The mountain that eats men

Arriving in Potosi, one of the highest cites in the world , was not so difficult to manage as I the chance to acclimatise during my desert tour. This city is split over many different levels, makes a simple stroll at the 4,090m altitude rather breathtaking. Laying at the base of Cerro Rico ("rich mountain") it was the major supplier of silver to Spain during their world empire, making it the wealthiest city in Latin America during the period.

Taking a cab up to the recommended Koala Den hostal, I spent 45 minutes standing at reception until I wandered up and found a cleaner upstairs that was able to show me in to a room. My promised towel did not arrive in two days and shows clear lack of customer service, at least their free breakfast (which is standard inclusion in hostels in Latin America) was the best I have come across yet; eggs, toast, coffee, tea, fresh juice, banana shake, fruit and pancakes.

I decided to spend a little extra and go with Big Deal (previously Real Deal) tours who employ ex miners as guides, defects from Koala Den tours which was already winning points in my book. Renaldo spoke great English and talked me through the tour, a unique opportunity to go down inside a working mine where you will see some of the 10,000 independent miners at work. Some of the profits go back to the miners and you are guaranteed a genuine insight as the guide will introduce you to his friends along the tour. The only catch is signing your life away.

Straight after breakfast a mini van picked up myself and then Paul, the only two gringos on the morning tour and took us too the miners market for supplies. Here we are encouraged to buy gifts for the miners including coca leaves, soft drinks and dynamite!! (who could resist the urge to freely buy such and awesome gift). We then dropped past a house where we got kitted up in our miners pants, jacket, boots and head gear.

First stop on the tour was the refinery where there miners truck loads of pulverised rock is dropped of for sorting and processing(mostly silver, iron and copper). Safety protocols were absent as we strolled on shaky wooden planks amongst the vats of dangerous chemicals and toxic waste. The whole process of refining the minerals from the rocks seemed so primitive, yet impressive at the same time.

Next up was the main event, our tour inside Cerro Rico itself, the next few hours were to be spent exploring some of the hundreds of mine shafts. Outside in the favela style community, miners sat around everywhere chewing coca leaves enjoying the fine day. Apparently this morning was set aside to review safety standards and what areas needed repair, a slightly reassuring sign before we entered the depths.

Our guide led us to a gated passed and instructed that we turn on our headlamps as it would be very dark inside, no other lighting would be available. We then descended into the pitch black, keeping close in tail with our guide who kept reminding us to duck as we continually smashed our helmets against the roof of the narrow shaft. This is certainly no place for claustrophobic as at times we had to hunch so low that we were almost crawling, not so much of an issue for the Bolivians and their short stature.

Miners here generally work in small cooperatives in sections that have been passed down in generations. All the profits are kept for themselves, although income is totally dependent on finding the minerals in the first place. There was a time that the government ran mines in the mountain and offered a fixed salary including sick and holiday benefits, but this was shut down after 20 years as the incentive for the workers to abuse the work ethic was too great. Some tourists even volunteer to work here for up to a week, although after 5 minutes of giving them a hand, I think I'd rather stick with my desk job back home.

Once we had been walking for around an hour we ran into El Tio, the devil inside the mine who is worshipped by the workers to deliver them greater yields. The miners will give offerings including coca leaves, cigarettes and even sit around to drink Potable (the 96% alcohol favoured by the workers). Once a year they have a festival where Llamas are slaughtered inside the mine and family's are welcomed in to take part in the BBQ feast that follows.

With out bandannas tightly fastened to help filter out the dusty air, we climbed a few ladders up to the next mine, watching out the whole time as workers push their tonne loaded wagons full of rocks down the narrow shaft. We ran in to our final group of miners who were drilling out holes for dynamite, a perfect opportunity to hand over my explosive gift. So confident of their skills, they asked us to turn off our headlamps so they could demonstrate the ability to keep drilling in the dark.

Outside Paul and I sat with a couple of miners who had obviously been hitting the Potable for a few hours, very eager for us to join then and chew a for coca leaves. The whole experience while enjoyable, definitely makes you realise how lucky we are in a developed society with out relatively safe jobs and guaranteed incomes.

This mine is said to provide a life expectancy of 40 years mainly due to Silicosis (lung disease) although there is always the very real risk of collapses as the mountain is mined out like a big piece of swiss cheese. On the flip side, a lot of the miners here are earning well above the minimum wage and are able to provide a decent standard of living for their families.

Bolivia and the salt flats

So after wasting far too much time at the bus station trying to figure out a bus route direct to Bolivia (avoiding Paraguay and their $135 visa fee for Australians), I settled on a 42 hr route that would get me to Bolivia wihout any overnight stopovers on the way. This quickly escalated to 48 hours from hostel door to door after a bus delay and a 3hr customs queue at the border after we arrived just after two tour bus loads, made even more frustrating by my near win at in bus bingo.

First on the list of my Bolivian adventures was to do a jeep tour of the salt flats, from Tupiza up to Uyuni over 4 days. Most people will start the tour in Uyuini where there over 100 tour operaters compared to less than 10 in Tupiza, meaning you are likely to have a lot less jeeps cruising the desert at the same time. An unfortunate girl gave me a hot tip not to book through the hostel we were staying at.. she was subsequently kicked out by the arrogent owner, her solid advice later confirmed across the town. I ended up booking with La Torre Tours upon the advice of a dutch couple for an early morning depature. We got a great price due to two jeeps leaving at once and my seat replacing one of the cooks who's duties were shared by the cook in the other vehicle. All that was left to do was a terribly translated haircut at the local barber.

