Nous voilà arrivés à Potosi dans un hostel bien sympathique, enfin un vrai lit et un vrai petit déjeuner et tout ça pour la modique somme de 4,5 € ! Ah oui, quand on arrive en Bolivie ça fait du bien au budget !
Nous sommes donc 5 voyageurs solitaires maintenant, car on a perdu 3 françaises qui allaient encore plus vite que nous. Et quand 5 voyageurs solitaires se retrouvent à voyager ensemble quelques temps, on commence par se raconter nos voyages respectifs, puis on mutualise les efforts et on s'organise. C'est ainsi que l'on met sur pied en moins de temps qu'il n'en faut pour l’écrire une visite guidée (par un tour operator encore) de la mine d'argent de Potosi pour l’après-midi. Ce qui me laisse du temps pour écrire un peu pour le blog et mettre quelques photos du Chili et du premier jour d'Uyuni sur Flickr. Attention, ce qui suit peut choquer certaines personnes mais c'est surtout une histoire que vous attendez tous avec impatience !
Je sélectionne donc les photos comme d'habitude, mais là je suis vraiment à la bourre et il y en a plein à charger, alors je lance le chargement et en faisant confiance au gens de l'hostel, je laisse ma carte dans l'ordinateur et je sors le temps que ça charge. En revenant de mon tour en ville, la carte a disparu, personne ne l'a vue et les photos chargées ne sont pas finies de charger ! C'est donc comme cela que j'ai perdu un petit millier de photos. Dommage, c'est de ma faute, j'ai trop fait confiance aux gens, mais pas complètement non plus. Bref c'est perdu. Alors pour vous rassurer, il ne manque vraiment que les photos du Chili et celles du premier jour du tour, pour les autres j'avais déjà uploadé les meilleurs sur Flickr, et je peux les récupérer !
Après cette petite aventure malencontreuse, on va tous manger au marché, c'est comme ça que cela se fait ici en Bolivie. Dans chaque marché il y a un coin ou les boliviennes préparent des repas typiques pour des sommes modiques. Une fois notre soupe dévorée, nous voilà partis pour le tourisme social dans les mines d'argent.
Voilà comment se déroule la visite: d'abord nous allons dans un magasin pour mineurs et chacun de nous achète une bouteille de jus de fruit et de la coca, ce sera un cadeau aux mineurs que nous rencontrerons en échange d'un peu de leur temps pour échanger sur leur vie. Puis nous allons nous équiper (pantalon, veste, casque et bottes) et enfin nous voilà à l'entrée de la mine. Dernier équipement: la lampe frontale du mineur et nous voilà en train de marcher dans les couloirs. Le plafond est bas (à savoir que la taille moyenne des boliviens est déjà plus petite que la nôtre) alors les grands du groupe doivent se plier en deux. Et on s'enfonce petit à petit. La chaleur augmente, l'humidité est bien présente et les poussières nous gênent bien pour respirer. J'avais vraiment l’impression d'être dans le film des misérables tant les conditions sont dures. Puis nous rencontrons nos premiers mineurs et là, c'est le film qui se passe devant nous. Les conditions de travail sont très difficiles, tout ça pour gagner que peu d'argent. La mine est exploitée de la même manière depuis la colonie, tout se fait à la main, seul un peu de dynamite et de marteaux piqueurs sont utilisés mais les minerais sont extraits à la force des bras. Lors de cette visite on se rend bien compte de la différence entre la France et ce pays qui fait figure de plus pauvre en Amérique du Sud. Une visite dure, mais que je conseille vivement pour éviter de se plaindre de nos conditions de travail prochainement !
Pour le lendemain, je suis le seul à rester en ville; j'ai besoin d'un peu de calme et d'un peu de temps pour visiter. Sauf que le bus que Nico voulait prendre pour La Paz ne part pas à cause d'un blocage routier (chose courante en Bolivie). Il se joindra donc à moi pour la visite de la "Casa de la Moneda" (Maison de la monnaie), le bâtiment qui servait jusqu’à récemment à frapper la monnaie, d'abord de la couronne espagnole, puis celle de la Bolivie. Ils ont une superbe collection de monnaies anciennes et ont conservé des outils anciens servant à fabriquer les pièces, encore un travail pas facile réservé aux indigènes, supervisé par les Espagnols.
Et une fois que j'ai vu ce qu'il y avait à voir, je reprends la route (en bus, car ici le stop n'existe pas) en direction de Sucre, capitale constitutionnelle de la Bolivie.
Ce qui s'est passé à Sucre, je vous le raconterai bientôt, mais en attendant n'oubliez pas vous pouvez gagner un beau cadeau en participant au grand concours, c'est ICI.
We have arrived at Potosi in a very nice hostel, finally a real bed and a real breakfast and all for the modest sum of € 4.5! Ah yes, when you arrive in Bolivia it's good to budget!
We're now five solo travelers because we lost three French who were faster than us. And when five solo travelers find themselves traveling together for some time, we begin by telling our respective trips, then pools the efforts and organizes itself. Thus it sets up in less time than it takes to write a guided tour (a tour operator again) of the Potosi silver mine for the afternoon . This gives me time to write a few for the blog and put some pictures of Chile and the first day of Uyuni on Flickr. Warning, the following may shock some people, but it is mostly a story you've all been waiting impatiently!
