Bolivia

La Paz is the highest capital city in the world and I must have walked through the entire thing. We thought we were going to be staying in the hostel that we had reserved online, but it was really two beds in a guy´s living room area. A strange, but overall, good experience. The guy we stayed with had an argentine friend that dressed more or less like a sea captain and I got to talk to him about Argentine history. Chad bought a quena (andean flute) and I bought a charango, a small ten stringed guitarish instrument. Yesterday we got a music lessons and then decided to go watch the new Indiana Jones movie which was ironically set in South America. Bolivia is so cheap. I got two entire dinners for $2, and our living room stay was $2.50 a night. Last night we took a bus to Potosi where we are now. It is supposedly the highest city in the world and and it sure is cold. During the Spanish colonial period, Potosi was the largest city in Latin America. People came here because of cerro rico, a large mountain overlooking the city that was practically filled with silver. Millions of indigenous and African people died in the mines. Today, there isnt much silver left, but people still mine for zinc, etc. Today, we took a tour of an active mine. The government owns the mountain, but groups of cooperative miners pay to work a section of it. We descended a few hundred feet crouched over, wearing headlamps and everything. The miners worship devils called tios for protection and they offer them alcohol, coca leaves, and cigarettes. Today was a sacred festival for miners and we just happened to be here to witness maybe the craziest thing I´ve seen. When we finally came back to the surface of the mine, the entrance had blood splatterings on it. We came out into the light minutes before a group of miners and their families sacrificed the second and final llama for their celebration. I was 10 ft away when they cut through its throat, collected the blood in bowls and splashed it eerily above doorways and entrances to the mine. They do this for good luck and even wipe some of it on their faces. A lady came up to me with her hands dripping blood and tried repeatedly to wipe it on my face, but I wouldnt let her. We were invited to join the festival and were offered handfuls of coca leaves, shots of liquor and beer; mind you this was before 1pm. But oh well, why am I here if not to experience culture? Before drinking the alcohol they splash a little on the ground in honor of Pachamama, the mother earth goddess of the andean people. Yep, it was a crazy day. Tomorrow we are going to Tupiza to ride horsies and bikes.