Cerro Rico Silver Mine has to be one of the most dangerous places in the world. Started the day with a visit to the miners market to buy some dynamite (honest). Talk about "Explosives R Us", dynamite, fuses, potassium nitrate, you could get the lot. I spent $3 on enough gear to have my own big bang party and then headed of to the refinery. In hindsight I should have taken this as a sign of things to come with absolutely no health or safety precautions to be seen. Raw machinery, toxic fumes, in fact danger everywhere, and this was before I even got to the mine.
Next on the agenda, setting off the explosive, and after a quick demo I was moulding the dynamite around the fuse, and lighting the end. In typical Bolivian style it was now time for a photoshoot with the fuse rapidly burning towards the explosive, until our guide in a slightly aggitated voice said ... "run" !! Having done 100m in under 10secs there was just ime to turn round to see the explosion go off.
So with the warm act finished I entered the mine were conditions were horrendous. No modern machinery, just men against the mountain with the minimum of protection. A mouthful of cocoa leaves to filter the deadly gases that kill most of the miners by the age of 45, and an occasional drink of a 96% proof alcohol, which literally burns your head off. I was lucky to be given a face mask !!
Next on the agenda, setting off the explosive, and after a quick demo I was moulding the dynamite around the fuse, and lighting the end. In typical Bolivian style it was now time for a photoshoot with the fuse rapidly burning towards the explosive, until our guide in a slightly aggitated voice said ... "run" !! Having done 100m in under 10secs there was just ime to turn round to see the explosion go off.
So with the warm act finished I entered the mine were conditions were horrendous. No modern machinery, just men against the mountain with the minimum of protection. A mouthful of cocoa leaves to filter the deadly gases that kill most of the miners by the age of 45, and an occasional drink of a 96% proof alcohol, which literally burns your head off. I was lucky to be given a face mask !!
Seeing men woking with just a pick in tunnels I couldn´t even stand in made me realise how lucky I am. The only future these guys have is an early death, and having spent 2 hours underground I was relieved to see daylight again. For the miners it wasn´t so simple, they would return day after day until they could return no longer.
1 comment:
Hi Rob,
Good to hear from you. No I've not read the book but having seen the place for real you are so right about us being lucky.
Speak soon.
Malc
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