5th of April - Uyuni to Potosi
« Back to journal
First mining impressions on the way to Potosi. Actually in this village we were stopped by the protesting miners two days before.
Inside this restaurant their relatives were on the table. If animals would only know...
The goat licked the salt of the Salar de Uyuni off my pants. So cute.
The landscape keeps changing...
Arrival in the dirty mining city Potosi, 3.800m above sea level.
But Potosi has something.
In the Mint Museum...we got a first impression what was and is mining about in such countries.
La Pachamama (mother earth), the goddess of the indigenous people of the Andes, played and plays also a big role at Cerro Rico.
The "rich mountain" from which the Spanish retrieved so much silver that literature says one could have a built with that silver a bridge to Europe.
Over 9 Million indigenous (working for their own, but under what conditions) and African slaves died here in this mountain.
First I didn't want to participate in a mining tour but then I changed my mind last minute.
A very intense experience...
In daylight all ok
Before one goes into the mine one can purchase some strong alcohol, coca or yes, dynamite+detonators for the workers
Exploring the possibilities...? :-)
Separating the minerals from the stones with chemicals. We can only hope that this brew doesn't go unfiltered into the ground
Silver...there is still silver in the Cerro Rico
Over 30 of these processing plants are distributed over Potosi
Cerro Rico, the maltreat mountain lost already hundreads of meters in height over the centuries
Our tour guide has already his cheek full of coca. We chewed as well.
No safety measures at all, dirt everywhere, burning dust in the eyes and lungs. All this on approx. 4.300 meters a.s.l.
"Jorge", the miners hero which they pray to and of course to Pachamama
Unbelievable hard work but all working for their own or a kind of contributed labor organized in (smaller) groups. But what choice do you have if you want to feed your family?
The government wants to introduce another system: the miners should pay more taxes and in return the government wants to introduce more safety and other benefits. The miners reject and that is in very simple words why we face the protests and road blockades on the streets.
The precious metal...is exported to...guess...Europe, Japan and America
This cannot be healthy! Just look at the colors.
Oh man. I am done. On 4.300 meters crawling in such a mine gets you to the limit.
Daylight at the end of the tunnel
Also other people seem to be happy to be outside again
« Back to journal
First mining impressions on the way to Potosi. Actually in this village we were stopped by the protesting miners two days before.
Inside this restaurant their relatives were on the table. If animals would only know...
The goat licked the salt of the Salar de Uyuni off my pants. So cute.
The landscape keeps changing...
Arrival in the dirty mining city Potosi, 3.800m above sea level.
But Potosi has something.
In the Mint Museum...we got a first impression what was and is mining about in such countries.
La Pachamama (mother earth), the goddess of the indigenous people of the Andes, played and plays also a big role at Cerro Rico.
The "rich mountain" from which the Spanish retrieved so much silver that literature says one could have a built with that silver a bridge to Europe.
Over 9 Million indigenous (working for their own, but under what conditions) and African slaves died here in this mountain.
First I didn't want to participate in a mining tour but then I changed my mind last minute.
A very intense experience...
In daylight all ok
Before one goes into the mine one can purchase some strong alcohol, coca or yes, dynamite+detonators for the workers
Exploring the possibilities...? :-)
Separating the minerals from the stones with chemicals. We can only hope that this brew doesn't go unfiltered into the ground
Silver...there is still silver in the Cerro Rico
Over 30 of these processing plants are distributed over Potosi
Cerro Rico, the maltreat mountain lost already hundreads of meters in height over the centuries
Our tour guide has already his cheek full of coca. We chewed as well.
No safety measures at all, dirt everywhere, burning dust in the eyes and lungs. All this on approx. 4.300 meters a.s.l.
"Jorge", the miners hero which they pray to and of course to Pachamama
Unbelievable hard work but all working for their own or a kind of contributed labor organized in (smaller) groups. But what choice do you have if you want to feed your family?
The government wants to introduce another system: the miners should pay more taxes and in return the government wants to introduce more safety and other benefits. The miners reject and that is in very simple words why we face the protests and road blockades on the streets.
The precious metal...is exported to...guess...Europe, Japan and America
This cannot be healthy! Just look at the colors.
Oh man. I am done. On 4.300 meters crawling in such a mine gets you to the limit.
Daylight at the end of the tunnel
Also other people seem to be happy to be outside again
