Potosí

Potosí with its silver mines used to be the richest city of the world at some point. The Spaniards dug up so much silver that they could have built a silver bridge from Potosí to Madrid and still have silver left to carry over it. It is a lovely little city with loads of interesting colonial buildings and a relaxed atmosphere.
Most of the people visiting take a tour to the mines, where miners are still operating in terrible working conditions. The tour around the mine was a bit shocking. The heat and the lack of oxygen the miners have to work in is just crazy. Most of the miners only survive twenty to twenty-five years working in the mine! Another striking fact about Bolivia by the way is that the age people are allowed to retire is more than the average life expentancy! Anyway, I felt a lot like a stupid tourist when I had to jump out of the way again when a two-ton-cart pulled by four young lads was roaring by or when miners had to stop their work for a bit to let us pass by. But the travel agency assured us that part of what we were paying went to the miners, so that was quite good.

The Koala Den, the hostel I was staying in, was wonderful. You pay about 2.5 euros for a dorm, breakfast included. There is a tv-room with a DVD-collection, a sitting room with travel guides from all around Latin-America, a book exchange and a kitchen.

Ciao!