To the Mines

What does it take to become a miner in Potosí Bolivia

All decked out and ready to go mining

Apart from the required work clothes, helmet and headlight a few other supplies were needed before heading off to the silver mines at 4000 metres ( 13,000 ft ) in the Cerro Rico ( Rich Mountain ) in Potosí.

Dynamite

It was easy enough to pick up some dynamite ( Nitoglycerin, Ammonium Sulphate and fuses ) at the local miners market.

A bottle of 96 proof grain alcohol to lighten the mood and make the work day a little more enjoyable

Coca Leaves

Coca leaves to give energy and to counter the effects of the rarified air

Volvo - not!

All pile in the "tour bus" and enter one of 1500 working mines in this silver mountain that has been continuously mined since 1545

Mine Entrance

Each of the mines is run as a co-operative with the miners setting their own working hours, deciding on where they want to dig in the mines and also deciding, with little warning when they are going to set off their dynamite charges.

A little cramped in here

The mines brought enormous wealth to the Spanish and incredible hardship to the early miners / slaves and built the city of Potosí which was considered in the late 16th century to be the richest city in the world.

Cerro Rico standing watch over the town

A wet ride of a couple of hours through beautiful scenery brought me to the capital city of Sucre

Swollen rivers from all the rain

Welcome to Sucre

I stopped outside a hostel and went in to enquire if there was accommodation available and not five minutes later an over-ambitious cop had given me the BOOT - NOT VERY NICE!! It took a little while to work out how to get Moto Naranja released from jail.

Beautiful buildings surround the plaza