— Eduardo Galeano, Open Veins of Latin America
Julio Morales Zambrana is furious. Our window into the mountain is about to close.
“Hurry!” yells Julio.
“Momentito,” says Jason.”We must go now!”
“Momentito, por favor.”
We stand at the entrance to La Negra mine in Potosí, Bolivia, at the base of the infamous Cerro Rico. It is November 2007. The nation around us is once again on the verge of shearing apart.
The first 300 metres of La Negra are very dangerous, says Julio. The shaft is low and narrow, and there is nowhere to hide. Moments ago, a trolley filled with ore came barrelling out of the mine’s mouth. The longer we delay out here, the better our chances of being annihilated inside by the next delivery.
Jason wrestles his camera gear, and I try to calm my nerves. I stare at the mine opening, a two-metre-high hole blasted into the wall, the trolley tracks disappearing into it like the rails of a ghost train. A small plaque commemorates La Negra’s reopening in 1988 after centuries of disuse. High above looms the summit of the Cerro, a cool and handsome cone of stone.
Finally, Jason is ready. We steel ourselves, duck down, and follow Julio into the darkness. Soon there is nothing but the bog of mud between the tracks, our splashing footsteps, and the serpentine hiss of the air compressor that powers the jackhammers. The only source of light for the next six hours will be the headlamps affixed to our hard hats. Though I can’t see them, the walls are so close they scrape my elbows.
Julio runs and tells us to do the same, but I am nearly a foot taller than the average Bolivian. Bent double, I go as fast as I can. Then I smash my head at a particularly low point, and my world collapses. My lamp goes out. My glasses fall from my face. I call out for Julio, but he can’t hear me. He’s howling deep into the mountain, pounding on the pipes, announcing our presence to the trolley runners, who are surely bearing down on us.
Comments (15 comments)
amit: Brilliant how everything from politics, history, values, and the human condition is packed in the suspense of this adventure. Amazing photos. Makes me want to make love to Pachamama. December 17, 2008 05:13 EST
Francesco Sinibaldi: Christmas carol.
Shining lights
and the plan
of a destiny,
when Christmas
arrives: I see
the profile of
a northerly wind
near the sound
of a feast, a
rosy return
and always a
white dream
on a similar sight.
Francesco Sinibaldi December 27, 2008 12:17 EST
Claudio D'Andrea: A powerful piece and very, very moving. I especially feel for the poor young drillers whose lives are cut short so brutally after only 10 years. Indeed: The mine is not a metaphor. January 24, 2009 11:18 EST
Buy Dissertation : Thus the Hyper Card stack became a self-contained application in its own right, distributable as a single entity that end-users could run without the need for additional installation-steps. September 17, 2009 06:22 EST
Andres Hogan: emailed it to a few friends, this article was that great, keep it up!
September 17, 2009 07:33 EST
PhD Dissertation : I could not care less if the books are trashy, formulaic, or pulp fiction…But I do care about the type of propaganda perpetuated by m&b.; I would go so far as to say it is misogynistic hate speech. September 18, 2009 21:11 EST
?????????? ?????? ??????? ? ?????: Thanks a lot, guys! September 25, 2009 09:30 EST
Emo: A powerful piece and very, very moving. I especially feel for the poor young drillers whose lives are cut short so brutally after only 10 years. Indeed: The mine is not a metaphor. October 07, 2009 01:51 EST
emo girl: very nice artwork. October 18, 2009 06:51 EST
research: Scenery from them - funny October 23, 2009 23:34 EST
sohbet: Thus the Hyper Card stack became a self-contained application in its own right, distributable as a single entity that end-users could run without the need for additional installation-steps. November 03, 2009 15:45 EST
sohbet: thanks November 04, 2009 13:37 EST
compare insurance quotes: very nice work. November 06, 2009 03:47 EST
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