Hi guys - using the opportunity to avoid some boring England football match that Sean and Kass are watching to send a bit of a catch up from La Paz...the capital of Bolivia.

When I last wrote we had arrived in Potosi - a great city, and the most built up place we had been to in Bolivia. It is the highest city in the world at over 4200m but luckily we had been higher in altitude and so didn't suffer too badly with any sickness. It is set amidst the mountains and shadowed by Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), covered in still-active silver mines. Potosi used to be one of the richest cities in the world, as it had the largest production of silver and therefore a huge 'minting' history in making coins for countries all around the world. From being one of the richest cities, it has now become very poor…infact, something a museum guide told us sums up Bolivia for me, 'once we used to make the coins for every country in the world, now other countries have to make our coins for us'. For all this history, the city has some beautiful architecture, the old minting house - Casa de Moneda - was absolutely huge and stunning, with 5 internal courtyards and huge fortress like stone walls, and one of the best museums in Bolivia, not just for art, but it still has some of the original coins and machinery used. History buffs would love it! There are also countless beautiful churches with art galleries inside, and the usual artesania (locally made goods) markets and the central market with lamas hanging from every corner. We had a really lovely day walking around and viewing the Cerro Rico from the poorer districts, and enjoyed relaxing, after a heavy journey, in the central plazas.

The real reason for coming to Potosi was to experience the mines themselves. Described as the most rewarding experience in Bolivia, it was simply incredible - not easy in any sense, but fascinating in all. There were 7 of us that went down, after getting kitted out with all the gear (of course it was a mission in itself to get the hard hat over Em's massive mane of hair, but we managed!). We then went to the miner's market - where we bought gifts to take down to the workers - seemed only fair considering we would basically be watching them work away. So we bought coca leaves (not enough - they wanted more as they work 12 hour shifts with no lunch break, incredible I know, and so the coca leaves help reduce hunger and tiredness), pop, dynamite (oh yeah…), cigarettes (more to get rid of the smell and as offerings…will explain later) and this ridiculous alcohol that is 96%...might as well have bought them white spirit!

Still when we got into the mines I could see why they might need a drink or two! We walked/climbed through the mines - some parts were simply holes in the rock, and to get between the levels we had to do all the 'ladders' - basically occasional slats of wood in a sheer drop, balancing on a plank at the bottom - it was pretty scary stuff and you wouldn't want to fall as some of the shafts were 50m or more deep, and unlike the UK mines tourists go down - there are no lifts or safety precautions. But this was good as it gave us a slightly more authentic look at how these guys (and women) work for 12 hours a day. We would then come across miners working - a lot of it was still by hand, shifting tons of mineral, lacking machinery, but it was nice as we had banter (semi banter anyway from what I could understand in Spanish) and gave them the gifts - of course they were pretty hardened and not afraid to ask for more, but who wouldn't be…seeing richer people walking around watching you work as part of tourism. All very bizarre, but was good to see how they worked and we got to help out a little. Some parts were so cold, and others upto 40 degrees, with no ventilation and really poor conditions. Whilst the wage is pretty decent in Bolivian standards, 1000 Bolivianos a month (almost 100 pounds…most people only earn 300 a month), this is because the demand in London has increased. The previous Bolivian president placed more importance on the industry and therefore the workers had better conditions, but since the decline in 1980s (similar to the UK I guess), the president here now provides nothing - no health care, social services, toilets, showers, not even lunch breaks and some of these people do literally work 12 hours - and some are just kids - 14/15 years old. Still, at least it is in demand now - mostly exported to Asia (the silver) for electronics, and the zinc to Belgium of all places! The minerals in the rock itself were fascinating, and so colourful…maybe this was because it was mixed in with lama blood. Let me explain…the indigenous (and indigenous version of catholic) religions believe God rules from the sky, and the Devil from under the ground, so we were taken to a statue of the devil built in the mines. Every Friday, and in special festivals, offerings are brought here (coca leaves, pop, alcohol and cigarettes) to offer to the Devil in return for safety (millions die a year from mine collapses and accidents) and good minerals. The devil had a huge penis (bizarre) which is to symbolize fertility for the minerals - all very strange. In festivals lamas are sacrificed and their blood spread around the mines for the same purpose…as usual, very atmospheric! Made more so by the 8 dynamite explosions that went off whilst this was being explained to us - the whole place shook and it was so loud, I'm glad we weren't any closer!! Still, it was an amazing experience and worthwhile seeing how people still work in ridiculous conditions even though it is the 21st century. I'm not saying mining would be much more glamorous in the UK today, but there were definitely be more controls than we experienced. So, Potosi was fantastic and got us back into a really positive spirit about Bolivia.

