Cowboy up!

Sunday, July 4th
Today the fabulous five would leave Sucre behind as a beautiful memory and we would head off to the silver-mining town of Potosi. The city of Potosi also happens to be the highest altitude city in the world - about 4,070 meters up. Potosi is known for having a tragic history of horrific working conditions in the silver mines. The mines are very dangerous and toxic with poor ventilation and basic raw materials. Today, there are over 12,000 miners that mine for silver (rarely found nowadays), zinc, and tin. The silver is predicted to run out within the next 50 years. In the 1500's, Potosi was one of the wealthiest cities in the world because of the abundance of silver found in the mountain.
The pyramidal mountain where all the mines are located is this beautiful copper and burnt amber color. 
When we arrived in Potosi I was very impressed with how beautiful it was. When you look at the city from above it looks like a working class city and it doesn't seem to impress, but once you get into the heart of it...it pleasantly shocks and charms you. We found a fantasticly colorful hostel with wonderful guests. The five of us then went out and walked around the city, ate some grub, and booked a tour to get a glimpse into the heart of the mines for tomorrow. I had heard mixed stories about the mines - some said it was scary and uncomfortable, some said it was informative and like nothing you've ever seen before. After listening to all the tourists' stories about their experiences, I was nervous about going deep into the mines...but I must cowboy up!