IN STEREO

I’ll leave you with some data about my family. There are 12 siblings [and] only two of us live in Potosí. I left Potosí in ‘87: first to Sucre, then to Cochabamba, then to La Paz. [Then] I came back by my own choice. I said, “I have to do something for Potosí.” I came back, and I stayed with my little sister because she was still [here] studying [to be] a civil engineer. My little sister told me, “I have to leave Potosí, because there is no work here.” I do not know how to make her stay. So imagine: if we make a statistic of my family, 10% have stayed in Potosí; 90% have left Potosí. – Enrique

Wow, why would anyone leave Potosí? For me, it is a magical city, with its streets, with its cold. We enjoy it for that [reason]. Some say, “We do not go to Potosí. How can you live in that cold city?” “Yes!” I say, “It can be cold, but we enjoy that wind, the ‘chiriguayrita’, as they say.” It is an icy wind, but we enjoy it. If I ever travel, I always return to Potosí. Once I feel the air, I feel at peace. I despair of leaving Potosí. It may be cold, but the quality of the people is stronger. The heart is warm; that’s more important. – Gris