy is just 28.

Unchanged pharmacy, Potosi
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Most of the miners chew coca leaves to help them work and most of them were without any protective gear at all, except helmets and lights.

After just two hours of crawling around and inhaling dust, we were glad to get out. We were filthy, sweaty and coughing. We´re glad we saw it, and the miners seemed happy to see us and thanked us for coming. I cannot imagine how they do it.

In Bolivia it´s a well paid job, they earn 3,000 Bolivianos a month (in the last 2 years since prices increased, before that it was just 600). That´s $380. The average salary in Bolivia is 360Bs.  They can also join a cooperative after 4 years work on payment of 4,000Bs membership fee which provides medical insurance.  In the absence of many other employment opportunities the miners we asked reckoned it was worth it. I guess there´s little choice and I wonder what will happen to them when the mountain collapses in the next few years as is predicted.

Statue of Liberty, what the French gave
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Worn out by all that crawling we went to bed early.

The next day we did very little, mainly watching cable TV. However the following day we got hold of a walking tour map and I guided us (with a few wrong turns, Cathal is the usual map reader) around the historical sights. Most of the buildings date from the 1700s and Potosi was once the third largest supplier of silver in the world.

The next day we got up early to see the Mint museum. This was really interesting, full of paintings and exhibits of coins and the old machinery for minting them. We rushed back then and shared a taxi from the hostel to the bus station. Luckily the two kiwis we were with spoke Spanish and ascertained that the buses were full of students going to Uyuni so there was little space. Uh Oh. Anyway we booked one and prepared to wait...