Lawless and dirty: what the highest city in the world looks like

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The settlement of La Rinconada, located at an altitude of 5,100 meters above sea level, is considered the highest permanent settlement in the world.

< p>The city is located on a frozen glacier, which gives it an alpine tundra climate with temperatures from -2 to -3 degrees all year round. Sometimes the temperature here drops to -12.

La Rinconada is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world due to the fact that there is almost no law and no police. Travel blogger Yes Theory visited the city and said it was the “most terrifying place” he had ever been.

He added that while there, he saw fights breaking out everywhere and passers-by throwing slanted glances at him and the guide.

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Many miners work in a gold mine owned by Corporación Ananea. They work 30 days without pay and are allowed to work for themselves one day.

On this day of the month, the miners are allowed to take as much ore as they can take. Whether the ore contains gold or not is a matter of luck.

A day is considered successful when men can find at least 50 g of gold, for women – about 15 g per week. This could bring up to £2,900 and £870 respectively. But miners most often spend all their earnings in the city: on drinking and gambling.

Women are not allowed to work directly in the mines, so they work outside, sorting through discarded trash in the hope of finding something of value.

The town is dangerous because it has no laws and no police. In fact, the atmosphere of the Wild West and the Gold Rush reigns here. Miners are shot in tunnels, young women are sold in brothels, and fights are common.

When the police or other authorities come to town to try to enforce the law or limit mining, the miners threaten them with dynamite, which is used to blow up the tunnels.

The city lacks water supply (there are only three souls per 50,000 people) and a sewage system (garbage is simply taken out of the city), and pollution by plastic and other types of garbage leads to the emergence of a number of diseases.

Hypoxia is a serious health problem due to low oxygen content. The blogger had to use an oxygen tank because he was starting to suffocate. Only local residents from the mountainous regions of Peru, who have adapted to life in the highlands for generations, can work here.

Also, the city is polluted with mercury due to mining activities. Mining also pollutes fresh water on the mountain, which carries heavy metals directly into Lake Titakaka, the largest lake in South America.