At more than 4000 meters above sea level, Potosí is one of the highest cities in the world. It feels high, too: isolated, sprawled up the edge of a mountain with a huge mine above, Potosí doesn't have the cozy "tucked-in" feeling of La Paz.
When I was there, clouds hovered just above the city (as they do a lot of the time, I'll bet). The nearby mountain peak faded in and out of view. This formerly-wealthy silver-mining city now seemed a bit desolate to me. A lot of the rest of this part of Bolivia -- high in the Andes -- may feel the same. I'll find that out when I can come back and stay longer.
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(These photographs are Copyright © 2005 by Jerry Peek. Much higher-resolution versions of most images, and many other images too, are available at Jerry Peek Photography. Photos are available at reduced prices, or free, for non-commercial use.)