Potosi

We're now in Potosi, the highest city of its size in the world. It's sole purpose since colonial times was the mines of Potosi, which underwrote the spanish economy for centuries with tons of silver extracted under brutal, dangerous and midieval conditions.  Nowadays the mines are run by a cooperative between miners who pay a small tax but get to mine with whomever and wherever they like and keep all their findings.  Yesterday we took a tour of the mines, and wow, we both couldn't believe that people worked in these mines!  Crawling on all fours, so hot, dusty, and the altitude (at almost 14,000 feet) made it quite difficult for our 2 hour tour of the mine.  Then we found out that some miners work there 12 hours or more a day without eating anything besides chewing coca leaves!  As part of the tour we brought them gifts that we were able to buy in town.  That was the last time I think I'll be able to buy a stick of dynamite and fuse for less than 3 bucks.  Besides dynamite, we bought them a gift they seemed to love more than anything else, and that was a bottle of 98% (196 proof) alcohol.  I also got to taste a thimble ful of this and I was glad to learn that they at least mix it with juice or Coke before drinking it.  We talked to the miners for awhile deep in the mines for like 20 minutes.   They particularly liked two sisters who were in our group and made a lot of jokes about them in typical miner humor.  It was overall a very crazy experience.  I have a new respect for miners and what conditions they work in.  Eric S, you are a brave man.  I hope you didn't work in coditions like that though!

We took Suzanne's little camera (didn't want to destroy my nice one with all the dust), but haven't uploaded pictures yet. Hopefully we'll find a place with wifi soon. 

Next plans are to go to Uyuni Bolivia, and take a tour of the vast salt flats there as well as see some multi-colored lagoons, flamingos etc as long as the rumored farmer strikes don't block our road!