Potosi in the 17th century became one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the world. Massive churches, rich houses were built. All to do with silver found in the mountain next to town called Cerro Rico. The miners - indigenous people and slaves from Africa worked six months shifts staying inside, more than 8 millions of them died. When easily reached silver has gone the city went into decline. 90ties were the worst times and only very poor people who had no other place to go stayed. Potosi was one the poorest cities in South America. Now things changing little by little with socialist president in La Paz.
Pasiryzes turui i kalno vidurius, su smagia, internacionaline kompanija buvau apredytas skudurais, padabintas salmu ir auliniais.
Pirma stotele - darbininku turgus, kur gali isigyti dinamito (Potosi ji gali nusipirkti bet kas ir bet kiek, jokiu leidimu ar klausimu), 96 laipsniu alkoholio, kokos lapu, irankiu, salmu ir visokio kito velnio. Paemem dinamito dovanu beplusantiems sidabrakasiams ir duobetu keliu nusikratem i gamykla, kurioje uolienos perdirbamos i sidabra ir kitas naudingas medziagas. Dvidesimt tonu akmenu atnesa apie 15 kilogramu blizgancio metalo, patalpose nezmoniskas chemijos kvapas, saugumo reikalavimai pamirsti ir palaidoti.
Toliau aukstyn link iejimo i sachta. Viena mergina atsisake keliones po desimties pirmu metru tuneliu, dvi dalyves nesutiko leistis zemyn siauru takeliu veliau. Teko siek tiek ropoti, slinkti susilenkus, aplink dulkes ir karstis.
Pradedantys darbininkai uzdirba iki 100 vietiniu tugriku (apie 11 euru) uz astuoniu valandu darbo diena, vidutinis stazas siekia 45 metus (cia amzius ir dazniausia ne i pensija, o tiesiai i kapus).
Oficialiai dirbti gali pradeti astuoniolikameciai, bet, mirus tevui, vaikai pradeda nuo 14-15 metu. Setoniskas salygas pakelti padeda stiprioji snapse, nuolat ziaumojami kokos lapai energijai palaikyti ir juodas jumoras.
Sutiktas Simtas Sesi Simtai (visi sachtininkai didziuojasi pravardemis)dirba ketvirti amziaus, jam 53, atrodo septyniasdesimties. Rimti vyruciai, kurie su dinamitu zaidzia tarsi tai butu plastelinas. Ju neisgasdintu ir tuzinas medvedevu, apsiredziusiu supermeno kostiumais, deganciomis bombomis siknoje.
Pasitaiko atveju, kai vienam is ju pasiseka ir rasto sidabro pakanka sociam gyvenimui. Kiti, tikedamiesi praturteti, loterijos bilietus perka mokedami sveikatos kreditais.
I decided to go inside the mountain to look for some silver. Dressed up for occasion first we went to the miner´s market to buy presents.
You can get strong alcohol (96 percent), coca leaves, dynamite, soft drinks, helmets, etc. Potosi is the place to buy dynamite (take a note) cause nobody asks for permit and anybody can buy as much as they need.
On the way to the mine the bus stopped at the factory - strong smell of chemicals, no safety regulations, rock´n´roll. Twenty tones of rocks give about 15 kilos of silver.
Finally entrance to the Devil´s mine. One girl freaked out after two minutes in the tunnel, two more headed back outside when we reached narrow passage deep down. It´s dusty and hot, sometimes you have to crawl.
Miners who started not long time ago get around 100 bolivianos (11 euros) for eight hours shift, usually finish their carrer at the age of 45 by the way of dying. Oficially you are allowed to work when you are eighteen, but some kids start at 14 when the father dies.
To survive in the mine workers drink, chew coca leaves all the time and joke mucho. All miners have nicknames and some are as dirty as tunnels´walls.
We met a guy called Hundred Six Hundred who is 53 and works in the mines for 25 years. What a legend and he looks seventy years old on the good day. Of course there are stories going around about miners who found big chunk of silver and now live like kings. I think that´s the reason some of the workers are ready to pay with their health to buy tickets for that kind of lottery.
Po sterilaus Sucre baltumo Potosi pavaisino spalvu gama. Zavus nutriuselis - imantriai israizyta fasada ´puosia´nuogu laidu nusileidusi priemienes lempute, vargsas diedukas, kulniuojantis palei didinga centrine katedra, svilpaujantis vejas isdauztuose centrinio turgo languose. Beje, Potosi pamalonintas auksciausio pasaulio miesto vardu (neskaitant mazesniu miestuku iki 4 tukstanciu gyventoju) 4090 metru aukstyje. Sunkoka kvepuoti uzlipus i menkiausia kalniuka, bet galvos nebemaudzia, tipo uzsigrudianu gyvendamas Sucre.
I love Potosi, Sucre was so white and here the colours take the place. Strange feeling - nice but ruined down buildings, poor people and rich history. Potosi is the highest city in the world (but few little towns) at 4090 metres above sea level. It´s difficult to breathe sometimes but my head is not sore. Staying in Sucre for a while really helped.
