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Other entries in Potosí

Potosi - Mines and Hot Springs, also road blocks

Caught a bus at half 8, but left at half 9.   Got caught in 2 road blocks for about 3 hours, and had to walk through them, so a 3 hour journey turned in to 8, and ended with the 6 of us piling in to a taxi to the hostel.  Had a look around town, found out it was 4600m above sea level and got altitude sickness whilst walking around.  The next day we caught a bus to the hot springs for a short while before catching the bus back to go on a mine tour.  Stopped off at a random house to put on, overalls, boots and helmets.  Then walked across the road to get the miners some goodies such as, coca leaves, ciggarettes and alcohol.  And some dynamite!  Squashed back in to the land rover to drive to the mine.  Outside the mine, the guide prepard the dynamite and with a 2 minute fuse, put it on some wasteland and told us to step back.  Then BOOM.  Turned our headlamps on and went in to the mine.  Seen a few guys pushing some rocks out on trolleys and a miner mining up a tiny passage.  Pretty dusty and poor conditions with no light and very low ceilings.  On the way out we kept hitting our heads - Andy on nearly every beam.  Returned the gear and went back to the hostel, to get our bags and walk to the bus station, for a bus to Tupiza.