Having stocked up on rum and chocolate bars, the rest of the tour was fully inclusive for the 4 days we would be rocking accross the desert thanks to the ipod assited car stereo. Having missed the famous Atticama desert in northern Chile, this conneted piece of baron landscape was not quite as dry or arguably spectacular, none the less we were in for a very memorabe adventure, should we survive until the end. Of slight convern was the flat tyre, replaced by a very worn spare that was then followed by a broken suspension that our guide / mechanic decided was no big loss for the next 3 days.

Our first days journey started through amazing rock formations carved out from generations of intense winds, a popular attraction for visitors to Tupiza who only indulge in day trips. We then shared toilets with herds of Llamas that meticulously all shit in the same small piles dotted across the landscape. We made a quick stop for lunch at one of the desert villages, these range in size from a few 'houses' up to a few dozen, such a baron and isolated existence for the families that rely on Llama herding or extracting minerals from the rivers when they flow in the wet season.

Next stop was the Bolivian deserts version of Machu Piccu, with its crumbling stone buildings making for quite an impressive sight. I cant remember which vintage these structures were, however they looked very, very old. Standing at 4,690m the cold desert air took bite as soon as we stepped out of the comfort of our Toyota Landcruiser that would hopefully survive the mini adventure.

Our ever comical guide raised the mood of the day (which had now dragged out in to its 10th hour due to mechanical problems) with an instant sugar fix from a round of lolly pops. To his credit, the mechanic delays meant we reached the days final destination just as a beautiful sunset set fire to the mountain range. We were treated to an evening Pan Flute show by some local kids after somebody decided to tip them a few Bolivianos, I'm yet to stumble across a gringo that actually derives enjoyment from the irritating sound these little instruments produce.

Up early for the second day our guide was already polishing the vehicle after somehow miraculously repairing the broken suspension, at least we had the shiniest jeep cruising the desert. Our first treat was a grassy wetland filled with Llama's. While these animals appear to be wild, upon closer inspection they generally have bright little tags reflecting ownership. Later confirmed by stone compounds that sometimes contained hundreds of the walking tourist sweaters.

Another first sight for me was at the next location where we stumbled across lakes filled with pink flamingos. These majestic animals that feed off the watery vegetation are mesmerising to watch. Quite happy for visitors to come up and take close snaps, they put on quite a show as they cruise across the lakes in search of their next meal. As a protected species in this area of the desert, we couldn't help but wonder how they would taste, roasted with a delicious crispy skin.

This trip was beginning to tick many firsts off the list as we then pulled up to a volcano that boasted a striking turquoise lake at its base. The water looked so inviting from the comfort of our transport, however stepping out in to powerful desert wind, we grabbed a quick few jumping shots (a common theme for this outing) before retreating back to the warmth of our jeep.

Having worked up a decent hunger from the mornings exploration, we eagerly smashed back a steak and chips lunch before the much anticipated hot springs. Set beside a lake, the warm hot spring was an inviting scene for bunch of tourists who had hardly acclimatized to the cold desert air, quickly stripping down and taking position to enjoy a few local beverages.

Just as the altimeter on my handy Suunto watch ticked over 5,000m and our team began to feel the effects of decreased oxygen levels, mother nature impressed us yet again with the ground puffing smoke from a field of geysers. The air outside was thick with the smell off sulfide as we carefully navigated this natural phenomenon, careful not to misplace a step into the bubbling pits of mud.

On our way to the final destination we passed a very unusual sight, an array of ice columns shaped by the wind that seemed very out of place in the middle of a desert. How they manage to withstand days of constant sun beating down is beyond me. Before retiring for another evening of rum hot chocolate ad stargazing, we investigated one final flamingo habitat, a large red lake thats colors were tuned from the immense mineral deposits.

A clear sign of a harsh night on the thermometer, I woke up to a water bottle that had completely frozen over, another reminder of what a handy purchase my down jacket was. Progressing deeper in to the desert and its endless ability to impress us, we reached an unusual deposit of large rocks. Apparently they were scattered by a volcano many moons ago, and subsequently shaped by fierce winds. A natural playground for tourists who love to climb anything that presents a challenge.

More flamingo filled lakes and an abandoned military base that looked like something out of an early Star Wars film and we reached our nights accommodation. This unusual hotel was constructed almost entirely out of slat; everything from the walls, beds, tables and chairs. Being our last night we settled in to a delicious feast, few games of pool and celebratory drinks.

Very early the next morning we set out to the cactus island in the middle of the salt flats for a spectacular sunrise. Our haste to get out of bed and wear every piece of warm clothing in defence of the cold was rewarded by a very special morning, not so much for other groups that were not so quick and didnt even make it to the island by the time the sun crept over the surrounding landscape.

The final treat was the main reason everybody embarks on this tour, taking amazing perpective pictures on the vast white Bolivian salt flats, testing you photography creativeness to the limit, its actually a lot harder than it looks!