BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for April, 2007

« Home

Most Dangerous Job on Earth?

Monday, April 30th, 2007

You probably do not know about Cerro Rico or the “Rich Hill”, but you certainly know what it did for the European World.  The Spaniards using Incan slaves pulled 45,000 tons of pure silver out of the hill between the mid-1500s and mid-1700s which financed their lead act on stage 1.  I believe this single hill produced half of the world’s silver!  Pure silver was first discovered on the surface.  After the surface layer was stripped, they started to bore horizontally into the hill.  Potosi had so much silver that it was the largest city in the New World with 150,000 people and was actually about the same size as or larger than London, Venice and Seville.  When the silver ran out, so did Potosi and this is why you don’t hear it mentioned in the same breath as any of the other great cities.  In fact, this is one very impoverished city.  Since the 1980s the mines have been turned over to cooperatives which are still mining some silver, but mostly tin, zinc and lead.  The same practices used three hundred years ago are still employed thus making this one of if not the most dangerous jobs in the world.  In fact, Cerro Rico has killed eight million workers since the mining started!

[read on]

Salt of the Earth

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

The landscapes of Northwest Argentina were beautiful and strange.  The landscapes of Northeast Chile were less beautiful, but more strange.  But neither of these areas compares with Southwest Bolivia.  I just spent the last three days driving from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni, Bolivia and I have seen things that were way stranger than I had ever imagined from the reading I have done and the videos I have seen.  And the strangeness was only eclipsed by the beauty.  Earth has once again proven itself to be beyond the human imagination and comprehension.

[read on]

Espacio – La Frontera Ultima

Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
I went to San Pedro de Atacama for a couple of reasons, but I mainly went because I wanted to see what I believe to be the greatest star show on earth. When I was near Mt Hanang, Tanzania ... [Continue reading this entry]

Mi Nombre Es Rick… Richard… Ricardo

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
There is one experience that has been consistent in Latin America for me. When I am asked my name, I usually say "Rick" in plain English. I get a funny look. They do not understand. First, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thar She Blows… On Land

Saturday, April 21st, 2007
Geysers... not whales.  I went to Geyser del Tatio today.  We left at 4:00 AM in order to be there by 6:30 when enough light allows you to enjoy the show.  We were at 4300 meters in an ancient caldera ... [Continue reading this entry]

“Biggest Problem” in Europe?

Saturday, April 21st, 2007
I have received a consistent story from many of the Europeans I have met and traveled with over the past few months. Many of the travelers from Germany, Holland, Sweden and England (I have not spoken to Spaniards, Italians ... [Continue reading this entry]

San Pedro de Atacama

Friday, April 20th, 2007

As I mentioned in the previous post, I took a bus ride from Salta across the great Puna or Altiplano (high plains), Andes and Atacama Desert regions of Argentina and Chile to San Pedro de Atacama and it was a ... [Continue reading this entry]

So What Would You Do?

Friday, April 20th, 2007
Argentina (by the way, I made it to Chile on a long bus ride through amazing Puna and Andes landscapes and we only had one flat tire) calls their fiscal collapse of five years ago ¨The Crisis¨. I heard ... [Continue reading this entry]

Last Six Weeks in Latin America

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
I will be flying back to the California on May 31st.  I am taking American Airlines through Miami.  Can't wait to be greeted warmly by Homeland Security folks there.  Between now and that day I will be in Chile (San ... [Continue reading this entry]

Dipping Back into Land of Inca

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
When I got to Cordoba, Argentina I saw a little bit of a change that got me thinking that I was going to see a progression "Indigen-fication" and "Latin-fication" as I head further north.  As I have said, most of ... [Continue reading this entry]