Show me the way!

by Marco Álan
(Chicago)

I am free of debt! I have no house to worry about. I have enough wealth to live comfortably for a while. I have no family to worry about. I am free!

I have wanted to do some sort of archeological project for a while now. I would love to go searching for gold, treasure or lost cities whenever I feel like it.

I have a lot of talents. I'm comfortable in front of and behind a video camera. I'm good with a regular camera also. I'm in pretty good health and physically able. I have done numerous historical and law research projects for people. Geography was always one of my better subjects.

I have thought about living in Belize or Ecuador. Friends have told me that they are nice countries. But, I have never been out of the U.S. of A. I only speak English fluently and a little French from high school days.

I don't even know where to begin with this form of lifestyle that I would prefer to what is going on here in this country. I would love to have unlimited wealth to do what I want and help others at the same time.

Where's the beans? I'm ready to join you in creating an online community of people with common goals and aspirations!

What is blocking me from living this ideal lifestyle? Having someone to show me the way. Someone to show me the ropes. Someone to take me under their wing and teach me. I could leave tomorrow. I'm very flexible. Anybody looking for a partner?

Stan's response: Your comments are greatly appreciated Marco. Please follow along as we evolve this new Training System. I think you will like what you see.

You are the exact type of person that we want to have in our community as we all break free and get more adventurous together.

Comments for Show me the way!

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Where to Start?
by: Lost Adams

Marco, I don't see you responding to the thread you started. Here is some more advice on how to "Start on Your Journey".

1. Get a passport. Learn the language of your destination country. It doesn't have to be perfect, but at least adequate.

2. Look for and find a job in the California Motherlode country near the major gold rivers.

3. Join a local Gold Prospecting Club that has claims and is actively having outings and teaches you how to gold mine.

4. Read, Practice, Read, Practice, Read, Practice, Read, Practice, in that order. And then do it some more.

5. Find an Old Timer to show you the ropes. Always give him/her 60%. You get 40% or less. Remember, you can always have a 100% of nothing or 40% of something. Which is more? Besides, if you went to the School of Hard Knocks like he/she did, it would take you 20-40 years to learn 20-30% of what they know.

You have to respect the sacrifices and hardships of the Elders who learned the hard way what they know. They are just like professors in college. And always remember, they don't have to tell you anything, they can just sit back and smile.

6. Remember that you are just "Going to School" for now and preparing yourself to go to foreign countries.

7. Save all of your money. Get a bank account that has a branches in convenient locations for your future transactions.

8. Do not buy new equipment or books. Buy lightly used equipment. Use it and become proficient in the "tools of your new trade". If something doesn't work out, you can always re-sell it for almost what you paid for it.

9. When you go on an overseas adventure, store your equipment in a high-class storage facility that you have paid up in advance for a while past your projected visa termination date, or when you plan on coming back to the States again.

This is so you have the tools of your new trade in reserve for when you get back. You can always buy tools or make equipment at your destination to use locally and they will be vastly cheaper than you getting the stuff through customs.

10. You need to remember the following 4 P's: Patience, Persistence, Perseverance, and Prudence are the gold miner’s best friends. My definition of a Gold Prospector is, "Someone who has eternal optimism in the face of insurmountable adversity".

WVA aka "Lost Adams" copyright 1981 Cusco, Peru, SA

Sincerely
Bill "Lost Adams"

Knowing Your Terrain or Environment
by: Lost Adams

Marco, If you are going to go to Ecuador, you will have to have a basic, rudimentary grasp of the language. You need to get you a Phrase Book for Travelers in South America for Spanish-English.

Then you need to STUDY IT. It helps if you can practice with native speakers who are Bi-Lingual. Try in places where Latinos are working behind the counter, or as waiters and such. Let them know what you are doing and see if they would help you learn, or at least tolerate you. You'll likely be butchering their native tongue until you have a working knowledge of how to order food and ask where the Bano/Bath room is.

In all but the biggest cities and Gringo orientated hotels and such, They DO NOT supply toilet paper You have to carry some with you.

Now you know how to order food and drink and how to get rid of the BUY Products.

Sincerely Bill "Lost Adams"

Removing the Fear of the Unknown and Starting!
by: Lost Adams

Marco, You have to educate yourself in the type or kind of adventure YOU want to do.

If that is Placer Mining, then you need to get a Gold Pan and buy some Pay Dirt to practice with.

Before you do that it is cheaper to get some old LEAD shot for shotgun shells. Most of it has been banned in the US, so try your local Gun Club. It needs to be in sizes from bird shot up to larger sizes.

Flatten the shot so it won't ROLL around in the pan. Get a Concrete Mixing Plastic Tub from your local Lumber Yard. While there, get a bag of play sand or go to the nearest river/creek and get a half a 5 gal bucket of sand and gravel.

Now you need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and then Practice some more. Then try to SPEED Pan to see how hard it is to LOSE the Gold in the pan.

What you are learning is gaining the CONFIDENCE in your panning ability. You have to have NO Doubt whatsoever in your panning ability.

This is so when you pan a sample in the field, you have to know beyond a shadow of any doubts that you have retained ALL the Gold in that pan-full of gravel.

There is NO Substitute for that confidence as you can't afford to run many yards of gravel just to see if your gravel is a Paying Proposition.

If you are wanting to chase Pocket Gold, then you'll have to be able to pan and recover 200- mesh gold. This will enable you to trace the Bleed uphill to the point of origin/pocket.

Hope this helps you get started. That is usually the HARDEST part of any journey, The First Steps!

Stan's comment: More excellent Words of Wisdom from Lost Adams!

Contact Info.
by: Jack

Marco, You can contact me via email at: jlivings2@hotmail.com
Jack

OK Richard & Jack
by: Marco Álan

How do I get a hold of you down in Ecuador? Stan, can you get them in contact with me? Just thinking, I have a friend that might be interested in going too.

Stan's response: You can send me an email at the email address I have posted on every page of my web sites. I believe you can contact Richard via his full name on Facebook. You can also leave your email address on this page.

COME ON DOWN, I DID
by: RICHARD BODEKER

We have a small community here and have lots of fun. I sold everything and came to Ecuador and I will not leave here for a while anyways.

Stan is a good teacher and we all have fun. Come and join us, at least for a visit and see what Ecuador has to offer. I lived in Belize for a year on the island of San Pedro and the mainland for a while too.

I found very little to do there except listen to the same people tell the same stories and wow, was it hot there. It was mostly Americans escaping legal problems and the land is flat until you get near the southern border, and it is very remote, no internet or people that speak the language.

Here in Ecuador, I am learning Spanish from a cutie and she knows English. But before I came here, I only knew how to say taco and burrito, good only at taco bell.

Lots of English speaking people in Quito, well enough anyways. SO COME ON DOWN AND HAVE A BLAST!

Just ask
by: Jack

Hi Marco, Good for you! I have been debt free, and I know how liberating it feels. By all means, do a little research and get on a plane. There are those of us who have "done it". I think I can speak for others when I say we will be more than happy to help our brothers and sisters of like mind to follow in our footsteps.

I will never claim to know all there is, in fact, I have been blessed with the help of a handful of people. Without them, I might still be in the States. We all need help sometimes.

I think the best thing we can do is help others just like we were helped. So, whatever you need or want to know just ask. Chances are good someone reading this forum will know the answer. At the least you will get our opinions, do with them as you will.

Again, I salute you and your desire to travel, explore and have an adventure.

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