Next stop the mining town of Potosi, at 4,090m above sea level its one of the highest settlements in the world.
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| on the road Uyuni to Potosi |
From the point in the 16th century when silver was discovered the town was soon bankrolling the Spanish. When the mint was built in 1672 Potosi was one of the largest cities in the world.
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| Potosi mint |
Today the mint is closed & Bolivia's money is produced in Canada and France.
Mining continues to this day in some pretty awful conditions. It's possible to tour the mines & meet the workers. It's fair to say mine shafts were not built for 6"+ people, luckily most Bolivians are short, but that's where their luck ends. The sheer heat, as we watched a guy put the dynamite in place, was stifling.
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| preparing the dynamite |
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| in the mines |
We gave our offerings to the 'Tio' mining devil, which include a 95% proof alcohol drink that is all the miners can afford & possibly one of the contributory factors to an average life expectancy of 15years after starting work in the mines.
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| San Lorenzo church |
The views for the Cathedral bell tower were spectacular
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| Cerro de Potosi |
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| Potosi from above |
Sunday saw a parade through the town, which I eventually left in favour of the Champions league final.
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