Week 2 - Sucre & Potosi, Bolivia

Another week in Sucre has passed somewhat quite swiftly and can´t believe I only have one more week here left - must be a good sign!

It has been really easy to settle into daily life in Sucre.  I have become very familiar with many parts of the city through walking everywhere which has the added bonus of ensuring some much needed exercise!  Every one moves at a much slower pace than back home, but I find that quite appealing.  The people are generally friendly and accommodating, especially when asking for directions which I have resorted to on a number of occasions! One very noticeable thing which hits you almost immediately whilst exploring the city by foot is the number of dogs - they are everywhere!  Dogs of all shapes and sizes lie in doorways of shops and houses, and I often see them taking an afternoon nap on pavements, the middle of rounderbouts and even in internet cafes!   They cross the roads infront of oncoming traffic and cars literally stop to let them pass -  they seem to own the city!  Although from first impressions these dogs look homeless, they certainly look very well fed so I assume they must have owners - I am just amazed at the pure volume of them roaming the streets. 

Sucre has come alive in the last week as the students have started to pour in from other parts of Bolivia to commence school or university.  This has also had a rather unfavourable knock on effect on the amount of water balloon activity! However I have been luckier this week and have only experienced 3 near misses, I guess you could say I have become very good at spotting the culprits well in advance! In addition to water balloons, water guns seems very popular and as I was walking with some friends to the park on Saturday, one girl in my group got spectacularly ambushed by two young boys and was drenched from head to toe.  I can only put my dry state down to the fact that I am not blonde!

This week I moved to a different orphanage called Hogar Tata Juan de Dios.  This orphanage is located in the centre of Sucre and homes about 40 children between the ages of 1 month old to about 6 years old who have been abandoned by their parents or are waiting to be adopted.   The regular full-time staff consists of religious nuns and other local professionals.  The orphanage is very well maintained and the facilities are in very good condition.  I am currently looking after children aged 3 to 6 years old therefore have successfully avoided nappy changing so far!!  I spend the mornings playing with the children, either indoors with toys or outside in the playground when it´s sunny weather.  The children are all very sweet and some of them tend to call me ´mama´ and no amount of gentle persuasion seems to convince them otherwise so the name has stuck! 

The children all seem very happy at the orphanage and adore any kind of attention - they can often be quite demanding at times!  On occasions I have had about 4 or 5 climbing all over me so as you can imagine it can be physically exhausting!  I also help to feed them at lunchtime, especially the smaller kids who have not yet mastered the art of aiming their spoon directly into their mouths.   This can often end up with food all over the floor instead of in their stomachs! After lunch, the children tend to play for another half an hour and then I help put them to bed for their afternoon siesta.  I have really enjoyed volunteering at this orphanage, and I think I may end up going there again next week.  The staff there are all very friendly and I have slowly been picking up some spanish words here and there, though spending the majority of time with the children hasn´t lent itself to extending my vocabulary much!

              

This week I also started my spanish lessons at L´Academie Latin America in the afternoons which have been excellent.  I was in a group of 4 and each day we had 4 hours of grammar and conversation.  One afternoon our teacher told us to go out to the sqaure, Plaza de Mayo, and interview locals on the history of Sucre which was an interesting experience!  Although my spanish is improving day by day, understanding the strong accents of the locals can be quite difficult.  However it was a great way to practice conversation and some of the people I interviewed found my flustered and broken spanish quite amusing.

On the weekend I went to visit Potosi, a 3 hour bus journey from Sucre which amounted to 2 pounds - I am still amazed at how cheap everything here is in Bolivia.  I went there for one main reason; to visit one of the most famous mining towns in world history. 

Potosi is the world´s highest city with an altitude of 4,090 meters.  It was founded in 1545 following the discovery of silver ore in the Cerro Rico mountain (Cerro Rico means rich mountain in Spanish).  Potosi has significant historical importance due to the enormous volumes of silver it supplied the Spanish during the period when Spain were building their vast empire.  Between  1556 and 1783 45,000 tonnes of pure silver is reported to have been mined.   It was during this time that Potosi was renouned for being one of the wealthiest mining towns in the world, and the wealthiest city in the whole of Latin America.  During the mining tour I took,  a guide told us that the amount of silver extracted from the mountain was enough to build a bridge all the way from South America to Spain, and then followed on by saying that the same bridge could have been built using the bones of all the miners who died during that period which was approximately 16 million people.  The majority of the miners were imported African slaves or indigenous people from the Bolivian countryside who were forced to work in terrible conditions, working 18 hour days with no food.  The brutal treatment of these miners meant they often only lasted about 2 months before dying of exhaustion and starvation. 

Potosi - View from Cerro Rico

The silver became depleted in 1800 leading to the swift economic decline of Potosi.  Today the Cerro Rico mountain continues to be mined for minerals such as zinc and sica but often this is not a very lucrative income for the miners as locating the minerals can be pretty much hit and miss, and on days where no minerals are found the miners take home no income.   Approximately 9,000 people work in the mines of Cerro Rico, amongst them hundreds of children.   


