Money Money Money

I wake early in the morning and go out to the street to have a quick cigarette , and the city is already bustling with people going about their business. I really like the feel of this place and would like to spend a little longer here, a lot of people said that Bolivians weren't that friendly, but I just think they are more private than other places we have travelled to. Mark gets up a short while later and we head out to expore the city. Our first stop is the house of money,The real name is the “Museo Casa de la Moneda” and it was originally built in the 1570’s and rebuilt in the 1800’s. It was the original Spanish Colonial Mint and today acts as a museum showcasing how the money was created back in the day as well as showcasing some local history.
Basically there were something like 25 active mines during the few hundred years of Spanish Colonial times and the biggest one was Potosi Mountain aka Cerro Rico aka “Rich Mountain”. As a result, the money for Spain was being created here at the source and shipped overseas.Supposedly somewhere between 4 and 6 million local indigenous people died during the era as they were working the mines. They would be paid one of the smallest coins for 36 hours of labor inside a mine, it’s mind boggling when you think about it and a mule would cost 8 of those coins. The first coins were really primitive and made with some vices and a hammer and as time went on, so did the technology used.They would have mules spinning the turbine of sorts that would power four machines 24 hours a day. Each machine had an indigenous person operating them. The labor was intense on the mules and they would die every few months and supposedly the floors were covered in blood from the harnesses; an eerie place to say the least. Also intense was the safety gear the workers used to wear in the mines if you want to call it safety gear…As I'm taking photos in here I hear one of the guards speak with our guide to say the Chica hasn't paid to take photos, so I hastily put my camera away.
PTSI the initial of Potosi are used as most of the world's money denominations eg. $€£ , the money was shipped all over the world via huge galleons. Last year a galleon was found of the coast of Columbians and is said to have contained $17 billion of gold and silver.
The way the coins were manufactured over the years changed, but there were always elements of danger involved in the working of the machinery. Slaves were shipped in, but the amount of people that died meant that the locals of Potosi, ended up having to work in the mine many of them losing their lives, or limbs.
The tour is really interesting and thought provoking and once again highlights how rich Bolivia was, and how many people just robbed them .
Back at the hostel we have a taxi booked for 3pm to take us to Sucre .. a taxi is only £5 each for the 2 hour journey and the journey takes twice the time on the bus so it's definitely the better option for us. We arriive just after 5 and were greeted in the bar by the gang we were with in Casa blancas so it's like a reunion. Tonight is party night and for the first time since Brazil I decide to have a few drinks and a few more. I end up on the jaeger bombs and get absolutely sloshed. They have a club here and I attempt shaking a wicked hoof, but after a short time I realise the only option for me is bed.Read more