Potosi and Tupiza... Silver and Banditos

After spending two days at Potosi, I arrived in Tupiza by a bumpy overnight bus ride. Imagine sitting in one of those paint shakers at Home Depot and you generally have the idea. The roads in Bolivia are terrible and you are constantly being bounced off your seat.

Tupiza is a small, sleepy town surrounded by red canyons which is the staging ground for 4X4 tours into the

famous Salt Flats or Salar De Uyuni. I have signed up for a four-day tour starting tomorrow with three other people I haven´t met yet. The stars are supposed to be incredibly clear (due to 4000+ meter elevation and remoteness) and I expect to be freezing at night as the accomodations have no insulation or heating.Tupiza is also known as the place where Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid died nearby in a shoot out with the Bolivian army on November 7, 1908 following their robbery of a payroll caravan. The bandits actually died in the small mining settlement of San Vincente just north of Tupiza. Their bodies are still buried there.

As there are general elections in Bolivia this October, President Morales is making appearances throughout the country including Potosi. I kept missing the `big guy´ by a day or two throughout Bolivia but not in Potosi. After walking up the hill where the town is built and settling in a cheap hotel, I waited below blue and white political banners with the rest of the locals including many miners. No one knew when he would show up and more than once the crowd moved, unsure of his exact route. Then with some stir in the air, the president quickly walked up the street with a crowd of officials, police and army personnel. He walked so fast I could hardly get a picture, so I went behind the stage and when he got off after making a speech, I climbed onto the stage to get some pictures as he walked by.

Bolivia....  where else can you get within 5 feet of the president or buy a stick of
dynamite and bag of cocoa leaves at a convenience store. In Potosi, I joined a mining tour of one of the mines in the El Cerro Rico (beautiful mountain) that looms above Potosi. The mountain is also known as the "consumer of men" and at its peak output, 80 000 miners toiled in the mountain. It is estimated 8 to 9 million people have died mining this mountain.  There are still 16 000 men, women and children (as young as fourteen years old) working the mines but in cooperatives (independent of any companies).

Silver was found in mountain in 1545 and the first mine into the mountain began in 1609. Incredibly, 57 billion tons of silver ore was extracted from this mountain and even after 400 years, minerals like tin, copper and small traces of silver (only 3-4% now) are still being mined. It is estimated the mountain can be mined for another 200 years by hand (or 50 years by heavy machinery). None of the ore is processed in Bolivia and all is sold in its raw form. In the old colonial days, essentially all the wealth was sent to the Spanish Empire as indigenous slaves were used, many living (and dying) inside the mines. They often lived inside the mines for six months. Most miners today live to about 45 to 50 years old but develope lung problems, breathing in the sulfur, asbestos and dust all day. The most common death in the mine is carbon monoxide poisoning but luckily, the mountain is made of volcanic granite, so cave-ins are unlikely.

I decided to take the mine tour in the morning as they do the blasting in the afternoon and it is even more dustier. All the miners chew cocoa leaves to stay alert, get energy and not feel hungry and they continue to be very superstitious. They still will make offerings to the underground god and mother earth (pacha mama). There was a statue in our mine with offerings of pure alcohol (for pure silver), cocoa leaves and cigarettes.

Going on the tour is a sombre experience. If you are claustrophobic (afraid of small, confined spaces) or have respiratory problems. This is not the place for you. There is little to no lighting in the cave (except for your headlamp) as you walk, duck and crawl through the muddy or dusty mine passages  for about three hours that are at times unpleasantly hot and humid. This is a harsh and unforgiving work place. There are no medical facilities on the entire mountain. Occasionally you will see miners dig and shovel pieces of rock still by hand, quickly scrambling down one of the vertical tunnels that go several hundred meters or hauling and
pushing old iron car or wheel barrels. On an average day, three miners will pull/ pull 2.5 tons of ore on a cart for about 1 km on a rusty track ten times a day. Children called helpers will transport slightly ligher 1.5 ton loads. In some tight spots, miners are carrying sacks of ore haunched over. There are also families that work the mines with brothers or father and sons irking a small living. And how much do they make  for 6 days a week of 8-hour back breaking days? Miners earn between $78 to $155 a week while the children make $15 to $19. A sad reality.

Sucre Is Super !!!

The former capital of Sucre is a relaxed and beautiful city with white washed buildings, lovely gardened and fountained main square and a great food market. The city probably has the best market I have seen so far in Central and South America. The Spanish influence definitely shows as the market is organized with the fresh vegetables and fruits, meats (including cow snout) and cheese on the ground floor in their own areas. The cheap local food is upstairs where you can have lunch
for under $2 or a Bolivian hamburger stuffed with french fries for 0.80 cents. Best of all, there are fresh fruit stands where you can sit and sip some papaya, tumbo, or passion fruit juices or munch on a big cup of fruit salad.

