As we approached the World Heritage Bolivian city of Potosí, all we saw was a dominating and unnaturally stark mountain with a city at its feet. In the cold thin air of the inhospitable Andes ranges, it is an unlikely location for what was once the largest and wealthiest city of the Americas.

When the Spanish first arrived in the 1540’s they saw the same mountain, but in their eyes it was a mountain of money. Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), also known as the “mountain that eats men alive”, contained an inconceivable amount of silver thus setting Potosí’s great rise and fall. I had to go inside for a look.

After signing my risk disclaimer and donning a helmet, overalls and gumboots, I entered the mines (Fiona opted out having done this eight years before). It was a dangerous place and the already thin air became stale, thick with dust and much harder to breath. One girl was panic stricken when she discovered the guide didn’t have an emergency oxygen tank in his back-pack. But for the miners of Potosí, these issues are the least of their problems. Poisonous gasses (including arsenic, silica dust and asbestos), dynamite blasts, rock falls and runaway trolleys – to name a few hazards – have all lead to as many as eight million deaths over three centuries of Spanish rule. This is a figure I find difficult to fathom, but has been quoted in a number of places.

Back then, the need for manpower was enormous. Indigenous communities, already being wiped out by European diseases, were forced to work in the mines. They were joined by countless African slaves shipped in to help meet the demand. But the Spanish discovered a secret weapon: the traditional indigenous practice of chewing coca leaves was originally declared evil by the Catholic Church and banned. This decision was later reversed when they realised that it increased miners’ productivity. It even became mandatory for miners to chew it. In this way the Spanish were able to keep miners underground for six or more months at a time and have them work 48 hour shifts. If they survived this, their eyes had to be covered for weeks when they came out into the light again.

The miners turned to religion to help them survive. Outside the mines they prayed to God, the new one taught to them by the Spanish, but underground in the mines they sought protection and success from Pachamama (Mother Earth) and Tio (the Andean Devil). We were led to one of the many large statues of Tio deep in the mine. The miners offer him cigarettes and coca leaves. They also offer him pure alcohol (96%) and to show their devotion, they drink it too. It tastes foul, but I found the second mouthful wasn’t as bad.

Today, the government mines have long since closed down, leaving only small companies and mining cooperatives to scavenge for what little mineral is left. Whilst miners can earn a bit more than the minimum wage, they usually die of silicosis pneumonia within 10-15 years. For the injured and terminally ill, they often have no choice but to continue working.  For the widows and families left behind, the children have often taken the place of their father in the mines. In 2010, it was estimated that 1,000 children work in the mines. We were deeply moved by the story of a 14 year old boy who had worked as a miner for four years, as depicted in the documentary “The Devil’s Miner”.

The city retains many impressive colonial buildings but seems to be struggling to survive. It doesn’t seem right that a city (and a country) which possessed such enormous natural wealth that was exploited by the Spanish to fund their empire for three centuries, is now South America’s poorest country.

Now, the risk of this mine collapsing is very real. This mountain has been continually mined for nearly 500 years and today has over 4,000 tonnes of earth removed from it each day. It was a relief getting out and I was exhausted and aching from the all the crawling and crouching through the low tunnels. It was a sobering experience, but I agree with Fiona: one visit is enough. Luckily for us we have that choice.

Posted by Matt

More of the story is told in the photos and captions below. Extra photos are in our gallery.

Cerro Rico towers over the city of Potosí, the highest large city in the world at 4000m. The mountain is now around 300m lower than when the Spanish arrived due to mining.

Before entering the mines, we were taken to the miners’ market. Most miners today need to buy their own tools and equipment. That’s dynamite in the hands of our tour guide wih a 30 second fuse. Anyone can buy it.

Another important supply for miners – 96% pure alcohol for drinking and sharing with Pachamama and Tio in the mines. We’ve also seen this used as a cleaning product in hotels!

Making our way through the three kilometres of tunnels we would walk / crawl that day.

I don’t know what this blue goop looking stuff is, but we were strictly told not to touch or brush it as we walked past, if we knew what was good for our health.

This is one of many grotesque statues of Tio, housed in caves within the mountain. It is not known how long this particular one has been here, but is believed to be from colonial times.

This miner, at the end of a long narrow tunnel, hand drills a hole with a hammer and chisel, soon to be filled with dynamite.

Getting the rock out of the mine is usually carried by the miners (typically about 40kg each on their backs). Where tracks have been layed, these trolleys are used. They have no brakes and pick up a lot of deadly speed. On the wall behind you can see llama blood from some recent sacrifices to Pachamama.

Some of the tourists (and Matt fourth from right) getting to know the miners. You can see the miners are chewing coca leaves because they have a big bulky wad inside one of their cheeks. Notice also the bottle of pure alcohol.

A sample some of the first coins minted in Potosi. The minting process improved dramatically over the two centuries the mint was operating.

This chest was used to transport the silver. The elaborate locking system was a masterpiece and included a fake lock on the front to help foil the pirates. When occaisionally a shipment of silver to Spain was lost, it was considered by them a national disaster.

The city of Potosi as seen from half way up Cerro Rico, near the Catholic church built on the mountain.