Migraines and the Lack of Oxygen

Bolivia... the shocker, in every way.
Bolivia remains to be one of my favorite places that I visited, even with all of it's enormous issues.

A few examples:

1. Sanitation. The sanitation in Bolivia is horrible. My stomach was continually uneasy, always carrying toilet paper (this is when you know you're not in Argentina anymore!), the food was always questionable and I always made sure that there was a bathroom near by. I must say though, I probably put my body through some wild things that could have easily been avoided here. Being a budget traveler, I didn't want to spend all of my money (and waste all the plastic!) on bottled water, so I always drank tap. This is probably what lead to my continual illnesses in Bolivia. On the contrary, I exposed my immune system to some gnarly stuff, making my body stronger! Additionally, I LOVED the juice stands. For around 25 US cents, you could get the most delicious juices, freshly made at the mercado with all kinds of fruits you've never even seen before! But this was also a possible cause of my intense illnesses. Once, sometimes twice, per week in Bolivia, I found myself hurled over the toilet, with chills, sweats, high fever,... you get the picture. The week after I left though, I was like a whole new gal! Full of energy, ready to hike, bike, run, swim, you name it! So yeah, the streets are dirty and the people are too, but its all the more charming this way, right? : )
2. Poverty. Bolivia is the shocker, again. People are poor and will rob you. Many of my friends were robbed here, however- though people are always saying that it is the most unsafe here as far as robberies, mugging, and other stuff... I almost found myself feeling worse in Peru and even more so in Ecuador, surprisingly enough. In Bolivia, they're almost never violent!
   
3. Altitude. Shocking. This part was a challenge for most. Coca leaf chewing is encouraged by locals. I didn't feel the altitude until I got to Potosi, which is where this entry is all about! You become so short of breath, get headaches, get wasted on a drop of booze and walking up one flight of stairs seems like such a challenge. Which leads to my next point...
4. You are always walking uphill, no matter where you are going. Simply put! All I have to say is this: after you leave the Andes, you have the tightest ass you've ever had, ever!
5. Drugs. Here, drugs are a bit of an issue. I will mention this later when I get to the post on La Paz, but in La Paz there is a prison which tourists can go visit for a large cost. This prison is unique in that it has drug manufacturers within its walls that will give you a tour so you can purchase however much cocaine you want. You can only imagine, this brings in a LOT of tourist. Additionally, this is an "open" prison and the prisoners can RENT an apartment within the walls of it. There are classes within the prison and shops as well. You can buy groceries, clothes, etc! Luxury, right? Book Recommendation: Marching Powder (This is a great, quick read all about the prison) More regarding this subject later!!!
   

So there you have it, a few things that make Bolivia a serious eye opener! A few more might include the insane imagery of the capital: La Paz; the world's most dangerous road; the cost of living (so cheap! about 10-15 dollars per day, sometimes less depending how much you wanted to indulge) and the sketchy, sketchy buses!

This all leads to my next point, which is what this whole entry is about... Potosi mines. Going into these mines is actually considered an UNESCO world heritage cultural experience. I would have liked it more if it hadn't been so over-crowded and taken over by tourists, but isn't that how it always is when you want to go to some of the cool spots?

Anyway, the miners were happy, which surprised me. Now, after the whole Chilean mine collapse and all of that, which happened while I was in Ecuador, I realize how dangerous and how scary that kind of occupation can really be! The most appalling thing though, was how these people were slaving away to simply provide silver for the WORLD. Most of this silver was not even kept in Bolivia, it was exported to guess who! Us! The United States! So, before I left to go into the mines and talk with the workers (with a guide... it was totally safe...sort of, besides the dynamite part I guess), I removed all of my precious silver, which is my weakness as I'm sure a lot of you know. My whole family wears silver religiously, and here I am... a little blonde, white girl seeing where it all comes from! This experience made me think twice before purchasing my next silver item. I'm not going to be silver-free now, but seeing all of the work that goes into a vanity, such as a bracelet or a pair of earrings is really quite fascinating and upsetting as well.

These miners are anywhere from ages 10 to 80, but most of them don't live past say, 45 or 50. In Potosi, the average age of death is around 50. But... if you are young and worried about the future of your family, you're going to go out there and risk your life for the betterment of their future, right? I guess. Gosh, its just that I can't see anyone in my family going out and taking one for the team like that. The age of death is so young because these men who work in the mines are continually drinking 90proof alcohol, chewing coca, smoking cigarettes and breathing in tons of dust! I would love to see their alveoli under a microscope, I bet they are extremely over-polluted.

Being inside of the mine was pretty frightening. Even in level 1 I was scared and we went down a total of 4 levels! Down ladders, through tunnels, it was pretty surreal actually- mostly because it reminded me of Indiana Jones, except the fact that this was some one's life! Their real life! The company that took me down made me sign a contract saying that if I die or whatever may happen, I couldn't do anything about it...or I guess my family couldn't do anything about it. Why did I go? Man, I don't know. But as you go deeper into the mines, it gets hotter and hotter, and dustier and dustier, and you sort of feel like you might not be able to get enough oxygen in a few moments, and you get all claustrophobic and scared and sweaty and you're crawling around, barely able to move... and you wish you had told your mom that you loved her because you keep hearing these loud noises, which you later find out is dynamite blowing up not so far away, and you just wish you could see the sun again. Then, when you do see the sun, it looks more glorious than it ever has before! You are so thankful to be on top of the earth and walking around. And you're so thankful that you don't have to go back down into that dark, dark hole ever again.

This is the closest that I've ever been to Hell.

A few pictures...


"mike" assembling dynamite

the underground version of me

Sun setting, view from hostal terrace

I've never been so high, yet so low in one place.