Sucre reminds me of Seville, Spain with the beautiful architecture, thirty-one churches and numerous colleges and universities.  The city was founded as an administrative and governmental city to the silver mining town of Potosi. At one time, Potosi probably produced the most silver in the world and was exploited by the Spanish Empire as essentially all the wealth was sent to Spain. Blessed with a warmer climate, Sucre became the home of many weathy families and occasional royality. Once the silver started drying up in Potosi, the capital city was moved to La Paz as it was closer to Lima, Peru and the coastal port as the government personnel did not want to undertake the long journey to this city. Sucre was also apparently the first place in South America that started the revolution to break away from the Spanish Empire  in 1809 as Napoleon began his invasion of Spain the previous year. Ironically, Sucre was also one of the last places to gain independence.

While in Sucre, I signed up for a 4-day trek with the highly recommended non-profit Condor Tours to a nearby mountain side, canyon, Maragua Crater and waterfalls. Although the trail was relatively easy and we did not need to carry a tent or sleeping bag as we slept in the Jaiq'a villages along the way, I was still breathing heavy due to the altitude, being out of shape and eating too much fried chicken.

On the first day, we walked past rock formations jutting out from the ground like rocket ships and saw 2000-year old pictographs made by pre-Inca cave settlements. Walking through some of the stratified canyon walls and hillside, it looked very similar to Arizona or New Mexico. We also followed some million-year old dinosaur tracks up a hill.

On the last day of the trek, we ended up in a small dusty town. Following the sound of music and possibly a fiesta, another traveller and I happened to come across four drunk guys with bad teeth under a blue tarp with three large speakers. They insisted we drink some chicha (an alcoholic corn drink) from a wooden bowl dipped in a plastic bucket of the grey, green liquid. They assured us it was safe and "natural" as I drank the bitter drink. Unfortunately, diarrhea is also "natural" and for the past 20 hours, my Bolivian experience has been my bed and the toilet. I have since found out that chicha is traditionally made by chewing and spitting out the corn in a bucket which is then fermented for several months in the ground. Lovely.

I also learned from the trek that it takes 7 kg of cocoa leaves to produce a gram of cocaine. To the utter shock of an Italian couple on our trip,  Bolivians like to "toast" their pasta  (pan fry the pasta in oil) before boiling it. And to my utter amazement, young Bolivians like K-Pop (Korean Pop) and will lipsync and mimic the dance moves of their favorite Kotean singer. Some of them will even dress and act Asian. Ah, the power of the internet and pirated DVDs and CDs.

Feeling better today and time to grab some lunch.

Festival Time !!!

For the past three days, the nearby town of Quillacollo has been celebrating the festival of the "Virgen de Urkupina" (Virgin Mary of Urkupina).

The first two days, there was an impressive 7 km parade offers  groups of marching dancers, bands and colourful costumes, making their way to the church. Once they arrive, the members get on their knees and receive a blessing from the priest. Each day, the parade last for 10 hours or so of continuous groups of dancers in varous themes and colours. There is also a tradition in the nearby rocky hill to break a piece off which is considered sacred and to return the same piece the following year to have a wish and blessing. There is also some ceremony to "Pachamama (mother earth) involving pouring alcohol around the rock that is to be broken off and making a toast. I always find it interesting how indigenous customs and traditions get integrated into Christian celebrations and practices.

Taking the night bus soon to Sucre. I have bought llama mittens, hat and scarf in anticipation of the colder days to come.

Via Bolivia

I am in the third largest city in Boliva, Cochabamba known for highly activist movement in the country and a gaint statue of Jesus overlooking the city (a Bolivian version of Rio, minus the beaches). In 2002, the citizens of the city essentially protested and kicked out an Americian water company from California that was attempting to privatize their water with the support of the then ruling government. The company went as far as proposing to charge for rain! This movement came to be known as the "water wars." Unfortunately, this did not resolve the water shortage in the area and many Cochabamba residents continue to have only running water two times a week (and them rely on their own storage tanks) while more affluent neighborhoods have running water three times a week.

The current and prolific president, Evo Morales participated in this "water wars" movement. Being the first Indigenious president in the country in 2005, Morales is a controversial figure with his nationalization of mining and gas industries (similar to Canada, Bolivia is an exporter of raw resources) and leftists policies with social, health and educational programs including the elimination of the illiteracy, limiting land holdings, attempts to re-distribute wealth and increased Indigenous rights. Morales has also kicked out US Peace Corp out of the country, unsucessfully attempted to kick out Coca Cola three times (once blaming the drink for baldness), calling Israel a "terrorist state", attempting to levy an environental tax on developed countries in Europe and North America, and changing the name of the country from the Republic of Bolivia to the Plurinational State of Bolivia with the new constitution of 2009 and in doing so, he can run for another presidential term (a constitutional loop hole).

Bolivians are highly opinionated about their president. Not doing enough, doing too much. It depends on who you talk to and where they come from. Bolivia continues to be the poorest country in South America and viewed by it's citizens as corrupt (though maybe a little less by some).

