Potosí was once one of the most important cities in the world,due to the rich Cerro Rico mountain. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries silver was mined in abundance, and shipped to European countries - thus the city itself never really saw any of the wealth it boasted. The mines of the Cerro Rico mountain are still very much in use today - though it is not just silver, but tin and other minerals the workers look for now.
Potosí is the highest city in the world - at an altitude of 4,090m above sea level, and is often described as being 'harrowing' and 'shocking' to tourists, although is also described as a must see. We however loved the city, and found it rich in history and culture. The narrow streets, intricately designed churches and crumbling buildings are surviving echoes of the wealth the city once held, and we particularly enjoyed finding doorways with family crests atop of them, though faded and forgotten now. It is aspects like this which have made the city a UNESCO Heritage Site.
We signed up to embark on a tour of the mines, with a company run by former miners. We had heard from many that the tour is not for the faint hearted, and I was pretty scared before going in. The guide we had put us at ease straight away, and although sharing some shocking facts with us (over 8million people have died in the very mountain we were entering!) we felt like we were in safe hands. There were just four of us on the tour, and our first stop was to get dressed in mining clothes, boots and safety hats.
After a brief stop at the Miners Market, to buy some coca leaves and sample some 98% alcohol (I can still feel the burn), we were taken to see the process of making the silver. We were told how the people that work in these places are not allowed to do so for very long because of the dangerous working conditions. As well as being crowded, they are in constant contact with poisonous chemicals, such as cyanide and mercury.
After a brief stop at the Miners Market, to buy some coca leaves and sample some 98% alcohol (I can still feel the burn), we were taken to see the process of making the silver. We were told how the people that work in these places are not allowed to do so for very long because of the dangerous working conditions. As well as being crowded, they are in constant contact with poisonous chemicals, such as cyanide and mercury.
We were then taken in to the mine itself. We went on a Sunday, so there were no miners working at the time we went in (though tours do run every day). This made it feel a little safer, though the impact of the heat and the fumes inside were so intense, I can only imagine it would be 10 X worse if there were people working. Our guide showed us the veins in the wall of the mine which miners follow, and took us down to the depth of the mine. There were times where we had to soldier-crawl through the maze of the mine, with protection over our noses and mouths from the poisonous fumes. The heat was almost unbearable, and we had to stop to rest a lot. The air supply was of course limited, and as we were at such high altitude, it was pretty difficult to move very fast or far.
We were shown a demonstration of dynamite - the boys went in to a separate tunnel, and I waited for the BANG - the mine shook and they had to run back quickly because of the fumes and dust. Dynamite is sold legally in Potosi, and on a working day you would be able to hear the explosions echoing around the moutain. In the mines, the miners worship Tio - the devil. They are religious people on the outside, attending church and raising Christian families, but inside the mine they say is like entering hell, and God does not reach them inside. Each mine has a statue of Tio,which they offer gifts to daily (cigarettes, alcohol, coca leaves) as an offering in return for him keeping them from harm in the mines.
See the film 'The Devil's Miner' for a real account of working in the mines.
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