Ojo de Inca

After my visit to the mine, I was done. Another case of Boli belly. And this time, I blame it on the overpriced tourist restaurant. Will my stomach ever get the hang of being in Bolivia? Perhaps I should consider a break from eating? Abstain all together...sigh. Nonetheless, a good 12 hours of sleep seemed to clear it all up. And once clear, on my last day in Potosi, this amazing city finally began to open itself up.

With the goal of heading to the Ojo de Inca, an impossibly hot natural spring at 100C, and some more tepid watering holes nearby, myself and an insanely well traveled Czech headed off in the direction of the bus station. On our way, we were confronted with am amazing amount of activity as it seemed that all of Potosi was out and about on this sunny Saturday morning. We stopped in the street to peruse all types of edible treats with the hopes of composing some sort of picnic. Bolivian markets are abundant as most shopping takes place there, where one can find anything from tomatoes, to oranges, to meats, amazingly coloured gelatin treats, shoes, electronics, illegally copied cds/dvds, oinments and potions, clothing, tires and anything else one could think to need. The markets are manned by indigenous ladies in traditional dress, usually consisting of very robust peasant skirts, some sort of sweater, hair worn in two long braids, often with decorative tastles fastened to the ends and a bowler hat delicately titled to the side (interchangeable for various types of straw hats). One of the most notable marks of these outfits are what I affectionately call 'the Bolivian backpack', or a brightly coloured and patterened piece of fabric tied to carry a variety of goods on one's back. These packs can contain anything from the goods for sale at the market (or at one of the many, many improvised markets in the streets), ones personal belongings, dogs and cats, or the most enjoyable and notable, little baby peeping out. It is impressive to see the size of the loads (and imagine the weight) that these people carry on their backs. Thus, the Czech and I purchased treats in the street, and meandered through the market, sampling Saltenas (the Bolivian equivalent of an empanada), fresh baked cakes, and my favorite treat of the day, cochlo, or yummy corn with giant kernels-- I wish we could find this monster corn at home! (side note: The Andes contains very fertile ground for growing many different types of potatoes, corn and grains. Types we would never imagine. Potatoes there are so wonderfully flavorful, and corn not only comes in giant grains, but is also used to make this slightly sweet puffed corn treat. This is affectionately known as 'giant popcorn' and at times appears to be a Bolivian obsession-- I once visited a market where a whole row was devoted to this puffed corn and some other treats).

After playing in the market and chatting with some locales, one lady who informed me that it is entirely common for people in Potosi (a very poor town) to begin having children at the age of 15 and have anywhere up to 10 offspring, we were off to the suburbs in search of hotsprings. The trip out of town was also an enjoyable adventure as the preferred mode of transfer is a small, white mini-bus, where as many people as possible (and their Bolivian backpacks) is crammed in for the journey. We were lucky enough to get seats and I spent the hour journey negotiating leg room with a lovely Grandmother who sat facing me. Once deposited near the springs, we took a short hike upwards and came upon a comfortable place to soak. The pool is situated in an amazing mountain setting, and manned by a kind gentleman who spends most of his days alone as his wife works in the hospital in town. While the temperature was a mild 30C, it was wonderful to soak the day away. Nearby is the Ojo de Inca (Eye of the Inca), a boiling hot volcanic hole where water bubbles and smokes from the earth in an impressive display of the heat contained within. To our dismay, it was only when we were dressed and ready to go, did we come upon the watering hole used by locals. A bit hotter and half the price to get in (our place was $0.80, while the other only cost $0.25). Nonetheless, a great day. With Potosi lovely and alive, I considered spending one more day. But, alas, the time had come and I was off on an overnight bus to La Paz.