The big-wigs are in town

It has been a good week and a half since I've been underground, so it was almost nice to return to the deep dark depths of Klipwal Gold Mine today with my partners in crime Leonard and Phillimon. We went down to 7 level and I mapped a small portion of the main drive shaft. Changes have already been made with the happenings of last week with the illegal miners, which have taken shape as a security hut outside the 6 level entrance which is now manned by two security guards from 4pm to 8am. When we got back to surface today, Pietrus came down in the Unimog with a crew to install a lock on the big steel door to further secure the 6 level entrance.

When they eventually took us back up to the offices, I was pleasantly surprised to see Grant, a friend of Lloyd's and a mining geologist, waiting for me in the survey office. He proceeded to give me a crash course about just about everything I needed to know for underground mining, mapping, and sampling, which I desperately needed. I don't think I have ever learned so much in three or four hours. It's amazing how much help it was to actually hear from an economic geologist what the hell I should be doing when I'm underground and how I should be doing it.

This was a bit of a precursor to this evening's arrival of Lloyd and his potential investors from Australia. Tomorrow they will be shown around the mine and Kortnek and will be asking questions regarding the functionality and viability of the mine. Tonight, however, involved a massive braai with plenty of booze, which is what I have come to expect when Lloyd visits to be honest. Lloyd, Grant, and the Australians with big pockets joined Hans, Nick and I for the usual big barbecue at Nick's place.

Hans, who runs the plant here at the mine, brought his three kids along who are visiting Klipwal for a couple of weeks. He has two sons that are 8 and 10 and a daughter who is "15 days from turning 13." I talked to his daughter for 10 or 15 minutes, and I don't think I have ever met a more scarily intelligent 12-year-old. She spoke with a very proper and precise English accent, and summarized to me her plan of studying in the UK after school. She said she wants to either be an architect or an author, but wants to "have a law degree to fall back on." Her vocabulary was that of an English scholar and while she was talking to me she was sipping on a Smirnoff Ice. She's 12.

It was reassuring to witness her two younger brothers restore sanity in the world by chasing each other with burning sticks and whining about when the food was going to be ready all evening. Meanwhile, conversation roared on with the potential investors, Lloyd, and Grant. They were laughing when Lloyd told them he met me on a golf course, and they asked me the question so many have asked me since arriving here: Why did you come to the middle of nowhere in South Africa? It's a fair question, and one that I'm still attempting to answer fully.

Tomorrow should be very interesting, as I am sure Lloyd and others will be nervous about whether or not these potential investors will throw down some cash to really get this mine going. On the other hand, Lloyd is very good at always seeming in control, and if tonight was any indicator, they'll just be back eating pork chops and getting drunk on red wine no matter how tomorrow pans out. It's pretty fun to be along for the ride.