Potosi - down, down, deeper down into the mines

Leaving La Paz on an overnight bus our next stop would be the highest city in the world - Potosi, Bolivia.

At an altitude of 4,070 metres and a population around 150,000 people the city lives and breathes mining and is designated a Unesco World Heritage site. Top of our list was a tour to go down, down, deeper down into the mines.

After arriving around 7am and catching a couple of hours "shut eye" we enjoyed a stroll around the streets of Potosi which was once the richest city in the world built on its plentiful supply of silver.

The afternoon mining tour can only be described as shocking, powerful, insightful and rewarding. We first visited the miner's street market to pick up some gifts including coca leaves, alcohol and dynamite. After donning the safety gear we started our mining adventure meeting miners young as 14 to 16 and also the boss known as "Don" seen in the blip.

With a life expectancy of only 45 and conditions which I would descibe as "challenging" you would think the miners would be depressed but as it is a well paid job and highly respected they seem to go about their business with pride and passion.

An unforgettable experience.