Living in the seventh heaven

The inhabitants of the village of La Rinconada literally live in heaven. However, having a house at an altitude of 5 km above sea level does not always mean living easily.

La Rinconada is a Peruvian city. The settlement is located in the Andes, near the border with Bolivia. Most of the time, the temperature in the city does not exceed 0 ° C. In total, about 50,000 people live in the village. Residents exist by working in gold mines, which are not regulated by the government in any way.

Photographer Walker Davidson took a series of photos about life behind the clouds, which in fact turned out to be very, very harsh.

La Riconada is one of the most isolated settlements in the world.

The settlement was founded at an altitude of 5,100 meters above sea level and exists in the shadow of Bella Durmiente — or Sleeping Beauty — a huge glacier towering over the city.

There is only one path leading to the settlement, covered with mud, stones and grass. Most of the time the road is frozen, and the journey to La Riconada can take several days.

In a city devoid of hotels and hospitals, you don't often meet tourists. Moreover, the Government has little concern about what is happening in La Riconade.

Residents lead a rather poor existence and survive due to unregulated reserves of gold metal hidden in the depths of mountain peaks.

Between 2001 and 2009, the value of gold increased by 235%. Along with the price of metal, the population of the village has also grown — up to 30,000 people. Taking into account the fact that resources are not running out yet, the population is growing, and today its number is about 50,000 people.

The majority of the population consists of optimistic Peruvians who decided to enrich themselves by working in gold mines. Miners here do not receive a standard salary, but they can claim all the gold they find on the last day of the month.

Gold reserves have been mined in the Andes for centuries, since the time of the Inca settlement. Every day, workers spend half an hour climbing to the mines, where they face terrible working conditions: there is not enough oxygen in the mines, and workers breathe air with a high content of mercury and cyanide.

Women are not allowed to enter the mines, so they work outside. This woman makes metal parts that serve as a frame for tunnels.

The founders of the city actually created a camp for miners and did not at all expect that the population would increase to such a level. That is why the infrastructure of the village is not suitable for life at all.

There are no natural water sources near the settlement, which makes it impossible to create a sewage system. Garbage disposal also rests on the shoulders of citizens.

Some residents burn garbage, others just take it outside the city.

And someone throws garbage on the street.

The absolute absence of normal sanitary conditions means that the land in the village contains a huge percentage of mercury. This leads to diseases in local residents: problems with the nervous system, as well as itching, burning and discoloration of the skin.

In their free time, locals are content with traditional entertainment or meet in cafes built for miners. In this photo, young people are playing football on a patch of land located near the mines.

The lake, which is visible in this photo, is heavily polluted with mercury and cyanide, so its waters are unsuitable for drinking or household use.

After his trip to La Riconada, the photographer said that this city is an amazing example of how far a person can go in search of wealth and a better life.