Potosí, Bolivia
What would you say if I gave you a gift of ammonium nitrate, coca leaves, dynamite, and a fuse? Well, today I did a mine tour outside of Potosí. It was a very sureal tour where I felt like I was on the set of some movie. But the men working were not actors or tour plants. They really do work six to twelve hour days (usually six days a week) and get paid based on international market rates. They could make about 250 USD in a month if they were really lucky (ie, they struck a good vein). But it is more likely that they make about six dollars a day. 6 · 26 != 250. I digress. The tour invloved some crawling on hands and knees to get into tight spaces to see the goings on. The start is through the colonial section of the mine and the techniques have not changed a whole lot. There were some two inch air hoses running deep into the mine but those did not bring fresh air but powered some air tools. The tour was lead by a guy who had been a miner for seven years and then a tour guide for twenty. He had a lot to say about the conditions and the people. It was a group of miners who got the gifts. It was a great tour and I would probably never do it again. All I could think about was working in a sulphur pit when I saw these guys. A very worth while experience.
In other news, I went to the cine today. I saw Mr and Mrs Smith. It was not THX or Sony digital and one could tell. They had the ambient volume up so loud that the dialouge was hard to hear. The locals don´t care because they read the subtitles anyway. Oh, and the movie was 75 cents. Sweet.
I am glad to hear that Brad is not dead in a ditch. Yea Brad! Yeah, no dead Brad! It sounds like you are getting along just fine. And lets give another shout out to Martin also not being dead in a ditch (with mustard). Yeah Martin!
Went to the market, got some textiles. Woohoo weaving.
Um... thats about all I have to say on the subject.
Hope all yous guys are doing well.
Mark
What would you say if I gave you a gift of ammonium nitrate, coca leaves, dynamite, and a fuse? Well, today I did a mine tour outside of Potosí. It was a very sureal tour where I felt like I was on the set of some movie. But the men working were not actors or tour plants. They really do work six to twelve hour days (usually six days a week) and get paid based on international market rates. They could make about 250 USD in a month if they were really lucky (ie, they struck a good vein). But it is more likely that they make about six dollars a day. 6 · 26 != 250. I digress. The tour invloved some crawling on hands and knees to get into tight spaces to see the goings on. The start is through the colonial section of the mine and the techniques have not changed a whole lot. There were some two inch air hoses running deep into the mine but those did not bring fresh air but powered some air tools. The tour was lead by a guy who had been a miner for seven years and then a tour guide for twenty. He had a lot to say about the conditions and the people. It was a group of miners who got the gifts. It was a great tour and I would probably never do it again. All I could think about was working in a sulphur pit when I saw these guys. A very worth while experience.
In other news, I went to the cine today. I saw Mr and Mrs Smith. It was not THX or Sony digital and one could tell. They had the ambient volume up so loud that the dialouge was hard to hear. The locals don´t care because they read the subtitles anyway. Oh, and the movie was 75 cents. Sweet.
I am glad to hear that Brad is not dead in a ditch. Yea Brad! Yeah, no dead Brad! It sounds like you are getting along just fine. And lets give another shout out to Martin also not being dead in a ditch (with mustard). Yeah Martin!
Went to the market, got some textiles. Woohoo weaving.
Um... thats about all I have to say on the subject.
Hope all yous guys are doing well.
Mark
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