In Potosi the churches were nicely decorated outside and were constructed with dressed stone and brick and mostly built around the 1700 to 1800´s. After 4 days of Roly not eating he is back on the food again but being a little careful. Perhaps he will become a LMSM after all. In the afternoon we went on a conducted tour of the silver mine, we had to dress up in miners kits and also visited the miners market where they buy their tools. We all climbed into a Bedford Rascal van one driver and six of us and proceded up the mountain to 5066 metres in 1st gear over very rough roads full of trenches and pot holes. it was a wonder we ever made it. In the miners markets we were offered a bag containing a stick of Dynamite, a bag of Amonium Nitrate, 300mm of cordite and a detenator for 10 BS about 67 pence all quite legally too. We were also offered a large bag coca leaves for the same price or a litre of 96% proof Achocol. The coca leaves are chewed to starve offf hunger as they numb the mouth, throat and stomach. The Achocol is drunk on Fridays either neat of mixed with juice of some kind. We wonder if we could cook with it as the local meths smells horrible. The work of a miner is hard and a 3rd class miner earns 50 BS a day, we saw them moving bags of ore weighting 60Kgs each. We went to five different levels which was more like pot holing, about 50 miners a year are killed though accidents and tunnel collapses. The top of the mountain is no longer mined as it is too danegerous but thre are no regulations as to what miners can or can not do. Buy the way lunch today for 2 cost 45BS.
A Canadain company will start open cast mining here with the next couple of years. 50 BS a day is accepted as a good wage here in Potosi are therefore there are many who still wish to be miners. During the Spanish times Africain slaves were imported to work in the mines but they could not cope with the alitude so local Indians were used, many died as they were forced to work, sleep and eat within the mine. Thge Spanish even indroduced a local mine god to place fear into the local indians and increase productivity.

We meeet some people who had come from Uyuni by bus and it took well over 8 hours and at many rivers all passengers had to debus and walk though the rivers. The train was fully booked due to the floods with a wait of 3 to 6 days for a place. The offical tour of the salt flats at 3650 metres was no longer possible due to the floods either. All a big disappointment but never mind there still lots more to see n Peru. The Alitude here in Potisi is over 4600 metres and just walking up the streets makes us feel like old men. We decide to stay here for three nights and repair the bikes. The town is very noisy as at every junction all vechicles use their horn to tell you they are comming day or night, they also do not use their head lights when dark or wipers when it rains so may be they know something I don´t. The pavement are also tiny with lamp post in the middle so you have to walk on the road which is often awash with rain water and rubbish. Roly is considering buying a bag of Dynamite to throw at dogs which like to attack motorbikes. Its just like Plastercine with 70% being vegtibile matter and 30% Nitro Gysirine.
27th Jan. woken again by car horns at about 0500 hrs Dave start work on Africa twin and Roly to Internet cafe. Fit new fuel pump which I was carrying and new sprockets and chain set which we also carried. We still seem unable to download photos or carry out a UK spell check. One panel on the Africa twin is cracked from the last fall and the present kms stands at 64379.6 kms