With wide boulevards, a young university population, and an unpolished feel, Cochabamba makes a nice contrast to the tranquil, highland town of Samaipata. The town is small enough to know your way around in about 20 minutes and is the perfect balance between having travellers' amenities (internet, cafes and international food with surprisingly good Mexican food) while retaining it's small town character. The friendly locals still gather around the town plaza (square) or market, local festivals still occur with the town brass band playing and locals drinking and dancing the night away and day to day life continuing among the wandering tourists. The town has not become too commercialized yet as there are no major hotels or gated resorts around, no franchise fast food places or supermarkets and the unfortunate trappings of too much money and tourists (hassling touts, prostitution, drugs and crime) that push locals out. I wonder how long this will last as more foreign owners are buying property and starting businesses. The town  has apparently 41 nationalities already.

Samaipata also feels like a treking town as it is jumping off point to the nearby Archeological pre-Inca site of "El Furte" where intricate carvings and temple and administrative site were built on a huge granite rock that sits on top of a hill. My ride up the 9 km dirt road was bumpy in the trunk of station wagon but it was relatively close by. You can also join a tour for the "Ruta de Che" and follow revolutionary Che Guevara's last days as he was captured and then executed in a nearby village of La Higuera in 1967. Samaipata is also close by to the entrance of the Amboro National Park that us unique as you can traverse through three biospheres, the Amazon basin, the dry, red dirt Chako and the beginning of the cooler Andes mountains. I joined a three-day trek and convinced some other travelers to come as well (the larger the group, the lower the costs) into the beautiful park. We camped in the lush jungle by a river, full of hungry mosquitoes and hiked above the tree line one day, bush wacked through thick, muddy foliage and through canyons on another day to catch the beautiful views and see the many Condors and other birds that live there. It is always funny to go on treks as group dynamics happen and the varying camping experience. As the trip was inexpensive ($60 for three days), I brought extra food and as I anticipated, the tent was lousy with broken zippers, holes in the netting and an useless fly to soak up water. Luckily, it did not rain. All this traveling has made me out of shape but this trip is a good start for treks in the higher altitudes.

Off to back my bag and push off. Another night, another bed.

Down In Bolivia

Before I left Asuncion, I explored the warrens of the local mercado, going in one alley entrance to the next and seeing my last chippa stand in search of the authentic Korean restaurant. I found it... The Gang Nam restaurant and admittedly the Gang Nam Style song ("Hey, sexy lady") was going through my head as I walked up to the door. But atlas, it was not to be as the restaurant was closed. My kimchi fix will have to wait.

I am thoroughly enjoying Bolivia so far and started exploring this country through the eastern city of Santa Cruz in the tropical and temperate region. Bolivia topography is impressively varied and there are also the western highlands, salt flats, Amazon basin and mountain regions which I plan to see later on. When you come into a new country, it always takes a few days to learn how things work here. I always say the first $50 is a write off as you are likely paying too much for food, taxis, etc. and your way around.

Like most countries in Central and South America, most shops close on Sundays, traffic quiets down and families spend time together. In Santa Cruz, families often go to the Sunday market in the nearby quaint town of Cotoca with lots of street food and artisan stalls surrounding the town square. The chica de mochinchi stands serving refreshingly cold and sweet peanut drinks and various plates or bowls of maize and chicken soup, majadito (skewered meat), spicy chicken or carne de saldo (pork) with rice. And yes, the garden gnomes are here too. The other place for a Sunday walk is the expansive botanical gardens which for $0.50  is good value.  Sloths, crocodiles, butterflies, ostriches, and mosquitoes, no extra charge. Bolivia is even cheaper than Paraguay and though a little rougher around the edges, the people are down to earth. Santa Cruz has a popular plaza to relax, eat ice cream and people watch the afternoon or evening away. With a pleasant, brick cathedral nearby and mostly one or two story buildings, central Santa Cruz feels more like a town than a city.

Not so pleasant was the bus ride from Asuncion  to Santa Cruz. What was supposed to be a 20-hour bus ride turned out to be 30-hour bumpy and dusty ride on uneven pavement, first through the arid and shrubby Chaco and much later into Bolivia. The bus that was advertised at the booking office was not the one we would ride in. Air conditioning meant opening or closing the windows and the washroom likely had not been cleaned since  the date of production. Typically, the bus rarely stopped, maybe four or five times for official checks and fuel as saran wrapped meals are provided. Bring food as breakfast was a juice box and four cookies. I also think this bus ride gave me constipation as I  refused to be jostled around in the filthy toilet and I kept telling myself that you didn't need to go.

While waiting for the bus at Gate 15, 16 & 17 (as we were told) and wondering why it was taking so long. Only to find out at the last moment the bus picked people up outside the bus terminal and we had to rush across the road to just catch the bus before it left. There were constant police checks along the way looking for drugs and a thorough baggage check in the Paraguaya with a sniffer dog. On the other hand, the Bolivian side was more laxed as they demanded to see our bags and the guards simply squeezed or slapped the baggage like a drum to past inspection.

It will be Bolivia's Independence Day tomorrow and likely there will be much celebration. It sunny and I am off to explore more of Santa Cruz.