La Rinconada. The closest inhabited place to the sky on Earth, where people are living above the clouds. At this extreme altitude of 5,100 meters or 6,700 feet the atmosphere significantly thins and the locals are living with only 50% of the usual oxygen levels.
Their bodies have evolved to produce two times more blood cells than ours. On this barren land, not even a single tree can survive because of the low air pressure. This town in the Peruvian Andes is even 300 meters higher than Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps of Europe.
Far from the modern world, it is a place where crime and danger are always nearby. People come to these harsh lands for only one reason: Gold. About 50,000 people settled here, among piles of trash, all dreaming of wealth.
We are on the road to explore life in the world's highest settlement. - Pull over, pull over, yeah pull over. - Give me the tube, please.
Tube, oxygen tube. Please. Climbing above 2000 meters in a day can trigger altitude sickness for someone used to sea level, but as of now, we have already doubled that elevation level.
- Very deep. Headache, dizziness, and nausea are the first symptoms. Followed by coughing, it may cause shortness of breath.
Immediate help is crucial when rapidly progressing altitude sickness leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs. At high altitudes, the body loses about twice as much water through breathing, so it’s important to keep hydrated. - Look at the elevation here, friends.
- So that mountain is as high as that cloud. - So we’re gonna go above the clouds. - Don’t worry about us, we’re fine.
- We’re gonna inhale this as altitude rises. - Nothing happens to people from here. - They have an adaptation to this situation.
- Atmosphere layer gets thinner and makes it harder to inhale the oxygen - But we’ll get used to it. The place we're heading to is a mining town. Deadly chemicals like cyanide and mercury used in gold processing, have contaminated the soil and agricultural water in the settlement.
Before starting the journey, we also packed plenty of food and clean drinking water. - We’re born here. We are adapted to this elevation.
The normal oxygen level in blood should be between 95 and 100%. Below 80%, vital organs become negatively affected. I'm trying to normalize my current 72% level with oxygen, but it's a temporary solution as we’re going up higher every minute.
The town is literally surrounded by tons of waste stretching for miles. Nature has given place to piles of garbage. The moment we arrived, a sickening odor hit me suddenly.
We are at our hotel in La Rinconada. Our guide is setting up the oxygen tank for us. What is the name of this hotel?
- Cielo, means sky. - Use the oxygen tank for 5 minutes first, and after a little break, and another another five minutes. - You need time, rest a little bit to adapt your body to this elevation.
- When I get out of the car, I felt dizzy. - I was like going to fall. - Very normal.
Crimes, especially stabbings and theft, are quite common here. Because locals typically keep their cash and gold with them, as there are no banks available. We're teaming up with two police officers to keep us safe while we're filming.
They are undercover police and they will follow us everywhere we go. - Hello! Marco directs us to coca leaves, as he thinks it’s a remedy to avoid getting altitude sickness, a traditional habit here.
- And also coca leaves there, coca leaves. - I think they are consuming this for altitude sickness. They chew 3 or 4 leaves on one side of their mouth.
These leaves which are illegal in most countries, produce a kind of numbing effect that helps users relax. - It’s good for almost everything. - Maybe one of the police officers can carry this.
We leave a busy and tiring day behind and we’ll explore the town the next day. We are in the center of La Rinconada at sunnrise. The police officers are by our side.
The surroundings are full of local cafes, markets, and people. Even though I just woke up, my body feels dead tired, like it hasn't rested in days. Walking is hard with the dizziness and nausea.
The dry air gives me a sore throat and chapped lips. As the night gave way to daylight, piles of garbage in the side streets became more visible. Even though it's summer and we are close to the tropics, the ground is frozen.
In this place where the nighttime temperatures drop to -10 degrees Celsius, people are living in metal shacks without electricity or heating. No kitchens or bathrooms in these houses. And thousands of people have to use the same public toilets and baths for their personal needs.
Like a web over the town, these hoses carry water from the glaciers above to the center. Almost nobody we meet here is originally from this place. Most have come from other regions of Peru, with the dream of finding wealth through mining.
