A man's job
_DISCLAIMER: Viewer discretion: Photos at the end of the post can be shocking, so faint of heart and animal lovers should not go there..._*EDITED*
As promised, here's some enlightenment about mining in Potosí. Mining (at least there) is by far the toughest job I have seen, and not just physically. Now all you überfemisists can wave your fists in the air and rip your skirts, but I was there and I am telling you, that mine is no place for a woman. Actually, it is no place for a man either, but there they are. I know I would not last even a day of that stuff, three hours was already pushing it and I was just observing!
They work at inhuman circumstances, in the heart of the mountain (level 5, some 700 meters underground) it is over 50 degrees and already on the second level (some 250 meters under ground) breathing is difficult and photos taken there show particles in the air. Of course, compared to sea level we are still talking about over 3500 meters.. Though diseases are just the second most common reason for dying (most common being exploding or dying in a cave-in caused by one), it is said that few live over 15 years past the day they start to work in the mines. Most common diseases they die of are respiratory diseases or stomach problems. Back in the glory days of the city they brought African slaves to the mines, but they could not take it and were put to housework instead. Now there are about 400 mines in the area, with some 38 mining companies and over 12,000 miners. One group of workers can produce about 8 tons of minerals per week, so no lazy business there..
I went on a tour that took us to the miners market, a mineral refinery (less impressive) and a mine itself. Probably the most amazing part for me was the market, where we went to buy the miners some gifts as a thanks for having us for a visit. Anybody could just walk in and buy dynamite! Also, second big hit on fridays is pure, potable alcohol (96%) which is the miners' delight (NOT mixed). And third, as the country is Bolivia, Coka leaves. All these and much more stuff were on sale at this market because all the miners pass it on their way to work. And buying any of those things is completely legal! At this point I must add that the Coka leaves are not a drug, they are actually used for everyday tea as well.. So even though I got to "try" all of the above, I will keep off the refined Coka, prefer beer and not begin a career as a terrorist. To explain why miners like that stuff, the dynamite is rather obvious but pure alcohol is preferred as it is best to carry the least amount to the mine and it lasts long and it supposedly even tastes good (get a load of these guys!!). Coka leaves are traditionally chewn (with or without catalysts, but I was told the proper amount is 200-500 leaves at a time!) here to get rid of hunger, tiredness and pain -the miners' main excuse is that they can not bring food to the mine so their luch must be Coka leaves. Here's one happy camper with his purchases -dynamite, pure alcohol and a bag of Coka:
The mine itself was also quite a shocker. The first picture is the happily unaware "before" picture. Then you have me at the fourth level (we did not go deeper, thank God) and finally an "after", a walking corpse again totally unaware of anything and just minutes before the dynamite explosion..
In the mine they revere the tio, the mine god. It has many forms but as Chiristianity tried to get rid of it, it is often depicted as the devil. Tio needs to be living happily with Pachamama, Mother Earth (bfore every drink you must pour some on the ground -or floor- for her), so that the miners are safe and get the riches out of the mine. Pachamama's dealings are next, at the already infamous end of the post. Before that also a picture of men at work on the third level, note the particles in the air.
So, I stayed for an extra day in Potosí as there was a big miner celebration in honor of Pahcamama coming up. The deal was, to make a long story short, that the miners had a day off and after a morning of soccer games the groups bought some living llamas from the market and sacrificed them in front of the mine. Heavy alcohol use, explosions and barbecue were also in the picture. So here we go with some gruelsome evidence of the event (EDIT: I took out the most shocking photos, see next post):
*CENSORED*
*CENSORED*
Blood bowls were thrown everywhere, as the blood blessed their houses etc. -well guess who also got a good load of it? Yep, the right man in the right place, me. I got llama blood all over my side and at that point had no choice but to travel 11 hours in a bus with bloody clothes. Luckily they were black so nobody (hope) noticed. I left the party before the alcohol use got out of hand; when I got on the bus I saw them fixing something with dynamite..
But, in the end, such wonders are going on in the Unesco World Heritage list town, Potosí. Now I invite all the chicks (and guys) who got interested to go join a mining group in Bolivia!
posted by Kassu @ 4:35 PM
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