Do You Know That? A Town Placed On The Roof Of The World

South American Continent is rather omitted in our serial. So, I chose for such article a theme, concerning human localities and everyday way of life in very high altitudes above sea level. This is a way of life, closely joined with South America. Studying some encyclopedia, we find a reply to a question, which capital of the world could be the highest placed one. No doubt, it is La Paz, capital of Bolivia. Never mind, our curiosity will continue, which could be the highest located town of the world at all? Again, we find it in Bolivia. Here, inside the mountains, we find l mining town, which is famous with its magic way of life. What is its name exactly? Welcome to Potosí – the highest located town of the world!

The town is located in an unexpected an unbeliavable altitude of 4050 metres above sea level. Frankly speaking, local people do not  realize it fully as they were born there or came to take labour possibilities, offered in local mountains. Anyway, chewing of coca leaves belongs to one of traditional customs, or, better to say, to everyday activity of aborigines and miners or workers from local mines. This chewing (mastication) helps a lot for overcome oxygen shortage, tireness and a need for eating and drinking. Coca, the leaves, obtained from small bush or tree, is mostly joined with cocaine of any other drugs but is is a fact that only one percentage of such popular drug is included  in standard joint of chewing leaves. These leaves are for local people not only stimulating stoff but it is also standard part of their food, as they contain higher percentage of vitamins, minerals or another valuable elements as local fresh vegetable and fruit which are available. So, coca forms an indivisible part of South American culture, and the tourists are recommended to consume it in a form of sweet sucking bonbons - it is ideal for surmounting of troubles, caused by the altitude. Nevertheless, back to Potosí. The town is situated in south-west part of Bolivia. At present, it is inhabitated with approx. 165000 inhabitants. When we have a look into its history, we find no idylic times there. Again, it was there eternal human desire for getting a property, and a silver was typical for Potosí in such case. When somebody hears Potosí, everybody has the idea for such sort of metal. Uncredible quantity of silver! It is true that in any other silver mines, there was not exploited so much silver as in Potosí. The community was founded in 1546 immediately, when silver stocks were discovered inside a mountain, known as Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain).A top of this mountain is situated in an altitude of 4824 metres above sea level. According to official data, there were exploited - during 1556-1783 – totally 45000 tonns of silver. Apart of this, within 17th century, more than 20000 persons lived there, and Potosí was the biggest and richest town of South America!

Anyway, the silver will not be exploited alone, this fact was well known for Spanish colonists. Practically uninterrupted and frequently non-voluntary arrival of workers and miners could be marked as a black spot on a face of this town, which later became a target of black slaves, imported from Africa. Unnumerous shafts and mines of this „Rich Mountain“ became death place for nearly eight millions miners from all parts of America and Africa. Unvoluntary character of such hard work, enslavement as well as absolute absence of working process safety, not mentioning human rights, makes from such place the biggest execution place or a tomb of modern human history. Hard work and poisoning from mercury, as a consequence of precious metal cleaning - all these were main death reasons. Within 1550-1780, more than 100 persons daily found their death there! All this all was done for a fame of Spanish Crown! The mines in Potosí are open even at present and enable to effect work possibilities for persons from wide environments. To tell the truth, it is exactly the only well existing subsistence chance for people in this inhospitable countryside of mountains. The work is still dangerous and it does not exist any better alternative, however. Potosí is the longest continuously functioning mining centre of silver ores of the world. It is true that silver layers were completely excavated in past, but rich stratta of tin, lead or copper are still available there. Average length of live of local miners is alarming, the persons live up to the 40 years of age only. Even the children are forced to work there, not mentioning young boys, who help there, in order to feed with their families. On the other hand, Potosí is also a town of faith. You can find there several churches, despite deformed outskirts of workers´ homes. City centre is well arranged and maybe, even picturesque, with many narrow streets, romantic corners and small squares, where small church or even a chapel are situated. Apart of this, you could be surprised to find small old railway station, which is, with its altitude of 3905 metres above sea level, the highest situated railway station of the world, decorated with rusted trains of steam engines, as a memory to former fame of this city. Nevertheless, we cannot forget a fact that Bolivia is very poor and modest country, and local people suffered a much from the past. Making comparison to neighbouring and much more wealthy and developped Argentina, this difference is really visible. Anyway, local people are smiling, are thankuful and cordial. Most of them are formed with original Indians. White man - Gringo - could be a tourist only.

You can meet there, first of all, the women, rather stout young Indian women, dressed in wide black skirts, small coloured coats and undispensable small hats, and big tress of black hair. The tradition could be mentioned, first of all, during carnival period. Its main target is, to attack with water stream for everybody live around. Watering, balloon throwing, water engines, etc. belong to typical actions during carnival. The Bolivians can do pleasure (and are forced to do) from everything, as their way of life is not too positive. So, local rough men could do better pleasure by means of small glass of very strong reed  brandy of terrible 96% power!

Text: Jan Chaloupka

Photo: G.Breitenbach, Ch.Meneboeuf, J.Mealing, M.St-Amant  

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš