Today we had to wake up early (again…) in order to get to the bus terminal in time for our trip to Potosi. As we walked through the streets the sun was coming up and it shone really nicely on the mountains surrounding the city.
Thankfully it was a short bus ride and we made it into our hostel in time for lunch. Moi, our cooking instructor from a couple night’s back, had recommended this place called Doña Eugenia who served a traditional dish called Kalapurca. It did not disappoint!
It’s a soup served with a super hot stone at the bottom of the bowl, so when it comes out, it’s bubbling all over the place like a volcano! The flavors were really good too. The only other thing on the menu was Chicharron, which Alejandro had been craving for several days now, so we had to order one of those too… MMmmmmm!!!
Now with full bellies, we could enjoy the true attraction to Potosi, which was a tour of a mine in Cerro Rico (a mountain in Potosi). That mountain has been exploited since the 1500’s, mostly by the Spaniards, and had abundant silver deposits. The mineral content has obviously shifted and lowered in grade since those times, but the mountain continues to be harvested by the local miners for their living. We walked through the town square on the way to the tour, which had some buildings from Potosi’s abundant times. On the way up to the mines, we stopped at an overlook of the city. You can see us dressed in our miner’s gear.
We entered the mine and shortly afterwards came to a statue of El Tio (essentially the devil, but they don’t call him that). The miners work so deep in the earth, they give offerings of alcohol and coca leaves to El Tio to keep them safe from harm. The mines started out with tunnels relatively large, but eventually, we were crawling through very small places on our hands and knees. It was quite the experience.
It’s interesting that even though the conditions inside the mines are brutal, the miners all work for themselves, and are able to set their own schedules however they want. There is no large corporation that owns any of the mines, just small cooperatives of different miner groups. It seems like this makes it better, and despite all the dangers of working inside the mine, the people who work it all know, and accept, those risks in exchange for a better life for their families.
After our couple hours of pretending to be miners, we finished the night with a very simple dinner at the hostel and headed to bed. Tomorrow we head off to Uyuni!
Travel Fun With Cassie and Alejandro 
If there isn’t one entity that is digging, I’m surprised the mine remains structurally sound!! Sounds like an accident waiting to happen with everyone doing their own thing! You guys were very…brave??? to go in there. Still, some beautiful views! Are you craving a hamburger yet? Love you!
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