Live Dynamite

Potosi is billed as the highest city in the world. Given that I had trouble breathing in this city at over 4000m, I believe it. Granted, I was a little sick, but upon entering Potosi, I could barely climb up a set of stairs without stopping for more oxygen 1/4 up the way.

Potosi gained its fame as the city that built Spain out of silver. Silver has been mined for centuries here and as a result, millions of miners and slave laborers have died in the mines. Mining continues and although the conditions have improved for miners, they are still not ideal. I took a tour inside the mine and found myself surrounded by asbestos, dust, darkness and claustrophobia. I'm not surprised to find the miners only live to around age 42 because of these harsh working conditions. Thankfully, lots of soda pop, cigarettes and cocoa leaves makes their work slightly more bearable. Mining is hard work. One of the miners let me help him pound a hole into the rock so he could put some dynamite inside. I didn't do much damage to the rock, but more to my body.

Inside each mine, the miners have a shrine to Tio, the devil who they worship to protect them from caving mines. I gave Tio some coca leaves as good luck to ensure that the mine would still be intact while I toured around inside.　The donation worked and I made it out alive albeit a little breathless. I'm sure I took home some asbestos as well inside me.


Outside, the mine, I had the privilege of holding live dynamite. I had the tourist version with the extra long cord. The guides let me and the other tourists hold this ticking time bomb as we all posed for pictures. Thankfully, none of us dropped it while we slightly panicked passing it around. The guide then ran off to throw the dynamite into the river and we all watched as it blew up. Exciting times indeed.