From Chile to Bolivia

1) Our water well drill site in a Quechua community in the Amazon Basin, Bolivia.












2) David and Fernando hard at work, guiding the drill bit into the hole.


















3) High-tech drill bit made from leaf springs, to perforate the hole. The head is loose and it allows the cuttings to come to surface through suction.












4) The old water well, way too high in iron content (as you may notice by the red colour).








5) Carlos, our crazy Columbian foreman (we love him!!) fixing the machine that he designed and built, motorized pully system to perforate the ground.

6) Changing out the PVC pipe for another 1.5 m of drilling.

7) Ourselves and Carlos drilling away!

8) Clean water!!! 60 meters of drilling later, we have ourselves a well, and a pump made from old flip flops and 2 pieces of plastic tubing.

9) The crew, L to R: Evelyn, David, Fernandito, Señor Carlos, Quechua Don Bertrand, Irai, and Quechua Don Juan.

10) The cuttest little Quechua girl around!! A friend from the community.

11) Dinner one night: fish fresh that morning, yummy Pirana, freshly picked yucca roots, and rice from the fields.

12) Uyuni Salt flats, Souther Bolivia. World´s largest salt flat.













13) Fun at the salt flats, Uyuni, Bolivia. Evi in the palm of his hand..!














14) The Funky Llama himself!! Bolivia.














15) Going for a stroll at altiplano Lagoona Verde, Uyuni, Bolivia.














16) Boarder crossing from Chile to Bolivia.















17) Our first taste of Llama meat...quite delicious actually. Altiplano, Quechua community in Chile.














18) Thermal Waters near El Tatio Geysers near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.














18) Yes I am walking on water...5 cm deep salt lake in the Atacama Valley, Chile.














19) Picturesque Salt Lake, Chile.


















20) David near the summit of one of the many volcanoes surrounding the Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia. Elevation: 5100 meters. Heart and lungs on overtime..! all the time...













21) Finished product of the Water Well Project, Bolivia.












22) The view from our drilling worksite. Amazon Basin, Bolivia.





















23) Local Quechua, Potosi, Bolivia.
















24) Taking the mine tour in Potosi, Bolivia (highest city on earth, elevation: 4060 m). Intense, eye-opening, informative.




















25) Deep into the heart of the mined mountain (800 m deep). Potosi, Bolivia.

















26) 20 years of mining sure catches up to you. Incredibly hard-working miner, Potosi, Bolivia.















27) Our guide with El Tio, the god of the miners, holding a sacrificed llama feotus. Potosi, Bolivia.

















28) Mine worker having a Coca leaf break, Potosi, Bolivia.















29) Geared up to walk into the dark mine.
















30) Yes, that is dynamite that I´m holding. Used for clearing and making new passage ways in the mine. Potosi, Bolivia. (we just lit it and watched it go BOOM !!). Dynamite is available on the steets in Potosi for about $4 U.S. Fuse and detenator, all included!