The new boom in full ornate after installing it on Monday

After the cleaning intermezzo we got to work and helped Mike to make an extendable boom (that goes on top of the mast) for our drilling rig to make rod handling easier.

Saturday we were engaged at the workshop again. Before we did anything serious we tried the tip from Mike to clean our overalls with the steam cleaner. Washing machines including all pre-soak stuff do not make any impression on the waterproof grease layer anymore, but the cleaner on the paint-strip setting does...

Like everything in the mine its pretty big

On Friday we found an abondoned mine entrance just off the road, now only used for ventilation purposes

We also drilled an uphole which causes some complications for retreiving the wireline core tube. As it was only about 30m we drilled conventionally with the wireline equipment instead of using the elaborate pump-in material.

Normally we drill down-angled holes in this mine as depicted here. With the rod size we are using (BQ) we get up to 40cm/min rate of penetration

We get trained on the rig by drilling-guru Mike Neal (right), good for about 35 years of experience with drilling and drilling products. John (left), whom I was drilling with in War, got trained as well and is practicing his most charming look in this picture

Chinpoko man and Jar Jar (?) seat covers for our new ride, these stunningly beautiful designs come at 1$/yard from Wall-Mart...

The bus that transports the miners (not us) down the mine... back to school? Some could use it...

The rods we just pulled out of the hole served well as a means of warming ourselves up

Sitting down in my most charming pose for a moment I am noting the drilled depths on the origami-core boxes

Back to work on Monday: Joey counted out after pulling rods from the hole

US style sunset

If the sun does not come to you then you must come to the sun: with the hotelroom chair in the back of the car I drove around to catch the last rays on Sunday evening

Notice the unbeatable combination of basenball and hockey in my swing?

Short snack halfway the course to replenish our energy, drained as we were from swinging those clubs and not walking

I felt instanlty at home in our compulsory ride round the course... This way golf is even less of a sport but still good fun

Sunday: bit of leisure time spent with golfing, something especially Joey had been looking forward to for months...

The basic ingrediens of a relaxed Saturday night: Table outside the hotel (in a country where bars or restaurants with terraces have not been invented yet), a bottle of rosé and sun.

Saturday: after two weeks finally time to do some laundry... altough the fact that those grease-impregnated clothes become waterproof is quite handy it was nice that they at least smelled clean again. Our new ride is also in the picture: a Dodge Dakota, good fun to drive as it has heaps of power and it actually steers as a car instead of a truck.