We then took an early bus to Sucre for Sean's birthday where we had splashed out on a private room in a hostel (big expense for us! But the owner was so lovely, kept coming in for chats and to admire our purchases, and she has a cute, if slightly yappy when in a bad mood, dog called Balou who loved to come into our room on the bed and play - funny), and went out to a really lovely French restaurant for a nice birthday meal…saving the big partying for when we meet up with Kass, Sean's best mate in La Paz, who works in a bar…need I say more? Unfortunately Bolivia is not the easiest place to find a birthday cake but I did the best with what I had at my fingertips! Managed to find some, surprisingly tasty, birthday cake, which we munched on the bus to Sucre - a beautiful city in Bolivia. They have really strict building restrictions here, so all the colonial and Spanish architecture is in tact, and it is by far the most developed place we have been to in Bolivia - we even got our first piece of sealed road! Being at a lower altitude, the weather is so much warmer, and we had a great birthday for Sean walking around the city, and up a massive hill (got to work off those slices of cake…) to Recolletta, a beautiful area where you have views over the entire city and the mountains beyond. We had a drink at a cafe, on deckchairs in the sun overlooking the view to start off the birthday celebrations! We also got to see some of the lovely churches and Casa de Liberted, where the independence was signed for Bolivia, and even found our first supermarket in the country…Sean, as always, was very excited! The French meal was amazing, so cheap (not in Bolivian terms, but about 3-4 pounds for a main) and had an amazing atmosphere, perfect for a birthday steak and wine. Bolivian wine, incidently, is dangerously underestimated. Not that I consider myself a connoisseur, but the vineyards are the highest in the world, and the wine was definitely up there with Argentinas…maybe a gem yet to be discovered? We had bumped into a nice Kiwi guy we met in Potosi, and went for birthday drinks at a local bar with live music - a good night all round, and as any decent birthday should be…topped off by the last pieces of cake (with icing licked off by SEAN not me Mandy and Con!!!)

We spent the rest of our time in Sucre just relaxing and enjoying the chilled out atmosphere of the place. We met some nice people - a married couple from Southend. It was quite funny as they are technically vegetarians, but gave up attempting to stick to that in South America - its simply impossible not to eat meat on this continent…even if you can figure out how to explain to ask for food without meat, they simply don't understand…you'll always get a chicken leg or lama tail in your food! The weather was also so much warmer, it was nice to just sit in the squares and watch the people go by…whilst I attempted to entice Sean into seeing the world's largest collection of dinosaur prints on a cliff face 5km out of the city. There were loads of the usual lovely markets and artisanea and craft shops to look around (and the locals have such great banter when you barter with them…you almost get suckered into buying random things off them, purely from charm!), and we spent some time relaxing in the bars tasting the local cocktails.

On the Sunday we traveled 60km out of town to Tarabucco, a traditional mountain village where they have an amazingly colourful Sunday market. Families and tribes come from all around the area and sell their different art works - its amazing how different families have different weaves, so vibrant and lively. We spent ourselves skint on some beautiful things, a blanket and jumpers to keep us warm on buses, and some really cheap local shirts (50p each!!) Afterwards, there was a charity event, run by a café who were raising money for the working children of Sucre. Children here work from a very young age at anything, from selling bus tickets, to shining locals shoes, to selling marshmallows. A week later, one of the major Bolivian religious festivals takes place, and the charity was working to raise money so that the children could attend the event - they need clothes and shoes, so they can perform their traditional dances. So we went to that which was really interesting, and when you give money you get a free curry and desert, so it was good all round.

