Potosi

We took the bus from Uyuni to Potosi, in places a one lane dirt road that is so narrow the front of the bus seemed to be hanging out over the edge of the cliff going around corners. At least it wasn't a chicken bus, where the passengers get on with their chickens and vegetables for the market, although it did stop every time someone flagged it down on the side of the road.

Road to Potosi

A few times, going downhill, our bus had to back up the road until it found a wide enough spot to let the vehicles coming up get around us. Unfortunately Loreen was in the front window seat and was scared to death, after the five hour bus ride I have finger print bruises from my knee to my shoulder!

All through high mountain passes I cannot believe how these people eke out a living trying to farm on their small pieces of land hanging on the edge of the mountain, living in stone homes with no heat that we could see, and it does get cold here. Bolivia, like other South American countries, seems to have had a sucession of governments more concerned with their own wealth than the well being of the people.

Potosi, wow, this is the Bolivia Keenan has tried to prepare us for. I am amazed, bewildered and confused all at the same time. The highest altitude city in the world, Potosi is a maze of single lane streets hanging on the mountain. Cars, buses and people all compete for space in the street, crossing when there is a break in traffic, and even at the cross walks cars take priority. They don't stop at intersections, just honk, I guess who ever has the loudest horn has the right of way.

Ladies visiting on the street

Once the largest and richest city in the world because of rich silver mines here, Potosi is now the poorest city and province in Bolivia, which would make it the poorest in South America. The first mining was done by an indigenous man in 1544, but was taken over by the Spaniards in 1545. Local indigenous peoples were taken as slaves and forced to work the mines, and one Spaniard mine owner even took a bunch back to Spain as slaves when he returned.

Potosi Silver Mine

Today the silver is mostly played out and all the big owners have left. Potosi survives on what mining is left, but it is now done through local cooperatives that the miners themselves own. The type of mining done is very dangerous underground mining, sometimes through passages so small that one must crawl through. The miners' life span is very short due to lung disease, but the widows get a ten dollar pension per month!

The Yellow Building was a family home

During its glory years - 1545 to the late 1700s - a total of 36 large churches and cathedrals were built, today 8 are open, the rest have closed including the Saint Teresa convent, which was the safest place to put your daughters due to extreme violence in the city. The mine owners and other wealthy families also built huge mansions here, some of which now have been turned into hotels and government offices.

Front of Church that was never finished

Now we are off to Sucre, a few hours away, at lower altitude and where the really rich mine owners lived.