I know it will sound cynical, but after visiting the police, I went shopping. I suppose I told myself at least I was helping the Bolivian economy...

I had planned it the day before, and I needed something to take my mind of the events of yesterday and today. I bought lots of things I can't possibly carry, but that were too nice to leave.

I had a look at the Pasaje de Siete Vueltas, a street made that way, ie with seven turns, because of the wind, so it wouldn't blow people away. I also saw a taxi firm called 'Garfield taxis', which I thought was quite cool. A thunder and lightning show, very impressive when you have the echo in the mountains, chased me into El Fogon, where I tried crema de pollo and a 'plato tipico', piquante de pollo, that is, chicken with a spicy sauce, onion, tomato and rice and potato.

I read my book in the square, the second one of this trip, which is terribly apt as it's Louis de Bernieres The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman. It's about a fictional South American country, but the references to Bolivia and various other countries are unmistakable. I can recommend it.

Two seconds later I was surrounded by three shoeshine boys, who wanted to clean my, 'amiga', walking boots. Fair enough, they are absolutely dirty, but I didn't think shoeshine polish would do them much good.

At three, I went into the Casa de la Moneda, a beautifully restored building where they used to make money. I joined a compulsory tour, which happened to be a bunch of Bolivians on a day trip. They behaved like all tourists: ignoring warnings not to take photos with flash, sitting on chairs you are not supposed to sit on, and annoy the guide by talking when she was explaining something...

We were led through the good, if somewhat randomly arranged collection of the museum, which comprises moneymaking and coins, archeology, art etc. Here are some of the facts that stuck in my memory:

1. Indigenous people were employed by the Spanish to work in the mines, to extract silver and several minerals out of the Cerro Rico. To separate the different minerals and silver, they used mercury, which is very dangerous and toxic.

2. In the ovens, African slaves worked in extreme heat, although whenever they did not work, which wasn't often, they had to sleep outside, where it was very cold.

3. In total, the Spanish killed off about 8 million slaves, indigenous and African.

4. At present, ironically, coins and paper money for Bolivia are produced by Spain, and France, for fear of counterfeiting.

5. Under the church of San Bernardo, lots of children's bodies were found. They often had respiratory problems because of the altitude and died at a young age. Because of the dryness of the climate, they have been preserved very well, even though they date from the 18th century. Some of them are on display, and you can still se their faces, which is disturbing.

6. One of the most famous painters of Potosi is Melchor Pérez Holguin, of indigenous origin. He painted mainly religious subjects. He only started signing his paintings later in life, because he did not know how to write. This is the same reason why so many paintings, made by indigenous painters, are anonymous.

7. The Virgin Mary is very important in Bolivian catholicism. Because of her resemblance to Pachamama, the Earth Mother, catholic missionaries used her to convince the indigenous people to convert, as there was not much difference between the faiths anyway. A bit the same way they started to use the pagan Christmas tree in Europe.

8. The most famous painting in the collection of the museum is the Virgen del Cerro. She is depicted in a triangular shape, like Pachamama and representing the Cerro Rico, and the symbolism is a mix of indigenous, such as the gods Inti and Quilla, or sun and moon, and catholic, such as the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the last in the shape of a dove crowning the Virgin Mary.

It's a great museum, I'm glad I got to see it. But I'm also glad I can leave for Sucre tomorrow.