Carnival, Community and Children without Childhoods... The Saturday night was carnival night - and the city just came alive. It was FANTASTIC! Me and Sean (well, more me) were salsa-ing along. It was so amazing to see how community just brings everyone together in these places - from the very young to the very old. The live bands were fantastic and streams of people parading the street doing traditional dances, Samba, Salsa and such energetic routines - so much colour. But it was the community spirit that sticks out - everyone gets involved, and I would just love for us to be able to do something like that at home. I'm pretty sure when I was 14, the boys my age would not find it 'cool' to dance on the streets, but the youth were so enthusiastic. What a fantastic night. But it was really evident how necessary the charity event the next day was - at all hours of the night, children as young as 8 were walking the streets selling sweets, neon lights and offering to shine shoes. It is scary how in such an incredible and carnival atmosphere, how starkly obvious it is that life is not equal here in any means. Some children literally don't get a childhood. When I was 8 I wouldn't have had the guts to walk down the street on my own, nevermind work alone at night. But if there is hope for Bolivia, then Sucre is the symbol of it - it is calm but also full of carnival, developed and sophisticated, organised but still full of life, and full of positive people who are proud to be Bolivians…I couldn't count the amount of times I have had locals tell me 'Bolivia is a rich country'…maybe not in financial terms yet, but in spirit and energy it is far advanced of many first world countries.

After a fantastic time in Sucre we took the overnight bus up to La Paz, where we were lucky enough to have a spare room at Kass and his girlfriend's flat (Sean's best mate)…it was so nice to have our own space and not have to spend pennies on a smelly dorm. Kass met us in the freezing cold at the bus station early and we went back to his flat - really sweet and so nice to have our own room. We went to the bar where he manages for breakfast (makes a change from the usual apple start to the day!) and me and Sean wandered around La Paz getting our bearings. Its quite a big city, and the kind of place you can get everything you need. Not as developed as Sucre, but a lot bigger - the setting is pretty spectacular. Its basically set in a bowl-valley with snow-capped mountains and canyons surrounding it…and the further out, the poorer the housing gets with smaller huts climbing up the steep slopes around the city centre. There are lots of interesting plazas with some nice colonial architecture, but more interesting are the people - the plazas are still really active spots for protest and 'revolutionaries'. Iglesia San Francisco, however, was pretty impressive and placed in the most 'active' plaza, whilst the city has some amazing miradors (viewpoints) due to its altitude and the fact that its so hilly, so you can get some fantastic views of the city and the mountains beyond. We took our first look at the witches market - streets lined with the usual gringo souvenirs, but also random stalls with witch-craft and medicine, from herbs to dried lama fetuses (apparently used for good luck?). I even learned something new (they say you're supposed to every day…) that the traditional women here are called Chola - the ones you see in huge baggy skirts, thick tights and bowler hats - quite bizarre! A lot of the older chola, with sun-wrinkled faces, are very poor and go around begging. It's a bit strange though, as when everyone else says no, they just 'pah' and walk away, but whenever I say no…they hit me!! I've had so many begging pensioners hit my arms and punch me, maybe I just look particularly mean…I definitely don't look particularly rich for a gringo! Ah well, such is the experience of traveling!

Having a really nice time in La Paz with Kass and Keishea… Kass is known to hold his drink (thats polite...), and managing a bar, meant that we spent a lot of time on nights out and down Oliver's Travels getting discounted food and drinks - always good when you're on a budget. Had a few nice nights in as well, watching movies with bottles of wine and their three cats distracting us…they are sweet cats, but very playful and one of them gets pretty grumpy and scratches out - but they're funny! There was of course the obligatory football watching (which i am attempting to avoid right now), but we've also got quite a few things planned. In a couple of days we're going to moutnain bike the worlds most dangerous road (think hairpin bends and cliff drops - but should be an adrenaline rush!), we're heading out to Bolivia's largest Inca site, going to go to Coroica, in the subtropical valleys of the Yungas (between the Andes and Cordillera Real moutnains near La Paz) and a few other things...maybe even visit o the San Pedro prison, infamous as the only prison in the world without guards - the prisoners run it themselves, should be, as always, an experience! I'm also spending some of the ten days left before my brother comes out and we head into Peru (CAN'T WAIT!!) takign some Spanish lessons with a great little Spanish lady who Kass knows - its worth the cost as not many people speak English here and I definitely need to imrpove...Sean chickened out so looks like I'm doing all the talking from now on!