Mining around Portovelo

Gold mining first started here in southern Ecuador with an American mining company.  The owners lived in Zaruma, at the top of the hill, and the gold mine was below in Portovelo.  The places are still mostly the same, but now it is an entirely Ecuadorian operation.

Zaruma feels like the set of an old western movie about a gold rush

with a beautiful church

cobblestone streets and nice views all around

K getting suited up to go into a mine

entrance to the mine shaft

the train that carries us in

A miner showing us a seam of ore.  They get copper and silver too, but gold is what they are really after

usually the ceiling is much lower, but this shows you the air tube, water and electricity lines for the 2km shaft

this is not pure gold, but it is representative of the mineral seam they are digging out

eventually we have to go on foot

In leaving the mine in the ore train, one of the train cars hit a bump and jumped off the rail, dumping everyone in the car out and over the side.  Two people got lightly injured but a third was seriously hurt, and we had to take him to the hospital.

a centrifuge condenser worked by an experienced miner

the flecks of light in the slurry are silver and gold particles

1 metric ton of methylated mercury

the landscape, though scarred and deforested, is still beautiful

the shower in my last hotel.  Don't mind the black mold.  If you want hot water though, just flip the switch and don't splash around too much.  I believe this is the Chinese widow maker model