The gold prices multiplied six-fold between 2001 and 2012 and led to a population boom in the area. However, the conditions are extremely harsh for the 50,000 people living here. There’s been no effort to develop infrastructure suitable for the growing population.
Everyday, thousands of people throw their garbage on streets indistinguishable from dumping sites. - There are no services from the government to pick up these thrash. People are on their own.
The most terrifying problem is the lack of a sewage system. Wastewater flows openly through the streets as it is. This soccer field does not consist of real grass, it is all artificial.
Because trees and other plants cannot survive at this altitude. The town is located around the mountain called “La Bella Durmiente”, meaning “Sleeping Beauty. ” - Can you see it?
The face and the body. - It is a lady, she is sleeping here. The shape of the mountain.
The town blends into the sky with its chaotic gray structures. Every morning, workers walk for kilometers uphill to reach the mines. Filled with dangerous gasses, the working conditions inside these tunnels are extremely tough.
La Rinconada is also called “The Devil's Paradise. " This is because it's a town ruled by illegal companies that control the mines. There are signs near the tunnels that order to “shoot” those who enter without permission.
No matter the warnings, we are determined to get inside these mining tunnels. - We’ll try to see how they work. - Our friends, they said probably we can get very close.
- Can you see the lady there? - The lady? - Yeah, she is a lady, up there.
- They collect the leftovers. - Yes! Women are forbidden to work in the mines.
According to local beliefs, the Sleeping Beauty becomes jealous, and brings disasters like earthquakes if a woman touches its gold. They earn their living by searching for gold in waste rocks thrown outside the mines. Children searching for gold on the mountain can be easily identified, by the frostbite marks on their cheeks.
Being foreigners with cameras, we attract a lot of attention. After this point, I handed Marco my phone to capture footage inside the tunnels. These figures near the mining site decorated with dried flowers, fruits, and alcohol bottles, represent mountain gods.
Workers come here to pray for protection from accidents and success in finding gold. Incidents such as explosions, roof collapses, and gas poisoning occur about 25 times more often compared to advanced countries. If a mine worker dies, a company pays approximately 600 dollars as compensation.
The concept of a regular salary doesn't exist in La Rinconada. Miners work under an outdated and illegal labor system called "Cachorreo”. They work for the company without pay for the whole month, and then get one day to work only for themselves, taking home the gold they find as their salary on that day.
Depending on the success of the "cachorreo" day, they may earn a significant amount or even end up working for free. So their income is theoretically determined by luck. However, the miners try to minimize this uncertainty by sometimes pocketing good-looking stones or hiding them in some secret spot for the "cachorreo" day.
- My oxygen level is now at 65%, way below the normal 95 to 100%. - So I breathe super fast, my heart rate is like over 120 while it should be between 80 to 100. - Right now a local is checking his oxygen level.
- His results are way better than mine. - 82% oxygen and the pulse of 97. - I can no longer stand.
- I’m going back to the hotel to get some oxygen. - I’m keeping my coat on to stay warm as there's no heating. Now we're gonna wait a few hours to explore the city's dangerous nightlife and talk with some mine workers.
While I’m resting you should know the true cost of the gold. Each ring containing 8 grams of gold generates approximately 20 tons of waste during production. At the top of the mountain, an acid mine lake was formed because of the rocks which are extracted with gold.
These rocks high in iron sulfate, undergo oxidation when they come into contact with water and air, resulting in this deep red color. People living by the stream grow their crops and raise their animals with water contaminated by mercury and cyanide. The average lifespan of the locals living here is only 35 years.
But chemicals aren’t the only reason. At this altitude, each breath contains about 50% less oxygen compared to sea level. Therefore, the blood of a La Rinconada resident is twice as dense as that of an average person, leading to potential blockages in blood vessels and fatal outcomes.
After a tough day, miners are rushing to the town center. Electricity is only available on a few streets here, leaving the rest of the town in darkness. All the mine workers are here; they're shopping and socializing between each other.
Stalls and little shops all around, selling everything, street food, clothes, household stuff, you name it. Kids are playing outside with endless energy until late at night. - Oh my god.
