Life in the silver mines

Cerro Rico

The "rich mountain" and its tremendous silver supply once made Potosí the richest city in South America. Although it can no longer claim the same wealth, Potosí remains one of the highest cities in the world. While the altitude makes it difficult to get oxygen at times, it´s the dilapidated buses and horrid exhaust fumes from the abundance of non eco-friendly traffic that really made walking the streets terrible for the duration of our stay.  

Bearing Gifts

Before commencing our tour of the famous mines, we stopped at a local shop to pick up a few of the bare essentials. The three items that the miners would appreciate the most included coca leaves, moonshine and of course dynamite. Coca leaves were not only obligatory for those entering the mines, but are also a form of currency in these parts. A lady that was toiling outside the mine was ecstatic to receive her own bag.    

Mineros en la zona verde

After a lot of hunched over walking and some crawling we made it into the green zone. This little refuge is where the miners convene to chew coca leaves, drink moonshine and insult each other during their breaks and downtime. We made sure to add a fresh handful of leaves to our growing wads. Coca helps to battle fatigue and hunger and  prevents altitude sickness.    

El Tío

After ascending a chain of three rickety ladders we were surprised at what we found in the next refuge. "El Tío" rules the underworld and we had entered his lair. The miners are a superstitious group so asking to be blessed with good luck and making offerings to the demon of the mines is a way of life. Part of the group paid homage to "El Tío" by swilling 96% grain alcohol. Our guide, Pedro, who is an ex-miner took numerous hauls off the plastic bottle, eventually going slightly cross-eyed.  

Copper Sulphate

Our uncomfortable journey continued down another narrow shaft. We trudged through mud and murky waters, carefully picked our way around unmarked pits and did our best to avoid contact with the toxic substances that surrounded us. Colorful copper and silver sulphate formations that hung in our path had to be dodged along the way. At one moment, I was forced to wiggle through a small opening on my belly just to continue on.

Mine Shaft

After an eye-opening experience and the equivalent of a ninety minute walk under a kitchen table we were relieved to finally see the light of day again. The last few steps of our exit point was by far the most comfortable for walking. The working conditions on the inside are nothing short of horrendous.

Los Mineros