Down the Mine Shaft We Go

Here are some photos from my trip down the Cata Mine at Guanajuato.

First, an abandoned church broods eerily over the mine. All the mines used to have their own churches …
Turning from the church, you can see a man in a blue shirt about to lead us into the mine entrance. That’s Robert. He was very patient in explaining everything.

This next picture could be clearer, but on the right side, you’ll see a pole in a tiny box. Four or 5 people jam around that pole — it’s an elevator — for the trip to 345 meters below.

Here, I find some drill cores from a deep drilling operation. Rich veins — argh, I like me silver!

It’s pitch dark where it isn’t lit by lamps, so this mine worker looks like he’s exploding. That’s just the reflective tape on his uniform overwhelming my Canon camera.

The worker is runnning this drilling rig …

Then trudge, trudge, trudge down to the 430 meter level. This pillar supports a grand chamber where silver has been extracted. That pillar itself is worth about a quarter million dollars.

Here, I use a hammer to whack at a vein of rock. Lots of fun, 430 meters below.

And here’s the prize. The black stuff is silver (flecks of pyrite sparkle in the sunlight) and the white and purple stuff is quartz.

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