Visiting the Closest Town to Space (Life with 50% less oxygen)
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00:00La Rinconada, the closest inhabited place to the sky on Earth,
00:03where people are living above the clouds.
00:05At this extreme altitude of 5,100 meters or 16,700 feet,
00:10the atmosphere significantly thins
00:12and the locals are living with only 50% of the usual oxygen levels.
00:16Their bodies have evolved to produce two times more blood cells than ours.
00:20On this barren land, not even a single tree can survive because of the low air pressure.
00:25This town in the Peruvian Andes is even 300 meters higher than Mont Blanc.
00:29The highest peak in the Alps of Europe.
00:31Far from the modern world, it is a place where crime and danger are always nearby.
00:36People come to these harsh lands for only one reason, gold.
00:39About 50,000 people settled here among piles of trash, all dreaming of wealth.
00:44We are on the road to explore life in the world's highest settlement.
00:48Lower, lower.
00:50Here, here.
00:52Careful.
00:54Give me two, please. Two oxygens.
00:58Climbing above 2,000 meters in a day can trigger altitude sickness for someone used to sea level.
01:04But as of now, we have already doubled that elevation level.
01:07Very deep.
01:09Headache, dizziness and nausea are the first symptoms.
01:11Followed by coughing, it may cause shortness of breath.
01:14Immediate help is crucial when rapidly progressing altitude sickness
01:18leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs.
01:20At high altitudes, the body loses about twice as much water through breathing,
01:24so it's important to keep hydrated.
01:27Look at the elevation here, friends.
01:29So that mountain is as high as that cloud.
01:32So we're gonna go above the clouds.
01:34Don't worry about us, we're fine.
01:36We're gonna inhale these as the altitude rises.
01:38Nothing happens to people from here.
01:40They have an adaptation to this situation.
01:42Atmosphere layer gets thinner and it makes it harder to inhale the oxygen.
01:48But we will get used to it.
01:49The place we're heading to is a mining town.
01:52Deadly chemicals like cyanide and mercury, used in gold processing,
01:55have contaminated the soil and agricultural water in the settlement.
01:58Before starting the journey, we also packed plenty of food and clean drinking water.
02:03We're born here. We are adapted to this elevation.
02:06The normal oxygen level in blood should be between 95 and 100 percent.
02:10Below 80 percent, vital organs become negatively affected.
02:13I'm trying to normalize my current 72 percent level with oxygen,
02:17but it's a temporary solution as we're going up higher every minute.
02:22The town is literally surrounded by tons of waste stretching for miles.
02:26Nature has given place to piles of garbage.
02:28The moment we arrived, a sickening odor hit me suddenly.
02:32We are at our hotel in Larinconada.
02:34Our guide is setting up the oxygen tank for us.
02:36What is the name of this hotel?
02:38Cielo means sky.
02:39Use the oxygen tank for five minutes first, and after a little break,
02:44and another another five minutes.
02:46You need time.
02:47Rest a little bit to adapt your body to this elevation.
02:51When I got out of the car, I felt dizzy.
02:54I was like going to fall.
02:56Very normal.
02:57Crimes, especially stabbings and theft, are quite common here,
03:00because locals typically keep their cash and gold with them as there are no banks available.
03:04We're teaming up with two police officers to keep us safe while we're filming.
03:08They are undercover police and they will follow us everywhere we go.
03:13Marco directs us to coca leaves,
03:15as he thinks it's a remedy to avoid getting altitude sickness,
03:18a traditional habit here.
03:19I'm also a coca leafer, I cook coca leaves.
03:21I think they're consuming these for altitude sickness.
03:25They chew three or four leaves on one side of their mouth.
03:28These leaves, which are illegal in most countries,
03:30produce a kind of numbing effect that helps users relax.
03:33It's good for almost everything.
03:34Maybe one of the police officers can carry this.
03:37We leave a busy and tiring day behind and we will explore the town the next day.
03:41We are in the center of Larinconada at sunrise.
03:43The police officers are by our side.
03:45The surroundings are full of local cafes, markets and people.
03:49Even though I just woke up, my body feels dead tired, like it hasn't rested in days.
03:54Walking is hard with the dizziness and nausea.
03:56The dry air gives me a sore throat and chapped lips.
03:59As the night gave way to daylight,
04:00piles of garbage in the side streets became more visible.
04:03Even though it's summer and we are close to the tropics, the ground is frozen.
04:07In this place where the nighttime temperatures drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius,
04:11people are living in metal shacks without electricity or heating.
04:14No kitchens or bathrooms in these houses,
04:16and thousands of people have to use the same public toilets and baths for their personal needs.
04:21Like a web over the town, these hoses carry water from the glaciers above to the center.
04:26Almost nobody we meet here is originally from this place.
