Potosi & Salar de Uyuni

I have a lot to say, the last five days have been amazing.

As I wrote the air in Potosi was thin, it was also finally cold. This change in temperature was great because it meant we finally got to use the jackets and sleeping bags we have dragged across this mighty continent.

Our time in Potosi was jam packet with activities. Potosi is the highest city in the world and it's history is a bit tragic. In a nutshell.......... the Spanish brought small pox to South America, basically wiped out the major Incan population, made their way to the mountains after hearning tales of silver in a mountain in Potosi. They arrived, turned the locals into slaves (and made sure they brought a few African American slaves too, just for good measure) and began mining the mountain for vast reserves of silver, and other minerals. It is said that two bridges could be built from Potosi to Spain with the bones of the people who have died in the Cerro Rico mines.



We first took a city tour, learning about the vast number of churches the Spanish established for the aristocrats and noble men. Apparently under each church there is an indigenous cemetery, just lovely. But the churches are beautiful and all of them are decorated in mestizo-Baroque style. This means very bloody figures of my pal Jesus and intricate designs covered in gold leaf with images of Catholic iconography and the polytheistic images of the Quechea beliefs. The artists were supposedly indigenous slaves who demonstrated amazing artistic ability, the churches initially insisted that what they created represent strictly biblical images but the salves quickly added their own traditional images. Apparently Potosi was once one of the wealthiest cities in the world and the Spanish had a casino that employed women from all over the world, including Japan. This helps to explain why at times the people in this area of Bolivia look oddly asian to me. We visited a market and our guide explained to us the uses of the odd and brightly colored items on many of the market tables. We then ambled along narrow streets and got to see streets lined with colonial architecture. Our guide then dropped us off at the Casa Real de la Moneda (a mint). We then toured the mint, viewed more amazing art, learned more about the horrible treatment of the indigenous population, and got to look at the original equipment used to turn the silver mined from Cerro Rico into currency. It was a very full day, complete with a wonderfully filling dinner and a restful nights sleep in a reconstructed mansion.



The next day we went on a tour of a Cerro Rico mine. The tour had about 18 people who are broken up into smaller groups of 6. We were given clothes, boots, helmets and lamps for the mines. Each group then goes to the miners market where you purchase gifts for the miners. The gifts are dynamite and coca leaves (which they chew all day to avoid hunger and keep awake while working in the mine). We were left then to shop for snacks before we boarded the bus again to go to the mine. It is quite a site for the area to see a bunch of gringos dressed as miners walking around, more than one person had a good laugh!! Once at the mine we first visited the place where the metal and mineral still pulled from the mine are refined (an OSHA regulators nightmare) and then we headed into the mine. The air was instantly dark and heavy and everyone immediately had trouble breathing. We visited a museum with information about mining and then walked a bit deeper into the mine. Our group wandered into a small side tunnel and discussed life for miners and their families as well as the deity Tió (who it is believe the Spanish may have invented to scare the miners and keep them in the mine). The most depressing thing that we heard was that the miners (aka slaves) were originally required to stay in the mines for 24 hours with only 2-3 hours to rest, no wonder so many people died! It continues to be a depressing existence, miners live till they are about 50, ususally dying from severe respiratory infections (shockers) and frequently the miners have large families, the young boys often begin working in the mines as early as 8....so much for child labor laws. The miners spend all day working underground and only eat before and after they leave. The condition of the mine tunnels was deeply disturbing to me. I have been caving and spelunking before so small spaces don't really bother me but there was something about the mines that freaked me out. Just before we were to descend further through narrower shafts and into the larger mine itself, I decided that I had seen enough, Mondo offered to leave with me but I felt this was my issue and that he should continue on. (He later said that had I asked him to come with me he would have because the same thoughts were running through his head). I was escorted out and ended up talking (in Spanish) with a little girl and her older brother about the mines and child labor laws at home. Everyone else came out an hour later, coughing, having trouble breathing and, having lost their voices (making me feel even better about not going all the way down). Armando said it was really disturbing the way that things were done, and that he took videos so that I could see what went on in the mine. The whole experience was a disturbing, and left a somber energy in the air on the way back to the city.



Then because we were not depressed enough we decided to visit a beautiful convent where the second daughter of every aristocrat was sent for a life of service to my favorite pal Jesus and the big guy god himself. They were not just sent to this convent (Convento-Museo Santa Teresa), they spent their entire life living hidden from all other people besides the other nuns, their families were not allowed to ever see them even when they died. All nuns were burried in the church. The art was incredible and our tour guide was this cute little woman who only wanted learn more english. At the end we purchased yummy marzipan made by todays nuns (who live a very different life and of which there are only 5) from centuries old recipes. Then we got our bags (which were being stored at a tour agency) and made our way to a bus that then brought us to the town of Uyuni. Needless to say we both think that the people of Potosi and Bolivia in general are some of the most exploited people we have ever encountered.



The bus ride was amazing if not a bit frightening. The moon was full, the valleys and hillsides lit up under the moon and the air cold. The bus was jammed full of people, and the roads were rocky and sandy, and we were in a BUS!! We arrived to Uyuni (a place that would not exist were it not for the vast numbers of tourist who want to visit the Salar) in the middle of the night slept for about 5 hours and then got into a Toyta Landcrusier (no joke) and headed out to the Salar de Uyuni. We were scheduled for a three day tour, the Salar and the Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa. Our travel companions, a family from France (who knew a few english words but mostly spoke only spanish and french) and our tour guide T-bu (yes same name as the tour guide in Samaipata) and his wife Eva (our cook). I could spend days telling you about the dramatic sceenery but to keep it brief....I have never in my life seen a place so spectacular (even more than the mountains in Nepal). There are train cemeteries, salt flats, strange islands with cactus 9 meters high, high altitude lagoons in bright reds and greens, amazingly colored hillsides, outrageous rock formations, geysers bubbling mud and spraying sulfer filled air in every direction, and hotsprings. The elevation was between 4000-5000 meters the whole time, and oddly enough it barely snows. I think the strangest thing were the fauna...we saw the typical llamas, vincuna, viscacha and get this....flamingos!!!! It was wonderful! We even visited a necropolis, which was a bit creepy but cool. We had heard horrible stories about guides and food but we were very lucky, our oddly put together group, enjoyed amazing food, safe driving and prompt service (for Bolivia). I was even able to traslate most of what our guide said for Mondo. I managed to talk to the French family, in Spanish, and helped Mondo commuincate with them at times too...he did pretty good with getures when I was not there to help. We all had a good laugh one night when I realized that I was going around telling people that we were tired (in spanish cansado) and not married (casado) oops!!!



We came back to Uyuni last night, had a shower and now have a whole day to kick back. We leave tonight for La Paz, which will be a shock to our eyes after being in small cities and the barren mountains. It is an overnight bus ride and then we have one day to make plans before Travis joins us!!!



Today is our anniversary and we are stoked to be celebrating in such a cool place!!!

Love you all!!