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Bolivia

a short trip to a northern neighbor

As my one-year visa to Argentina expired July 4th and I had to leave the country, my friend Mona and I crossed the border into Villazón, Bolivia and randomly decided to go to the colonial city of Potosí, also the city located at the highest elevation in the world. Coincidentally, the region had just been hit with one of the hardest storms that had affected it in years, and most roads were not ready for travel. This also meant that the weather was colder than anything I'd felt before--with space heaters and warm water unheard of in most locations. However, I still managed to fall in love with Bolivia, South America's poorest country, but still a country rich in history and culture. Potosí is known as the city of silver, due to the mountain, Cerro Rico, called Pachamama by the indigenous culture and believers, and its incredible silver deposits that were exploited by the Spaniards. This has left a legacy of terrible mining conditions that continue to affect the city and its residents to this day. I hope to return to see more of this amazing country, but our trip had to go on, back in the Argentine northwest.

(12 photos)

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