Potosi

After a relaxing few days in sunny Sucre, eating ice-cream and enjoying the carnival celebrations for Bolivia's birthday we headed to Potosi.

Potosi is one of the highest cities in the world, but by now we are used to altitude!
The main attraction of potosi for us (well Terry) was the mines. Unfortunately because we arrived on independence day we had to wait 2 days for our tour as the miners took holiday over these celebrations.

So we spent a couple of days catching up on the olympics and sight seeing the city of potosi.

potosi by night after dinner and a few glasses of vino..

The Mine Tour
Our mine tour began at 8.30 when we were collected from our hostel (koala den). First on the agenda was to collect our rather sexy protective clothing, boots and lights....

Terry getting into the part....

Then we headed to the miners market where we were instructed to buy gifts for the miners... coco leaves, water and Dynamite!!

Coco leaves are suppose to alleviate altitutde sickness and give the miners a boost of energy without the need for food. Everywhere you look men were carying green bags of these coco leaves and looked like hamsters as they store them in their mouths!!

We had a tour around the refinery and processing plant...

where the minerals are extracted from the rock and made ready for sale..

then we headed to the mines..

our group SEXY DYNAMITE before entering the mines..

terry looking the part..

there were four levels to the mines. we walked, crawed on hands and knees and climbed down rockes. the further we went in the more difficult it became to breath and the hotter it got.... until we were all absolutely sweating.. god knows how these miners work in the conditions they do..

the trolleys used to carry the minerals..

As we headed down the the four level it became cooler. We were taken to a clay statue, that the miners worship to pray that the minerals do not run out. it stank of old tobacco - apparently after work on a friday the miners drink and smoke in this area - and there was plenty of evidence to support this!!


We made it out alive. I cant say it was an enjoyable experience, my throat was burning, it was difficult to breath and we were well and truely sweaty..... but at least i can tick the box!!!