Leaving Argentina might have been sad for us, but on the other hand it was exciting as we were entering a whole new wonderful country called Bolivia which is probably the highest and most isolated of the Latin American countries.
This long and windy road took us to Tarija, Bolivia
The paper work at the border crossing was relatively easy, we got 30 days on our visa, but the truck got 60 days !! Funny! Never mind we said, as we knew we could extend it by an additional 30 days by visiting Immigration in some of the bigger towns throughout Bolivia, for example Sucre and La Paz. We had no food checks either by the Aduana, so fruit, veg and more importantly our Filet was safe! Happy Days!
Tarija was our first stop, but in order to get there we had to drive through a wonderful high pass with breathtaking scenery around and below us along 179kms of Rippio,not so nice. This was considered a main road according to the map, but we did begin to wonder as we met very few vehicles!
Bolivian Hitch Hiker
However we were slowed to a ‘halt’ by a local Bolivian lady thumbing a lift. We had no idea where she had come from , as we could or had not seen a house for miles. This lady was so tiny and delicate, years of hard work and living showed on her face and hands,and with so many layers of underskirts, it was nearly impossible for her to climb up into the truck. Mission accomplished and we were on our way. This lady hardly spoke to us at all over the course of the 3 hours that we carried her for, and I wondered what was going through her mind. She kept looking straight ahead, and even when I leaned over her to close the window, she never even blinked, we did think her eye-sight may not have been the best, maybe she thought we were a local bus!!!! Her life possessions were with her – a small little shopping bag with which she hung onto for dear life,(she must have guessed she was travelling with a HANDBAG lover, lol) a large bag of sticks, yes she was carrying a large bag of sticks, and 2 large warm blankets. We came to the conclusion that if she had not got a lift, she probably would have slept rough that night somewhere in the mountains, hence the sticks and the blankets for warmth. As we entered a small little village we heard a soft voice speak and say ‘aqui por favour’ (here please), so we stopped and while I held her belongings, Merv tried to help her as she lowered herself from the truck. It was sad looking at her as she continued on her way , so frail and old, only she knew where she was going and hopefully were ever that was , she arrived safely. We did say to ourselves afterwards , I wonder what she was thinking as she was travelling with us, hopefully they were good thoughts!
Old stone walls mark farms from hundreds of years ago
We arrived into Tarija to the mayhem of the mid-morning traffic, so many people everywhere, compared to tranquil Argentina this was all a bit of a shock. We stopped at a little plaza to get our bearings, as we were really looking for somewhere to park and to get wi-fi, when a man called Danielle knocked on our window and asked us were we looking for somewhere to park?. We hesitantly said we were looking for ‘wi-fi’ and then he told us that we could park and have wi-fi at his brothers hotel Los Ceibos 100 meters up the road. Happy days we said, wondering would the truck fit,not a problem he said there is loads of space there and so we took him up on the offer and met his brother Christian. What an introduction to Bolivia!!! As the truck was parked in a 4 star hotel, safe and sound, we explored the city of Tarija and its wineries, and let me say the Bolivian wineries did not disappoint. A case of wine was purchased , plus a bottle of Casa Real, a distilled wine !
We bought our Tomatoes from this lady. Real characters!
Bolivian Truck Driver
We had a wonderful evening at the Bolivian National Observatorio Astronomico. They have an old telescope that was donated by Russia and it is housed in the building pictured below. The night we visited them was clear, so we had a great view of the sky, and could easily see Saturn. They gave us a talk in Spanish, and while some of it was lost on us, it was great to see it. It is free, and we think they take a large number of school groups. Well worth the visit.
Observatorio Astronomico Nacional Tarija Bolivia
Observatorio Astronomico Nacional Tarija Bolivia
bolivia silver tin mining
Wellies required for our Mine visit
Now it was time to get down and dirty and to do some mining in Potsoi. Here we took a guided tour which began
with a visit to the miners market. Here the miners stock up with dynamite, cigarettes, coca leaves, and as a tourist you can also buy these items and leave them for gifts for the miners as their earnings are very little. LUCKY FOR US WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE DYNAMITE THAT WE BOUGHT. Before entering the cooperative mine on Cerro Rico we were kitted out with boots, protective clothing, lamp and hard hat. In this mine, all the work is done with primitive tools and Dynamite, with underground temperatures varying greatly from freezing near the entrance to over 30 degrees deep in the mine.
The altitude here is over 4200 m. In some places the ceilings were very low and steep with some muddy passageways, and you could smell the chemicals and gases, plus there was a huge amount of dust everywhere, naturally. The cooperative mines are owned by the miners themselves so they do all the work usually helped by their young sons, some as young as 10 and 12 years old, plus buying all their own tools and equipment. They prepare for their work by chewing coca leaves , and this is the only food they have during their 15 hour day while down in the mine, a far cry from a ham and cheese sandwich, or steak and chips!
Sitting with the Devil
Miners believe that there is a god in heaven, they also believe that there is a devil below the ground in such a place that is so hot and uncomfortable . Since ‘hell’ (traditional name of the place, The Job from Hell) must not be far from where they work they believe that the devil owns the minerals that they are digging out and in order to appease this character they have set up a little figurine in his honor and they bring gifts to him to invoke his protection of them while in the mine. They usually pour some alcohol on him, put a lit cigarette in his mouth and then some cocoa leaves within easy reach of him. This is all taken very seriously by the miners, plus it helps them relax while working and living in a very tough existence.
The Devil in the Mine from hell
The working conditions here are dreadful, seeing is believing.
The gate into the Mine
Sarah in a good part of the Silver Mine
Icicles hang from mine tunnel roof near entrance
Near the entrance, the air is so cold the ice never melts, however once you get a few hundred meters underground, it gets quite warm, closer to 30 degrees.
It is dark in the Mine, the only light is from the headlamps
We had to use ladders go between levels in the mine.
Rock with Tin Ore in Bolivia Mine
Sarah squeezing the dynamite stick into a ball
Sarah and our guide putting the finishing touches to the charge
Fuse is lit
Merv wondering how fast the fuse burns….
We were a full two hours underground in the mine, and at certain times I must say I felt a little faint with the excessive heat , and then all of a sudden it would get really cold, plus the high altitude takes a while to get used to. All told this was a memorable experience and really worth doing, provided you don’t suffer from claustrophobic, or mind getting dirty!!
Flags and bunting left over in the mine from a festival
These huts are home to the miners during the week
Sarah in her Miners protective clothing having been down the mine in Potosi, Bolivia
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