Friday, January 16
Over the past few days, I’ve been in Potosí, a mining town. A nice old center, but everything here revolves around the silver mines on the mountain Cerro Rico. The guide tells me there are over 300 mines and 20.000 miners, all part of different corporations. It’s clearly visible that digging is in progress, and before we go to the mine, we visit the miners’ market. I’m allowed to see a stick of dynamite, including detonator and fuse, but you can buy everything for the mining. We buy a small gift for the miners: a bag of coca leaves and a large bottle of soda. We continue up the mountain, change clothes, and enter the mine. Watch out for the carts of ore coming out, and finally, I watch them drill holes to ignite the dynamite later on. Interesting. We emerge covered in dust and head back into town. Besides the Mint, where coins have been minted since the 16th century, there are several churches that can now be visited as museums. The cathedral on the central square and the Museo del Convento de Santa Teresa are worth a visit. Churches like San Lorenzo, La Compañia, and San Francisco are also worth a visit. It also boasts charming markets and excellent restaurants.