04:29Most have come from other regions of Peru, with the dream of finding wealth through mining.
04:34The gold prices multiplied six-fold between 2001 and 2012,
04:38and led to a population boom in the area.
04:41However, the conditions are extremely harsh for the 50,000 people living here.
04:45There's been no effort to develop infrastructure suitable for the growing population.
04:49Every day, thousands of people throw their garbage on streets
04:52indistinguishable from dumping sites.
04:54There are no services from the government to pick up this trash.
04:57People are on their own.
04:59The most terrifying problem is the lack of a sewage system.
05:02Wastewater flows openly through the streets as it is.
05:05This soccer field does not consist of real grass.
05:07It's all artificial because trees and other plants cannot survive at this altitude.
05:12The town is located around the mountain called La Bella Durmiente, meaning Sleeping Beauty.
05:17Can you see here?
05:18The face and the body.
05:20It's a lady.
05:21She's sleeping here.
05:22The shape of the mountain.
05:24The town blends into the sky with its chaotic gray structures.
05:27Every morning, workers walk for kilometers uphill to reach the mines.
05:31Filled with dangerous gases, the working conditions inside these tunnels are extremely tough.
05:36La Rinconada is also called the Devil's Paradise.
05:39This is because it's a town ruled by illegal companies that control the mines.
05:43There are signs near the tunnels that order to shoot those who enter without permission.
05:47No matter the warnings, we are determined to get inside these mining tunnels.
05:51Well, we'll try to see how they work.
05:53Our friends, they said, probably we can get very close.
05:57Can you see the lady there?
05:58The lady?
05:58Yeah, she's a lady up there.
06:00They collect the leftovers.
06:02Yes.
06:03Women are forbidden to work in the mines.
06:05According to local beliefs, the Sleeping Beauty becomes jealous
06:08and brings disasters like earthquakes if a woman touches its gold.
06:12They earn their living by searching for gold in waste rocks thrown outside the mines.
06:16Children searching for gold on the mountain
06:18can be easily identified by the frostbite marks on their cheeks.
06:21Being foreigners with cameras, we attract a lot of attention.
06:24After this point, I handed Marco my phone to capture footage inside the tunnels.
06:28These figures near the mining site decorated with dried flowers,
06:32fruits and alcohol bottles represent mountain gods.
06:35Workers come here to pray for protection from accidents and success in finding gold.
06:39Incidents such as explosions, roof collapses and gas poisoning
06:43occur about 25 times more often compared to advanced countries.
06:46If a mine worker dies, a company pays approximately $600 as compensation.
06:51The concept of a regular salary doesn't exist in La Rinconada.
06:54Miners work under an outdated and illegal labor system called Cachorreo.
06:59They work for the company without pay for the whole month
07:02and then get one day to work only for themselves,
07:04taking home the gold they find as their salary on that day.
07:07Depending on the success of the Cachorreo day,
07:10they may earn a significant amount or even end up working for free,
07:13so their income is theoretically determined by luck.
07:16However, the miners try to minimize this uncertainty by sometimes
07:19pocketing good-looking stones or hiding them in some secret spot for the Cachorreo day.
07:24My oxygen level is now at 65%, way below the normal 95 to 100%.
07:30So I breathe super fast.
07:32My heart rate is like over 120 while it should be between 80 to 100.
07:37Right now a local is checking his oxygen level.
07:40His results are way better than mine.
07:4282% oxygen and a pulse of 97.
07:46I can no longer stand.
07:47I'm going back to the hotel to get some oxygen.
07:50I'm keeping my coat on to stay warm as there's no heating.
07:53Now we're going to wait a few hours to explore the city's dangerous nightlife
07:57and talk with some mine workers.
07:58While I'm resting, you should know the true cost of the gold.
08:01Each ring containing 8 grams of gold generates approximately 20 tons of waste during production.
08:06At the top of the mountain, an acid mine lake was formed
08:09because of the rocks which are extracted with gold.
08:12These rocks, high in iron sulfate, undergo oxidation when they come
08:16into contact with water and air, resulting in this deep red color.
08:19People living by the stream grow their crops and raise their animals
08:23with water contaminated by mercury and cyanide.
08:25The average lifespan of the locals living here is only 35 years,
08:29but chemicals aren't the only reason.
08:31At this altitude, each breath contains about 50% less oxygen compared to sea level.
08:36Therefore, the blood of a Larinconada resident is twice as dense as that of an average person,
08:41leading to potential blockages in blood vessels and fatal outcomes.
08:44After a tough day, miners are rushing to the town center.
08:47Electricity is only available on a few streets here,
08:50leaving the rest of the town in darkness.
08:52All the mine workers are here.
08:54They're shopping and socializing between each other.
