Potosí (Bolivia)

I hadn't actually planned to visit Potosi during my trip to Bolivia. Arriving in the city from Uyuni, Potosi provided the perfect place to stopover before heading on to Sucre. Having arrived there late in the day, I was approached by Eliane, a woman selling city tours. I made a fairly noncommittal agreement to meet her the next day at the youth hostel where I was staying. She turned up the very next morning and suggested a visit to the mines. I accepted her offer and agreed to do the tour the same day then set off for Sucre in the evening.

My husband Carlos, a former miner, actually served as my guide. Fitted out like miners, we made a stop first at a mining equipment shop. There I purchased offerings for El Tio, the god of the mines, and something for the miners themselves. Carlos spent three hours explaining the life of a miner to me and the the working relationship they build with the llamas. I came across several miners busy at work, heard dynamite explosions, felt the power of the silence of the mines (a minute of silence in complete darkness is quite a freaky experience!), and tried to get a sense and understanding of the spirit of the mountain. The tour was an amazing experience.