The city is now a former shadow of its once prosperous existence, and this was clearly visible as the bus approached the centre.  Crumbling buildings, unmade roads, an unused railway line and much poverty greeted us.  I could immediately feel the thin air as I descended from the bus, however it was only when I started walking a few meters that I actually felt out of breath for the first time since being in Bolivia.  I arrived at a hostel where I booked a tour of the Candelaria mine amounting to just 100 Bolivianos (10 pounds).  The tour started in an hour so together with a friend, I went into the city centre to have lunch, known as ´almuerzo´.  In Bolivia, almuerzo is the main meal of the day and consists of 4 courses; a small starter, soup, main dish and dessert.  This huge feast amounts to a small cost of 12 Bolivianos, just over a pound.  All I can say is that after the soup I could barely manage another mouthful! Feeling stuffed to the brim we went to start our tour. 

After being fitted with very flattering miners tousers, jacket, helmet and boots the tour started with a visit to the miners market.  This is where miners go to get their daily supplies of dynamite, cocoa leaves, alcohol and cigarettes - the absolute nessecities for a typical Bolivian miner.  It is customary to give the miners gifts, so collectively the people in my group bought several sticks of dynamite , cigarettes and soft drinks.  One stick of dynamite cost 10 Bolivianos - about 1 pound.  I don´t think there is any such place in the world where you can just freely buy dynamite and at such a cheap price! The alcohol the miners like to enjoy whilst working in the mine is 95%, one person in our group bravely volunteered to try it and it was evident from his spluttering red face that it wasn´t a very pleasant experience!  The cocoa leaves are part of the essential diet of a miner whilst working.  Chewing the leaves helps to depress hunger and also ensures the miners remain alert throughout their shift.  I tried a couple but found the taste pretty appalling and ended up spitting them out after a few minutes! Maybe it would get better with more practice, however I have no idea how the miners get used to chewing these leaves day by day with no other form of substinence in the mine.   




All kitted out for the mine!


We then progressed to the Candelaria mine for what I can only describe as the most terrifying 2 hours of my life!  On entering the mine, we followed the guide for about 400 meters through a large tunnel where we were able to easily walk upright, only ducking our head occasionally where the ceiling dipped.   


Miner entering Candelaria mine



First 400 meters

 We then arrived at the Tio, still on the first level of the mine.  Every mine in the Cerro Rico mountain has a shrine to ´El Tio´, which is a representation of the god of the underworld.  The miners lay offerings at the foot of the shrine such as cocoa leaves and cigarettes and ask the Tio to bless them whilst they work in the mine. 


Tio

After visiting the Tio our guide informed us that the Candelaria mine has 4 levels and we would be visitng each during our tour - this was news to me! Slightly apprehensive, we continued our journey and descended a few meters by scrambling through much smaller tunnels.  At some points we were crawling on our hands and knees, and where it got very narrow and steep I adopted the sliding technique which is pretty self explanatory! The dust got worse as we descended each level and I found it increasingly hard to breathe, at some points bordering on suffocating.  This is definitely not for the claustrophobic types!  There were certain times during the 2 hours that I felt my panic rising and I had to continue to take deep breaths to calm myself down - it really was a scary experience, but at the same time hugely fascinating which is probably why I never opted to go back up to the surface at any time during the tour. 

Crawling through to Level 3

Climbing down to Level 4

When we finally made it to the 4th level, we met a miner and watched him for twenty minutes whilst he worked.  He was creating a hole with a hammer and chisel in order to lodge a stick of dynamite.  He explained this task would take him 2 hours.  This miner was aged 39 years old, which is a notably long life for a miner.   The average life expectancy of a miner is about 45 years of age.  This is largely due to the fatal ´Silicosis´ disease they contract over years of working in the mine.   Silicosis is often referred to as the ´black lung disease´ and is brought on by all the dust the miner is subjected to over many years.  Once a miner contracts silicosis, he has only months to live and towards the end of his life spends a lot of time coughing up blood. 


Miner at work on Level 4

We then progressed back up to Level 3 where we saw miners pushing huge carts full of the minerals they had collected.  The carts weigh about 10 tonnes when full, so I can imagine it´s physically exhausting work. 

Miners pulling a cart

Cart full of minerals

When we finally surfaced I have never felt such a wave of relief pass through my entire body! I was covered in dust and couldn´t believe breathing in gasps of fresh air could be so gratifying, even if somewhat difficult given the altitude.  I can only begin to imagine what it must be like to work constant 12 hour days in the mines, it really made me appreciate and get a better understanding of the appalling conditions the miners endure.  And the sad thing is that many of these miners have no other option as for them the only way to make a reasonable living to support their families and survive in Potosi is to work in the mines.  This is even with the knowledge that they most probably won´t live past 45-50, however they seem to readily accept this - I am not sure how, what a completely different world. 

