Central Highlands - Bolivia - page 433

tours, you'll end up walking 3km or 4km inside the mountain. You'll be exposed to nox-
ious chemicals and gases, including silica dust (the cause of silicosis), arsenic gas and
acetylene vapors, as well as asbestos deposits. Anyone with doubts or medical problems
should avoid these tours. The plus side is that you can speak with the friendly miners, who
will share their insights and opinions about their difficult lot. The miners are proud of
their work in such tough conditions and generally happy for visitors to observe their toil.
Tours begin with a visit to the miners' market, where miners stock up on acetylene
rocks, dynamite, cigarettes and other essentials. In the past, gifts weren't expected, but
with the growing number of tourists, you'd be very unpopular if you didn't supply a hand-
ful of coca leaves and a few cigarettes - luxuries for which the miners' meager earnings
are scarcely sufficient. Photography is permitted. Avoid taking plastic bags into the mine;
accumulation of garbage is a growing problem.
The tours then generally visit an ingenio , before heading up to Cerro Rico itself. Note
that since January 2011 it is now illegal for tour companies to give demonstrations of dy-
namite explosions, which destabilise the mountain and potentially threaten lives. Some
companies continue to flout these regulations, however. Ask your tour company vendor if
a dynamite explosion is included. If they say yes, choose another operator. It is unlikely to
be the only corner they are cutting.
Tours run in the morning or afternoon and last from four to five hours. The standard
charge is between B$100 and B$150 per person; slightly lower rates may be available dur-
ing the low season. This price includes a guide, transportation from town and equipment
(jacket, helmet, boots and lamp). Note the claim that '15% of profits donated to miners' is
a well-known marketing scam; all companies pay the same fee for entry into the mines
and it is considerably less than 15%. If you want to help the miners, choose a company
run by miners. Wear sturdy clothing, carry plenty of water and have a handkerchief/head-
scarf handy to filter some of the noxious substances you'll encounter. There is less activity
in the mines on Sundays.
For more information about entering the mines, see boxed texts on Click here a nd Click
here .

Los Ingenios
On the banks of the Río Huana Mayu, in the upper Potosí barrios of Cantumarca and San
Antonio, are some fine ruined examples of the ingenios . These were formerly used to ex-
tract silver from the ore hauled out of Cerro Rico. There were originally 82 ingenios along
15km of the stream. Some remaining ones date back to the 1570s and were in use until the
mid-1800s. Most tours of the Cerro Rico mines include a stop at a working ingenio as part
of the trip.

HISTORICAL BUILDING