Chapter 2: Castrovirreyna

Hello my dears friends:
Something about Mines
I think you are interested to hear more about my work, so I will tell. Working in mines is quite dangerous so you have to be very carefully and safetly. Firstly, you must wear safety clothes, like helmet, belt, gloves, glasses, electric lamp with a big batery included and a special device use to protect you hear from big noises. Every mornig o nigth, depend on wich time you work, you have to wear like an alien. Then a bus take me and workers to the mine. The mine is underground, 600 meters underground, so is very dark and hot.If you do not have lamp you could not see anything, you only would be blind. There is a lot of tunnels like a labyrinth, you are sorrounded by rock, only rocks. You always must be alert and focus on work. If you are carefully, you will never have accidents.
Many people ask me about the gold, of course, Usually, the gold can not see easily because is in very little particles, but sometimes, if you are lucky man, you will see little pieces of natural gold, incrusted on quartz. I have seen natural gold three times since I have worked. It is very beautiful and it has a special brigth in the darkness.
Now as I said in my last post, I am working in another gold project. I working for a explorer Company, so I do not have to go inside the ground, I work on the ground for a while.

Castrovirreyna

I wake up at 4:30 am today, then I went to informal bus station. I ate a soup while I waited for a bus. Stephen, as you climbing up the The Kilimanjaro, I tried to get some tips for avoid altitude sickness called " SOROCHE" in Peru. Of course I used to altitude, but sometimes I need help to keep me well because Lima is in level of sea. One advice get from a eldery woman was, If I wanted avoid Soroche, I would have a delicious head soup. As you have read, " head soup", which is a very popular meal in the mountains. You only need a sheep`s head or maybe a cow´s head, I do not like eat the head but the soup is extremly tasty and full of energy. So I had my head´s soup before start the trip.

At 5:30 I was travelling to Castrovirreyna, the oldest Silver´s Mine of Peru. I tried to sleep, but I could not because the bus was crowded.
Two hours later, we arrived to a little town called Santa Ana. All the passangers go out of the bus, to get some fresh air, but the weather was cloudy and rainny so we had to stay in a house, a little house. This town belong to Huancavelica, the poorest region in Peru. All the houses are made of "ADOBE" wich is a big brick make of mud, clay and vegetal fibres called "ICHU" and dry by the sun. The most of houses have onlly one room, wich is use like living, kitchen, and bedroom.

The bus driver started to call us, we had to continue our trip. the bus started to go up by muddy road, I tried to sleep again but I had felt sick, I had took a pill but it did not work. Three hours later, we finally arrived to castrovirreyna, it was snowing and cold, very cold. I left my rucksack in my bedroom and I went to office.

My boss suggested me that I had to take a rest, because tomorrow will be a hard day. I am feelling a little bit sick now, all around Castrovirreyna is snow and mist, I only can see 20 meters around. I only want safe and war place, so I will go to my bedroom and try to sleep.

Well, tomorrow I am going to continue with the blog, and I hope it will sunny or without mist unless.

the best wishes.

Federico.

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