Week 1 - Sucre, Bolivia

My first week in Bolivia is drawing to a close and it´s been pretty eventful to say the least!  After a 36 hour journey from Heathrow (3 flights, a 6 hour wait Miami airport, and an 8 hour wait in La Paz) I finally landed in Sucre, the former capital of Bolivia.  Sucre is located south of La Paz and has an altitude of 2,750m, so not as high as La Paz which is 3,660m.  So far the altitude hasn´t affected me so much apart from some mild headaches here and there.  Sucre, is the 5th largest city in Bolivia and still remains the constititional capital.  It is famous for its architecture of white washed colonial buildings with red tiles and is rich with history dating back to 1538.  It is full of museums and universities, and reflects a lot of the indigenous culture of Bolivia.  In the week that I have been here I have pretty much walked from one end of the city to the other, its not too big, but not too small either.  It has a lovely sqaure in the centre called Plaza de Mayo where all the locals tend to gather during lunch and in the evenings, and you also get a lot of shoe shine boys and beggars.  There is poverty in Sucre but it is not hugely visible.  There are a lot of wealthy students here who have come from La Paz and other areas, and a lot of professionals in the city centre.  However, once you start to get to the outskirts the city becomes a lot poorer, with a lot of run down houses and unmade roads. 

Sucre

Plaza de Mayo

On my arrival I got taken to the flat which I am sharing with other volunteers during my 3 weeks.  I was actually surprised at the good condition of the flat, it´s fairly large with 6 bedrooms, 2 kitchens and 2 lounge areas, and was very clean and well equipped.  I am currently sharing with 3 Danes (2 boys and 1 girl), a Swedish girl and a Japanese guy.  They are all a bit younger than me but are friendly and there haven´t been any frictions so far, well apart from one late night party which consisted of the flat being taken over by about 20 Danes until 2am!!!

My voluntary work started on Tuesday, and for the first week I volunteered at an orphanage/hospital for handicapped children.  I found the whole experience very challenging and a complete eye opener, but it was extremely rewarding.  The children were aged from about 2 to 8, and had various forms of physical or mental disability.  The majority of my work consisted of playing with the children and helping to feed them at lunch.  The difficult part was trying to connect with the children, particularly as my spanish is still very limited at the moment and often it was difficult to understand them.   However, it wasn´t very hard to put a smile on their faces once I got to know them, and they became familiar with me.  Apart from a few tantrums, some hair pulling, and food being thrown over me they were very sweet children and I was glad to be able to make their day for a few hours.  Next week I am moving to another orphanage which is for very small children ages 0-2 so that will be a completely different challenge altogether, and from what I am told involves a lot of nappy changing!!!

Juan Diegos Orphanage

Although Carnaval is not until March in South America, the people of Sucre tend to start their preparations quite early, and that involves a lot of water throwing! I was completely oblivious to this until I got smacked in the leg by a huge water balloon whilst walking by la Plaza de Mayo on Thursday afternoon.  It took me completely by surprise and managed to drench me all over!  Apparently water balloons figure prominently in the build up to and during the Carnaval and this is the norm for Sucre at this time of year.  The Swedish girl I live with informed me when she lived here for a month 2 years ago she would get hit by water balloons on average 6 times a day!  So I am now on my guard, and constantly awaiting another attack soon, apparently they like to aim at tourists and women, so I am a very likely target. 

On Saturday I went on a hike, called the Chataquilla trail, which was a 1 hour drive from Sucre.  The trail is 600 years old, dates pre inca era and covers a distance of approximately 6 km ascending from valley of Chaunaca to summit of the mountains of Chataquila.  It took about 2 hours to complete.   The scenery was breathtaking and the weather was beautiful  - a sunny and warm day which made the hike really enjoyable.  It was largely downhill and fairly easy. 

Chataquilla Trail

After the hike we visited a village called Potolo which is famous for its beautiful textiles.    The village is very poor with the main employment being farming and weaving.  We visited a couple of the houses and watched the women weaving which was fascinating.  It takes them up to 3 months to weave just one piece the size of a doormat, and that´s working 8 hours a day!   Each piece of weaving cost about 60 pounds which seemed a lot given the size (plus not exactly too sure what its main use would be) however once told of the amount of work that is put in to each item, and seeing the intricate design and the careful attention to detail, it seemed to me that such hard work isn´t justly rewarded.  These women were amazingly talented. 

Potolo

There was a very friendly American couple on the tour who helped translate what the guide was saying in spanish, although I am improving day by day I still have a long way to go before my spanish is up to a good level.  The American couple are attending the spanish school which I have signed up to for 2 weeks starting on Monday.  I will be having lessons every afternoon for 4 hours after my voluntary work, hopefully should be a pro in no time!

Today I went to Tarabuco, a village about an hour and a half drive from Sucre.  Tarabuco has one of the oldest indigenous cultures in Bolivia and has a huge traditonal market every sunday which largely consists of handicrafts and weavings.  It´s quite touristy so an easy prey for beggars and scammers, however the prices seemed really resonable and ended up buying a jumper, a bag and a purse all for 18 pounds which I was very pleased with!

Tarabuco Market

All in all my first week in Bolivia has been really interesting and an amazing experience which is a complete different world from home.  Whilst it has often been tough in terms of the major cultural differences and language barrier, I have really learned a lot through volunteering and I think it´s an excellent way to engage with the local people and get a better understanding of their local customs and history.  I look forward to what the next 2 weeks bring!