catedral de sal
TRANSCRIPT
Entrance to Catedral de Salthe mine is still in use, but at night
when there are no tourists
Wednesday, 26 December 12
All the walls are solid salt rock
interestingly the salt has no iodine, hence the local people suffered goiters
Wednesday, 26 December 12
me & Ben
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Ben & Maria
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
The salt is only white when water leaches it from the rock. This is can be quite dangerous
- the miners do not want water leaking through
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
The cross is carved into the rock: it is a relief
but looks 3D.Wednesday, 26 December 12
my silhouette by a huge column
Wednesday, 26 December 12
The ceilings in this section are very high. There is nylon fishing line hanging from the ceiling in places to measure how much it
sinks - over thousands of years the mountain will reclaim this space.
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
A small lake, reflecting the ceiling
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
very happy to find a spider in the carving in the rock
Wednesday, 26 December 12
We decide to try our hand at mining (move aside claustrophobia)
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
After 3 attempts I made it through this tunnel, holding
Maria’s hand. It helped that it was pitch dark so I could not
actually see how narrow it was
Wednesday, 26 December 12
The miners used to be paid in salt - Ben would
have been broke -he barely chipped the rock
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
It is much harder than it looks!
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Dynamite holes
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Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Miners return from a hard day’s work
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
We settle into the cinema to watch a movie about the mine
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Ben
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Salt leeching: reinforcement necessary in this sectionWednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12
Wednesday, 26 December 12