- The Argentinians. - How old is he? - 12.
- Is there only primary or also secondary school? - Yes, there is. - How big is the school?
- Not very big. - Is there higher education? - No, there is not.
- After that they need to move to Puno or Juliaca to study. - What if they don't move? - Do they start working in the mines?
- Yes. - As you see, people come here to exchange their gold pieces for Soles. We are in an exchange office now.
To keep out the robbers and attacks, they've placed iron bars in front of the counter. - Now we’re gonna see how they convert gold. - Let me catch my breath man.
The ore you see is the result of a worker's hard labor spent throughout the month. Right now the gold is in an amalgam with mercury, and heat treatment will be applied with a blowtorch to separate the two metals. For every gram of gold, about 2 grams of mercury evaporate, and mix into the atmosphere.
- What is the hardest part of doing this job? - Transporting the material. - Because, remember, there are many bad people or robbers, and it's not really safe to transport.
- What does she like about La Rinconada? - Mostly, there is nothing good. - Because, as you can see, everywhere is contaminated.
- Well, you can earn a good income. - Above the national average, that’s why people come here. Different herbal tea mixtures are also consumed to reduce symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
- We call it “Emoliente”. - What is this made of? - Water, different herbs and syrup.
- It’s really good. Try a little bit. - It’s heavy.
- It’s too hard to drink, you know. - We can’t go more far. - There is no more electricity, no more lights and it’s better to stop here.
Most miners spend their hard-earned money on alcohol and nightlife on these streets. If the living and working conditions do not kill a person, then a knife or AIDS does. Nightclubs are the most dangerous spots in La Rinconada.
- On this street, there are bars, nightclubs and some companionship options for mine workers. We are at the center of human trafficking, robbery, and murder in La Rinconada. - If you look there, you can see the lady.
- There are many people trying to buy a rose for the ladies here. According to Puno police, approximately 2500 underage girls are being exploited in these places we just walked by. The town has only one police station and the Peruvian government isn't putting in any effort to combat these crimes.
- Is there a jail here? - No. We call “calabozo” there is like a place, very small place.
- There is no hospital in the city, right? - There is a tiny. .
. very tiny clinic, may be 2, 3, 4 rooms max. We're now meeting with a miner who has spent 12 years working in La Rinconada.
He also owns the only gym in the town. After a day of intense physical labor, miners continue sweating out. Ramiro is one of the few lucky miners.
- What's the largest amount of gold ore you've ever found in grams? - 200 grams. - Oh, wow!
He found 200 grams in one piece. - This is a lot of gold. - Are you married?
- Yes. We have 3 children, they are in university. - Do you advise your children to work in the mines?
- No. Because it's very, very dangerous. - They rob when the miners collect gold.
- How does elevation affect your body? - Even though I'm from Puno, I had that problem. - Puno is at 3800 meters above sea level.
- So, coming here at 5000 meters above sea level, it starts to be challenging. - Digestive issues at first, three days of suffering. .
. - How much money do mine workers make? - Sometimes it goes up, down, down, and up.
- One would earn more or less around 2000 Peruvian Soles and a little more. - Your hands are so affected by working in the mines. - I accidentally hit myself with a rock while trying to separate the mineral from the gold.
- So, you're using a stone to crush, and then suddenly. . .
Bam! - Injuries, injuries, injuries. .
. Especially on this side when you're crushing. - Are there any passed away mine workers?
- It’s quite constant. - The mine, many say, is for strong men. - They don't mean strength in muscle size.
- Primarily, it's more about mental strength, about resilience, about mastering, and considering the altitude, it's not so simple. - We're 5000 meters above sea level. Although the dream of coming to La Rinconada, and finding a large gold ore may seem attractive from the outside, most miners and their families never achieve the financial comfort they desire.
The Peruvian government has been silent for years about the illegal operations in gold mines and the abuse of workers. Despite all these conditions, people continue to seek the opportunity of a better life in the world's highest settlement. Thanks for watching.
Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss new documentaries. See you in the next video. Ruhi Çenet was here.
