Patosi - Take One
We visited Patosi twice. On the first visit our guide recommended a good restaurant 4060. Some of the restaurants looked decidedly dodgy with dead animals hanging up in the windows or little pokey holes however 4060 was top quality - you will be pleased to now I had my first lasagne!!
Patosi is a mining town, originally it was a silver mining town, there is a small amount of silver still there but now other minerals are extracted.
Some of us did a mine tour. We got kitted out in overalls and a lamp. Then we went to the miners market. Believe it or not here we were actually allowed to buy plastic explosive. We also bought some alcohol (98% proof) and Cocoa leaves as presents for the miners.
Before we went into the mines we were allowed to blow up our explosive. We all stood in a circle then lit the fuses. Each one supposedly had a 2 minute fuse so we cleared the area sharpish.
Then we went on to the mines the conditions there were bad there were no locomotives as they were considered too expensive so all the carts were pushed by hand. There was a strange god down there that all the miners still pray to, Tio Diablo (devil uncle) and they leave offerings for protection.
I was allowed to climb down to the face were some miners were working and hauling up the ore in baskets.
When we got back from the mine tour we had a long drive to Uyuni. I was really tired but the bus turned into a party bus with everyone getting hammered to break up the journey. There was dancing in the aisles and karoke. I felt like a right old man with a headache.
Towards the end of the journey we stopped by a lake full of flamingos.
Patosi is a mining town, originally it was a silver mining town, there is a small amount of silver still there but now other minerals are extracted.
Some of us did a mine tour. We got kitted out in overalls and a lamp. Then we went to the miners market. Believe it or not here we were actually allowed to buy plastic explosive. We also bought some alcohol (98% proof) and Cocoa leaves as presents for the miners.
Before we went into the mines we were allowed to blow up our explosive. We all stood in a circle then lit the fuses. Each one supposedly had a 2 minute fuse so we cleared the area sharpish.
Then we went on to the mines the conditions there were bad there were no locomotives as they were considered too expensive so all the carts were pushed by hand. There was a strange god down there that all the miners still pray to, Tio Diablo (devil uncle) and they leave offerings for protection.
I was allowed to climb down to the face were some miners were working and hauling up the ore in baskets.
When we got back from the mine tour we had a long drive to Uyuni. I was really tired but the bus turned into a party bus with everyone getting hammered to break up the journey. There was dancing in the aisles and karoke. I felt like a right old man with a headache.
Towards the end of the journey we stopped by a lake full of flamingos.
posted by Phil at 10:07 PM
2 Comments:
What you doing dressed as a fireman in South America. Ridiculous.
Louie
Loving the yellow suit Phil.....you look like someone from Austin Powers in the factory or something!
Vicky
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