So I select the photos as usual, but then I'm really in a rush and there is full load, then I start loading and trusting the people to the hostel, I leave my card in the computer and I get the time it load. Returning from my tour of the city, the map disappeared, nobody saw and uploaded photos are not finished loading! This is how I've lost a few thousand photos. Too bad, it's my fault, I trust people too, but not quite either. In short it is lost. So to reassure you, it really lacks the photos of Chile and those of the first day of the tour, for others I had already uploaded the best on Flickr, and I can get them back!
After this unfortunate little adventure, we'll all eat at the market, this is how it is done here in Bolivia. In each market there is a corner or Bolivian prepare meals typical for very little money. Once devoured our soup, we went to the tourist office in the silver mines.
That's what happens during the visit: First we go to a store to minors and each of us bought a bottle of fruit juice and cola, it will be a gift to minors we meet in exchange for some of their time to discuss their lives. Then we'll equip (pants, jacket, helmet and boots) and finally we are at the entrance to the mine. Latest equipment: the headlamp of the minor and we are walking in the hallways. The ceiling is low (ie, the average size of Bolivia is already smaller than ours) then large group should fold in half. And sinks slowly. The heat rises, moisture is present and dust hinder us to breathe well. I really feel miserable in the film as the conditions are harsh. Then we meet our first minor and there is the film happens to us. Working conditions are very difficult to win it all that little money. The mine is operated in the same way from the colony, everything is done by hand, only a few dynamite and jackhammers are used, but the minerals are extracted arm strength. During this visit we are well aware of the difference between France and this country that figure poorest in South America. A visit lasts, but I strongly recommend to avoid complaining about our working conditions soon!
The next day, I'm the only one staying in town, I need a little quiet and a little time to visit. Except that the bus Nico wanted to La Paz for not starting because of road blockage (commonplace in Bolivia). So he will join me to visit the "Casa de la Moneda" (House of the currency), the building was used until recently to coin money, first by the Spanish crown and that of Bolivia . They have a superb collection of ancient coins and have retained ancient tools used to manufacture parts, yet not easy work reserved for natives, supervised by the Spanish.
And once I saw what there was to see, I take the road (by bus, because here there is no stop) towards Sucre, constitutional capital of Bolivia.
What happened to Sucre, I tell you soon, but in the meantime do not forget you can win a gift by participating in the contest, it is HERE.
--- English version ---
We have arrived at Potosi in a very nice hostel, finally a real bed and a real breakfast and all for the modest sum of € 4.5! Ah yes, when you arrive in Bolivia it's good to budget!
We're now five solo travelers because we lost three French who were faster than us. And when five solo travelers find themselves traveling together for some time, we begin by telling our respective trips, then pools the efforts and organizes itself. Thus it sets up in less time than it takes to write a guided tour (a tour operator again) of the Potosi silver mine for the afternoon . This gives me time to write a few for the blog and put some pictures of Chile and the first day of Uyuni on Flickr. Warning, the following may shock some people, but it is mostly a story you've all been waiting impatiently!
So I select the photos as usual, but then I'm really in a rush and there is full load, then I start loading and trusting the people to the hostel, I leave my card in the computer and I get the time it load. Returning from my tour of the city, the map disappeared, nobody saw and uploaded photos are not finished loading! This is how I've lost a few thousand photos. Too bad, it's my fault, I trust people too, but not quite either. In short it is lost. So to reassure you, it really lacks the photos of Chile and those of the first day of the tour, for others I had already uploaded the best on Flickr, and I can get them back!
After this unfortunate little adventure, we'll all eat at the market, this is how it is done here in Bolivia. In each market there is a corner or Bolivian prepare meals typical for very little money. Once devoured our soup, we went to the tourist office in the silver mines.
That's what happens during the visit: First we go to a store to minors and each of us bought a bottle of fruit juice and cola, it will be a gift to minors we meet in exchange for some of their time to discuss their lives. Then we'll equip (pants, jacket, helmet and boots) and finally we are at the entrance to the mine. Latest equipment: the headlamp of the minor and we are walking in the hallways. The ceiling is low (ie, the average size of Bolivia is already smaller than ours) then large group should fold in half. And sinks slowly. The heat rises, moisture is present and dust hinder us to breathe well. I really feel miserable in the film as the conditions are harsh. Then we meet our first minor and there is the film happens to us. Working conditions are very difficult to win it all that little money. The mine is operated in the same way from the colony, everything is done by hand, only a few dynamite and jackhammers are used, but the minerals are extracted arm strength. During this visit we are well aware of the difference between France and this country that figure poorest in South America. A visit lasts, but I strongly recommend to avoid complaining about our working conditions soon!
The next day, I'm the only one staying in town, I need a little quiet and a little time to visit. Except that the bus Nico wanted to La Paz for not starting because of road blockage (commonplace in Bolivia). So he will join me to visit the "Casa de la Moneda" (House of the currency), the building was used until recently to coin money, first by the Spanish crown and that of Bolivia . They have a superb collection of ancient coins and have retained ancient tools used to manufacture parts, yet not easy work reserved for natives, supervised by the Spanish.
And once I saw what there was to see, I take the road (by bus, because here there is no stop) towards Sucre, constitutional capital of Bolivia.
What happened to Sucre, I tell you soon, but in the meantime do not forget you can win a gift by participating in the contest, it is HERE.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire