Thursday, October 16, 2008

Palmarejo Project. Mexico. July 07.


Flying to Temoris, then a 1 hour drive to site.
After the Mali project I flew to Chihuahua Mexico to work on
a Mine Site in Palmarejo, which is in the Sierra Madre Occidental.


Flying over Chihuahua, heading for Temoris in the Sierra Madre.


Large cactus.


Looking up the road at Palmarejo. The little red store and
school next door.

Looking down on the Tiny town of Palmarejo. The church
right in the middle.

View while driving from Temoris to Palmarejo.


The Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre, on the way from
Chihuahua to Palmarejo.

Some interesting rock formations on the road to Temoris.


The site being prepared for the new processing plant.


Forming the concrete plinths to support the Ball Mills.


Leach tanks being fabricated on site.


A linesman working on a new pole that was put in at the
man camp.Don't try this at home.

Doing my QA/QC work at Palmarejo.


Black Widow. I saw lots of these under the steel.


These kids were playing on the side of the road where I
stayed in Palmarejo.

This little old Mexican guy lived in Palmarejo and hung
around the construction site.

Back in Chihuahua, structural steel beams ready for sand blasting.


Ball Mill shells waiting for dispatch.


Tanks & beams ready for dispatch to Palmarejo.


Dye penetrant crack testing on a stainless steel elution column.


Bins heading to the rubber liners before being sent to the
Palmarejo Site

More Structural Steel in Chihauhua, for Palmarejo.


Fabricators & Welders at the Chihauhau workshop, Mexico.

Traveling Between Jobs.


While coming back through California I caught up with
Barack and we discussed some financial and other
important political issues.

Istanbul, Turkey.

Shopping in Dubai. These were all made of scrap pieces of
steel, and stood about 1.8m tall.They were really well made
and priced in the thousands. I'm a Predator fan from way back.

Dubai. I didn't get to stay in this famous hotel.


Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg, S.A.
On our way back from Mali.

Wendy & I on the Shotover River Jet boat. Queenstown,
good ole NZ.

The Remarkables, above Queenstown.


Singapore. Nice blokes, but they didn't have much to stay.


Singapore. The ice cream was so good compared to what
we got in Mali.

Singapore.Two cute birds.


Singapore. Crickey look at these little beauties

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co,Santa Monica Pier, LA. Lunch was Awesome.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Fourou Church & Meeting People. Mali. Feb 07.


Mother and baby at the church.

The church music team. All their instruments were hand
made and sounded great.

Once I got out my camera the kids mobbed me.


These ladies all shopped at the same place.


Did I look that scary.


Everyone was in their Sunday best. The shelter behind was
where they held the church services.
It was Sunday and these two were heading to Fourou for
the Monday market.
Heading to the markets too. They really appreciated it when
I stopped and took the time to talk with them.

The local timber merchant making a delivery.



This guy had a load of bean like things that have a yellow
powder in them used for spices or flavouring in cooking.


These boys were tending to a small herd of cattle. The young
ones in the front lead me by the hand through the scrub to show
me the herd.

Bathing and washing clothes took place in the same pond
where cattle were drinking.

This was a common sight in these villages. Straw shelters
for animals and people.

This family just stared at me in the ute, but that all changed
to smiles when I stopped and joined them for a photo.

Some villagers making mud bricks.One by one they cast
them in a mould, then leave them in the sun to dry.

I just had to have a go at one of these 3 cylinder Malian
convertibles.

Bananso Village. Mali. Feb. 07.


Heading to Bananso village, the road was no more than a
dusty track through the bush. I was invited to Yacouba's
home.Yacouba worked on my team at the Syama mine site.

My friend Yacouba in front of his home.

Cooking is all done on an open fire. Food and grain stored
in the little shed.

Yacouba's family.

1 of Yacouba's 2 wives and his sons.


Yacouba offered me his 8 year old daughter for my second
wife. Without offending him, I declined and told him 1 wife
was enough for me.

Villagers happy to see us and be in a photo.


Everyone came out of the woodwork to be in the photo.


Dry and dusty, and everything made of mud.

This is not as easy as it looks.

Fourou Village Market Day. Mali. Jan.07.



Every Monday was market day. People came from all
around the district to sell their stuff.

Garlic.


Old timer selling dried fish.


All the ladies wore their best dress on market day.


Plastic beads.


Cooking pots etc.

These kids followed us all around the market.


Little cutey. (left)