The road from Potosi to Sucre.

We leave Potosi the city of silver as we came; by bus. Leaving behind these square houses, that I remember seeing from the air... the metal roofs  glittering like stars in the landscape. Little did I know about the cold....

I love the bus trips. It gives a good opportunity to take pictures of the landscape that rolls along. The reflections in the windows are sometimes annoying, but it mustn't be too easy. 

Although the landscape is mostly dry and without trees, it is not monotonic. And how is it possible... Where in Peru there is Inca Cola everywhere, here in Bolivia, where one doesn't expect it, Coca Cola everywhere. How strange; there is not much love lost nowadays, between the USA and Bolivia.

Leaving Potosi.

Layers turned 90 degrees.....

This must be awesome in the wet season.

Clouds....

A good looking farm.

"Van Gogh" scenery

A present of Venezuela...

At the end of  the day this (praying?) Tyrannosaurus Rex welcomes us to Sucre, the capital of Bolivia

The "Casa de Moneda" of Potosi.

The "Casa de Moneda" in Potosi, constructed from 1753 to 1773, is the pace where money was coined. It is a sturdy building. Nowadays it is a museum with a divers collection, from rocks to paintings, from coins to machinery. Very worthwhile to spend part of the day there.

It was impossible for me (and my camera) to take a decent picture of the entrance..... It is this enormous entrance halfway the street.

The Casa de Moneda.

The inner court with the face of Bacchus(???) getting his teeth brushed.

The museum has only guided tours. It is interesting, but my Spanish is non existent so I could not follow the explanations. The light in the museum is also not good for taking pictures (as you will notice). And... no flash.

The inner court.

Sundial.

Very thick strong walls....

A perfectly restored building.

With an interesting collection.

A locomtive....

A gallery with pictures....

Primitive coining utensils....

The museum has three huge rolling mils for silver bars. Originally these machine were driven by 4 donkeys, flattening  silver bars of 25 x 5 x 2 cm into flat sheets of 0,5 mm. The donkeys were not suitable and died already after working for a few months. Then they were replaced by 20 African slaves....

Scales

An intricate lock....

A modern coining machine.

Old map of the Cerro Rico.

The melting and casting of silver / iron.

The geological department.

Letter of Simon Bolivar.

Machines....

... and more machines.

Last but not least....

Saint Eloy - Patron Saint of metalworkers and goldsmiths.

Just an impression; Pototsi

Main street Potosi, Bolivia

More than 4000 meters altitude. We don't have much time to walk around the city center, but that is not the problem.... it is the altitude (again) that is hanging like lead on our feet.

Tower of the Cathedral of Potosi.

Potosi is famous because of the silver found in the "Cerro Rico" the rich mountain. The mining of sliver (for the king of Spain) started halfway the 16th century and went on well into the 18th century. Potosi with it's 200.000 inhabitants was larger that Paris at that time.

At first native people used to work in the mines, later on slaves from Africa were brought there. Working conditions in the mines were extremely bad. People were locked into the mines, changing only silver for food through a small hole. Never able to come out.

Now Potosi still has a population of 250.000 people, but it looked to me a quiet small town. The main attraction is the "Casa de Moneda" (see next post). Here some pictures of the city and its people.

Potosi Cathedral.

 

The main street.

A street in Potosi looking towards the Cerro Rico.

Modern windows... only 1 layer of glass... and it can be very cold there.

It is no luxury to wear a warm shawl.

Pleated skirts.