08:57Stalls and little shops all around, selling everything,
08:59street food, clothes, household stuff, you name it.
09:02Kids are playing outside with endless energy until late at night.
09:11How old is he?
09:13Is there only primary or also secondary school?
09:15Yes, there is.
09:16How big is the school?
09:18Not very big.
09:19Is there higher education?
09:21No, there is not.
09:22After that, you need to move to Puno or Juliaca to study.
09:25What if they don't move? Do they start working in the mine?
09:29Yes.
09:29As you see, people come here to exchange their gold pieces for solace.
09:33We are in an exchange office now.
09:35To keep out the robbers and attacks, they've placed iron bars in front of the counter.
09:39Now we're gonna see how they convert gold.
09:43Let me catch my breath, man.
09:45The ore you see is the result of a worker's hard labor spent throughout the month.
09:49Right now, the gold is in an amalgam with mercury,
09:51and heat treatment will be applied with a blowtorch to separate the two metals.
09:55For every gram of gold, about 2 grams of mercury evaporate and mix into the atmosphere.
10:00What is the hardest part of doing this job?
10:03Transporting the material.
10:05Because remember, there are many bad people or robbers,
10:09and it's not really safe to transport.
10:11What does she like about La Rinconada?
10:14Mostly there's nothing good because, as you can see, everywhere is contaminated.
10:18Well, you can earn a good income.
10:20Above the national average. That's why people come here.
10:23Different herbal tea mixtures are also consumed to reduce symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
10:28We call it emolliente.
10:29What is this made of?
10:31Water, different herbs, and syrup.
10:34It's really good. Try a little bit.
10:39It's heavy. It's too hard to drink.
10:43We can't go more far.
10:45To there, there's no more electricity, no more lights, and it's better to stop here.
10:52Most miners spend their hard-earned money on alcohol and nightlife on these streets.
10:56If the living and working conditions do not kill a person, then a knife or AIDS does.
11:00Nightclubs are the most dangerous spots in La Rinconada.
11:04There are bars, nightclubs, and some companionship options for mine workers.
11:10We are at the center of human trafficking, robbery, and murder in La Rinconada.
11:14If you look there, you can see the lady.
11:16There are many people trying to buy a rose for the ladies here.
11:20According to Puno police, approximately 2,500 underage girls are being exploited
11:26in these places we just walked by.
11:28The town has only one police station, and the Peruvian government
11:31isn't putting in any effort to combat these crimes.
11:34Is there a jail here?
11:36No. We call Calabozo. There is like a place, a very small place.
11:40There is no hospital in the city, right?
11:42There is a tiny, very tiny clinic. Maybe two, three, four rooms max.
11:47We're now meeting with a miner who has spent 12 years working in La Rinconada.
11:51He also owns the only gym in the town.
11:53After a day of intense physical labor, miners continue sweating out.
11:57Ramiro is one of the few lucky miners.
11:59What is the largest amount of gold ore you ever found in grams?
12:03200 grams.
12:04Oh, wow. He found 800 grams in one piece. That's a lot of gold.
12:09Are you married?
12:10Yes. We have three children. They're in university.
12:13Do you advise your children to work in the mines?
12:16No, because it is very, very dangerous.
12:19They rob when the miners collect gold. How does elevation affect your body?
12:24Even though I'm from Puno, I have that problem.
12:26Puno is at 3,800 meters above sea level.
12:29So coming here at 5,000 meters above sea level, it starts to be challenging.
12:33Digestive issues at first, three days of suffering.
12:37How much money do mine workers make?
12:39Sometimes it goes up, down, down and up.
12:42One would earn more or less around 2,000 Peruvian soles and a little more.
12:46Your hands are so affected by working in the mines.
12:49I accidentally hit myself with a rock while trying to separate the mineral from the gold.
12:53So you're using a stone to crush and then suddenly, bam!
12:57Injuries, injuries, injuries, especially on this side when you're crushing.
13:01Are there any passed away mine workers?
13:03It's quite constant. The mine, many say, is for strong men.
13:07They don't mean strength in muscle size.
13:10Primarily, it's more about mental strength, about resilience,
13:14about mastering and considering the altitude.
13:16It's not so simple. We're 5,000 meters above sea level.
13:20Although the dream of coming to La Rinconada and finding a large gold ore
13:24may seem attractive from the outside,
13:25most miners and their families never achieve the financial comfort they desire.
13:30The Peruvian government has been silent for years
13:32about the illegal operations in gold mines and the abuse of workers.
13:36Despite all these conditions, people continue to seek the opportunity
13:40of a better life in the world's highest settlement.
13:42Thanks for watching.
13:43Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss new documentaries.
13:46See you in the next video.
13:47Ruhi Chenette was here.