IN STEREO

In our history, the mountains are characters, almost like gods, who intervene in the history of man. The Kari Kari [Lagoons], too. So there is a story which says that [Mount] Malmisa had made the Cerro Rico of Potosí his girlfriend. But one night, he found her with Kari Kari. So, like any other couple, they became angry, and they started to fight. The [Cerro Rico] punched [Malmisa] and blew up his head – that’s why Malmisa is a mountain not with one peak, but two. Malmisa reacted with another punch. He missed [the Cerro Rico]. They say that hit created the Cave of the Devil canyon. Now, if you look at Google Earth, this canyon has been made by something – a meteorite or something has impacted there. It could be that something of that event is in the memory of those people, and that’s why they explain it this way. – Enrique

Now if you go around the church of San Benito, there are small cobblestones. It is still colonial, but it could even be more original – it could be pre-Inca. Because the Spaniards always put [churches] on top of the [places] where we most believe. When we go to the cemetery, we all place candles, we ch’alla, we c’oa to the spirits, the souls. People gather where their loved ones are – [that is] these Indians’ central core. So the churches were created and made over a cemetery, because we simply worshipped those gods, the spirits and all that. They were scared, so, “We are going to end their religion. We will cover their roots and we will put our church there.” And on top of that, they put the Catholic church. That is why recently, they have found [bones] here – in the Cathedral, everywhere. – Lucho