Ben, Ainsley & I took the early bus to Potosi having to deal w/ a lady w/ a baby & 2 kids that only bought one seat for all of them.One of the kids was screaming and it was a big mess - welcome to South America !They finally quieted down and we made it to Potosi , the tallest city in the world - over 4000m ASL.We took the famous mine tour although it was really sad.We learned about their use of dynamite and coca leaves, straight alcohol, and really strong unfiltered cigarettes.We bought a coca leaves pack and a dynamite pack as gifts for the miners and went to the mines.It was really wet on the floor but that was supposed to be better so as not to spread the asbestos dust.Near the beginning we met George, the devil idol that they sprinkle coca leaves & alcohol on asking for strength and fertility in the mine.We went in further and saw the veins of minerals - zinc and iron.We also saw tons of asbestos.Ben & I went further down to the 4th level where a miner was hammering away at the ceiling making a hole to put in dynamite.He was working so hard and there was not much oxygen there - they lit a lighter to show us how the flame was only half because of the lack of oxygen.The guide said they only made about $5 per day.After coming up from the one miner (which wasn't easy - hurling myself up pretty steep "stairs" - one step broke on Ben!) we sat w/ 2 other miners in front of a little cross shrine.They were chewing a ton of coca leaves and smoking that really strong unfiltered tobacco.Several times along the tour we saw the miners pushing metal carts along the rails, always asking us for coca leaves - so sad.After the mines we went to the last tour of the Casa de la Moneda museum.At one time there they produced more money than anywhere else in the world.They said that the Spanish took enough silver from the Cerro Rico mine there that they could have built a bridge w/ it from Potosi to Madrid !That money house was made in 1773 by the Spanish and was the second highest producing coin mint in the world.It produced for the Spanish then Rio de la Plata then Bolivia .They kept the original floors and we could see the footprints of the men from the constant pressure of the foot when they stood and banged the hammers to flatten the coins.Amazingly enough, in 1909 they bought electric machines from Bridgeton , NJ (home of the DeVoes!) to continue making the coins.They were used until 1951 when the coin production stopped since it was too expensive.So, Potosi worked in coin production from 1571 - 1951.Sadly, now all of Bolivian's coins and paper money are produced in other countries - Canada , France , Germany , etc. because it is cheaper.There are various theories behind the weird clown type mask that is on top of the doorway of the museum.They say that it has 2 sides of the face - the happy Spanish who got all the silver out of Potosi and the other the sad suffering of the indigenous who worked the mines.After the museum we walked around the city, enjoying the beautifully lit buildings.Luckily, it never got as cold as we had heard it would be.