Mining in Potosi

Working in the Cerro Rico Silver Mines
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Stayed at the Kaola Den, a fine hostel that also arranged our main activity for the day, a tour of the Cerro Rico Mine, the main purpose of my trip to Potosi.  After a good night of rest, we met some of the other residents of the hostel, a rather eclectic group o Fins, Americans, Germans etc.

Our first stop on the tour was the miners' market, where you purchase coca leaves, dynamite and refreshments for the workers.  There is quite a selection of dymanite to choose from, something that apparently is used in the relatively frequent protests by the miners...!

mmm...asbestos....and SILVER!

The Group
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Next, we checked out how the ore is processed to extract the silver, among other minerals.  Quite a loud and dangerous environment with a variety of chemicals (including cyanide) and large moving parts.

Dressed in our protective (and not exactly breathable) protective clothing, a hardhat with a lamp and a scarf around my mouth, we headed into the mines with our guide Eduardo, a former miner.  I opted for the Spanish tour as it was a smaller group than the English contingent.  We crawled around the labyrinth of tunnels underground where 3000 miners are at work every day.  The air was filled with all kinds of dust and I was told that in some areas there is quite a bit of asbestos...yikes.  Along the way, we chatted to the various workers, most of whom work in teams, but occasionally, there are solitary workers who hammer small channels in to the rock in which then place dynamite.  From what I understand, there is no rhyme or reason to where miners dig, short of changing direction if they hear another miner headed in the same direction.

Entering the mine
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On average, the miners make about 800 Bolivianos a month.  Better than most Bolivians, but not sure if it's worth it given the working conditions and life extantancy...Fortunately, 15% of the price of the tour is forwarded to the miners in the form of food and other necessary supplies....(puro perhaps?....a rather nasty alcohol of 96% purity that is basically rubbing alcohol...the drink of choice among locals).

All in all, a bit of a dodgy experience, but worth it to appreciate what the guys go through and to convince me that mining is definitely not the occupation for me.