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Pictures: Peruvian miner on cover of the Serrano dated April 1973 and quartz and pyrite mineral specimen from a Peruvian mine. Posted by Allan Fraser 14 March 2010.
The Sleeping Minerby Dennis SilukOh yes, he has long gone now,
dispersed among the deep mines;
the one he sees, and remains
afloat throughout the night.
He sleeps on shimmering minerals-
his eyes have rapid movements.
No: 2082 12-4-2007
http://dennissiluk.tripod.com/
RECONNAISSANCE
Pinning down the relevant people-points,
One contact leading to three, to fifteen, seventy ...
Is less the leisurely gathering of a bouquet
Than the grasping at leaves in a gale -
At that whirlwind mosaic of scattered lives -
In an effort to connect them to an original tree
When only the ghost of it remains.
But, seeking anew the comfort of those shadow-branches,
We grace them with the qualities of our metamorphosis.
Achievement and deadwood have added their layers
To the bilingual and carefree children
Who played against the backdrop of the Andes
And knew it later for a privileged kingdom.
Lark Burns Beltran
(Sent by Wilfredo Beltran)
(In Chulec 1953-56)
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1 comment:
I just came across this blog and had no idea that there were so many people from Cerro De Pasco! I was born in La Oroya in 1962 in Chulec Hospital to David and Lysbeth Porter. My brother is Matthew Porter, he was born in England but was raised for a short period in Peru. My family were in Cerro from the mid fifties to the early sixties before moving to San Juan Marcona which is another mining town on the coast. I have a very vague recollection of La Oroya because we moved away while I was still very young. We remained in Peru until about 1973 when the Peruvian government under Juan Velasco nationalized most foreign companies. We moved to Brazil, Colombia and Mexico before eventually ending up in the U.S. My parents have kept in touch with other former residents of Cerro over the years. I don't know if anyone remembers. Some of course have passed away but many are still very much alive. Some names that come to mind are Harry Allen, Paul Atkins and Peter Swan. My parents live in Florida. I ended up in California and my brother lives in Texas. My father in particular, has some very fond memories of the railway and the Pomacocha Rod and Gun Club. I can't wait for him to see this blog as I'm sure it will definitely remind him of some great times. I remember him telling me that he had just graduated from college in England in the fifties and his first job was in Cerro. Talk about going to the ends of the earth to find work! I was also shocked to see how badly La Oroya has been affected by the pollution from mining operations. It's very sad that the locals have had to endure so much and that in this day and age their lives can't be made more bearable. Still, I'm thrilled to see that so many still remember it so fondly. I guess it was a very special place at that. I will look through my parent's photo albums and try and post some here when I get the chance. It would be great at one point to meet up although that might be asking a lot considering how busy everyone is these days. Take care for now.
Simon Porter
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