Stealing God's Treasure - Potosi Silver Mine (3)

The bus that departed from the center of town arrived at Cerro Rico in no time.
An indigenous miner who is still active (let's call him Jose) will be my one-on-one guide. I introduce myself briefly in Spanish to Jose, who has a friendly smile and impressive, gnarled, rough hands. Jose's cheeks are bulging like a squirrel before hibernation. It is a routine for them, working in such harsh labor conditions, to chew large amounts of coca leaves every day.

Jose took out an object with a white cord attached, as if to start things off. It was dynamite, an essential item in the mine. When I expressed surprise, saying, "I've never seen that before!", Jose smiled contentedly and set the device in a remote spot. Then, winking at me, he said, "Don't lose your footing," and pressed the detonator switch.
There was just a small explosion, a bit of an anticlimax, the kind you often see in special effects hero shows. Jose looked dissatisfied when he saw my lackluster reaction, but he pulled himself together and guided me to the entrance of the mine shaft.

There stood a small stone statue, looking like a Japanese Jizo statue. It had large ears, fangs protruding from its mouth, and horns sticking out from its head.
"This is Tio," said my guide Jose, as he scattered some coca leaves he had taken from his pocket in front of the statue and muttered a prayer.

According to his explanation, Tio originally meant "uncle" in Spanish, but it has become a term used by the indigenous people to refer to the "god who rules the underworld," whom they have worshipped since long ago. It seems to be an important custom to pray for safety at work for the day, greet Tio, and offer coca leaves, cigarettes, and alcohol.

Just then, a miner coming out of the shaft offered thanks to Tio for finishing his work and walked toward Jose with a smile. The two seemed to be old friends and chatted for a while in a language other than Spanish. I heard later that it was Quechua, the indigenous language that was also used in the Inca Empire.

Then, I put on my helmet and finally headed into the mine shaft. Bare lightbulbs were lit here and there, but it felt cool and damp, truly like an underworld. Naturally, in the days before electricity, they must have relied on small lamps.

Jose and I proceeded through the shaft while hunched over. Of course, we only took the safe route for tourists, but it was still quite tough, requiring us to get on our knees, climb ladders, and crawl through holes only as wide as our shoulders.

During that time, Jose spoke fluently about silver mining operations, the miners' incredibly low wages and harsh lives, and the differences in pay depending on the union they belonged to, but as someone with a touch of claustrophobia, I barely heard a word. I had come out of curiosity, but I felt like throwing up from the pressure of the underground, thinking, "What if this ceiling collapses..." I couldn't take it. I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible!

In the spaces that were a bit wider here and there, there was always a Tio. Each time, Jose and I bowed our heads. Tio, seen in the darkness underground, had a realistic sense of being alive (?), and it wouldn't have been strange if he had suddenly started moving.

The slaves who were thrown underground against their will and forced to dig out silver that would never be theirs must have swung their hammers, wishing only to return to the surface safely without incurring Tio's wrath.

Is this how a thief's henchman feels when stealing treasure hidden by Tio?
Is it like Jack's feeling in the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk," when he sneaks into the giant's house above the clouds and steals the "goose that lays the golden eggs" that the giant cherished? Is it the guilt of pilfering God's secret stash?
Please, please, I hope I am not found by Tio today or tomorrow!

When I emerged back onto the surface and looked at the overcast sky, three hours had already passed. Jose looked up at the sky and chanted a prayer of gratitude, and I lit a cigarette and offered it to Tio.

To be continued in Stealing God's Treasure - Potosi Silver Mine (4)