What to see in Potosí

Potosí is the miners town of Bolivia. Therefore it’s obvious to visit a mine. And most tourists come to Potosí for this reason only. But Potosí has more than just mines to see.

It also has a nice town center with some wonderful churches and the casa nacional de moneda de Bolivia. The market is also a location to go to, as there are lots of fresh and not so fresh fruits and vegetables as well as cadavers. They remember us all, why we are vegan, because here the meat finally gets a face again…

…or maybe everything else than a face.

For everybody interested in visiting a mine the tour of the koala tours must be a very good one, as it seems to be the only one that visits the part, where they are still working.

Is it save? You confirm at the reservation of the tour that you do it at your own risk. The possibility that one of the tunnels might collapse is present (besides the dust in your lung). And you should only do it if you are not claustrophobic.

Never the less there is the possibility to only do half of the tour, not entering the mine and wait outside.

Is it vegan? There are no animals involved (as far as I know), but the work is not human at all. The workers drink 96% alcohol to get through the long day and chew coca leaves to suppress the hunger feelings. They work hard and in a dangerous place, where they only have some minutes to run away as far as possible, while they blast a part. Three men push wagons of 2 tons. They breath all their life the dust of the mine and die in their forties by lung cancer. Furthermore they get 30% of the profit. The widows are working outside of the mine sorting the excavation.

I didn’t do the tour because I had concerns doing it and I also was feverish in the hostel bed for most of my stay (food poisoning).

Furthermore I was by far not the only one with food poisoning, so take care.

I stayed at the hostel koala den, they have a rich breakfast with three different fruits, fresh orange juice, bread that doesn’t smell lardish, tea, coffee, (pancakes, scrambled eggs, hot chocolate). But the best thing is, there is a blender in the kitchen.

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