to be worth a Potosi

Potosi is the highest city in the world with one of the most tragic beginnings. Overlooking the city is the infamous Cerro Rico, or rich mountain - the source of the silver that funded the Spanish empire, and the sole reason Potosi exists. At one point the mine was producing silver ore at 95% purity. Some locals call it "the mountain that eats men" and deservedly so as the mountain has claimed 9 million indigenous lives since 1534 in the rush to mine silver and tin. After 500 years the mine is now collapsing, yet all the guidebooks say this is THE thing to do in Potosi.

Tours of the mine begin with a visit to the miners' market where you can buy cocoa leaves, dynamite, work gloves, etc. as "gifts" to the miners.  These gifts are essential as the conditions in the mine are hellish. The miners breathe in dust, airborne asbestos and explosive residue daily - many of the miners contract silicosis and have a life expectancy of around 40 years.  We decided to not visit the mines. Instead, we explored the city overrun by cars and children and dogs. 

In the center of the city is the Casa de Moneda. Because Potosi was so rich in silver, it minted the Spanish coin. Ironically, all Bolivian money is now outsourced from France, Canada, and Chile. We had a guided tour through the massive building which has 3 stories and 200 rooms.  Obviously we didn't see all of them and I'm not sure what they do with all the rooms we didn't see.  The ones we did see were filled with representations of how long and manual the minting process was. They also had a room of minerals (the miners' bank closed and donated their collection). 

A sight we missed was the Convento-Museo Santa Teresa due to opening hours and our need to get to lower altitude. The wealthy families from the mines would send their daughters to the convent at the age of 15, never to see the outside world again. The humble devotees to God would spend their lives making golden robes and gem-encrusted goblets.  

Tomorrow we're off to hike the "Bolivian" Inca trail and to see dinosaur footprints

-Priscilla and Peter