*mine tour in potosi

as the drivers´ strike in bolivia continues, im joining a tour to visit the mines. we get to wear protective clothing and helmets amd are taken first to the miners´ market to but gifts forthe miners and then to the mines. some of the guys we meet underground are merly teenagers and they spend from 8 to 12 hours a day underground. the miners are divided into 3 classes : 1st class, who are kind of bosses = they decide where to dig and buy dynamite. to become one you need a few years of expierience and quite a lot of money coz you need to pay to other premier class miners so they accept you. 2nd class miners are the guys who work underground, follow the tin veins and do the digging (the mines started with the silver extraction, but i dont think there is any left at this stage). the 3rd class miners are the ones who transport the leftover material. they make between 60 and 80 bolivianos (6 to 8 euro!) a day. after 10 to 15 years of working in the mines they most likely die from the lung diseases. when a miner dies, sometimes his wife comes to work in the mines, but we havent met any women underground, JUST working overground with the transport. they all chew coca leves to cheat hunger and exhaustion. for explosions and as a sacrifice to Tio (uncle) they use 96% alcohol, which they also drink (i had a sip and it burnt down to my throat). Tio is an idol,kind of god they worship and ask for protection and good diging. we are told that it was the spanish who wanted to introduce God to the miners but the miners couldnt or didnt want to learn who to pronounce Dio so they made up their own version =Tio. we are told that during the colonial times 8mln indigenious people and slaves brought from africa died underground. an interesting but a horrid day.
i met 2 guys from israeland the us and we hung out for the rest of the day. we might go to sucre together when the strike finishes. meanwhile we go to their hostel for a bottle of local beer and a shower (as they have hot water and we dont and it is just across the road)