1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:02,276 Gold mining prodigy... 2 00:00:02,300 --> 00:00:04,806 And that's $3,000,000 right there on the table. 3 00:00:04,830 --> 00:00:06,876 Parker schnabel, is searching 4 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:08,470 for his next big score. 5 00:00:09,300 --> 00:00:10,406 This is wild. 6 00:00:10,430 --> 00:00:12,206 Yeah! 7 00:00:12,230 --> 00:00:14,330 Deep in the jungles of Brazil. 8 00:00:15,730 --> 00:00:18,170 There's a huge amount of conflict over mining. 9 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,146 The only way to understand 10 00:00:20,170 --> 00:00:22,176 is to come here and see it. 11 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:23,776 That is pretty cool. 12 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,076 If-if there's a opportunity for us to invest, 13 00:00:27,100 --> 00:00:28,740 then I wanna look at those opportunities. 14 00:00:29,770 --> 00:00:31,676 Look, look. That's gold. 15 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:33,276 Look at these bad boys. 16 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:35,730 I did get fitted for a bulletproof vest, though. 17 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:38,400 That's a first. 18 00:00:42,430 --> 00:00:45,946 So they have a bunch of nuggets in here from serra pelada, right? 19 00:00:45,970 --> 00:00:49,630 Yeah. They have some of the biggest goat nuggets in the world. 20 00:00:51,270 --> 00:00:52,400 Look at these doors. 21 00:00:56,530 --> 00:00:57,530 Wow. 22 00:01:00,670 --> 00:01:01,970 We cannot show the doors. 23 00:01:05,500 --> 00:01:07,270 Wow! Look at all these. 24 00:01:11,830 --> 00:01:13,546 Wow. Look at that one. 25 00:01:13,570 --> 00:01:15,376 Where did this one come from? 26 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,606 This comes from serra pelada. 27 00:01:17,630 --> 00:01:18,870 The place we are going next. 28 00:01:20,330 --> 00:01:22,476 I don't really know anything about serra pelada. 29 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:26,676 All I know is that there was a huge gold rush there in the '80s. 30 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:30,170 And that billions of dollars worth of gold got found. 31 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:32,346 By hand. 32 00:01:32,370 --> 00:01:34,676 Like, the people are alive still. 33 00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:35,800 That's cool. 34 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:42,076 Here they have the biggest gold nugget 35 00:01:42,100 --> 00:01:45,146 that was discovered in serra pelada in the '80s. 36 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:46,506 This is real. 37 00:01:46,530 --> 00:01:48,400 - Can we film that? Okay. Great. - Yeah. 38 00:01:50,220 --> 00:01:51,276 Wow. Okay. 39 00:01:51,300 --> 00:01:53,506 It's around 60 kilos. 40 00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:54,830 One thousand six hundred. 41 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:56,377 Try ounces. 42 00:01:56,401 --> 00:01:59,070 Like 130 pounds, 135 pounds. 43 00:02:01,770 --> 00:02:03,476 You would never melt that down. 44 00:02:03,500 --> 00:02:04,806 A collector would probably pay 45 00:02:04,830 --> 00:02:06,476 I don't know, $100,000,000? 46 00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:08,196 What? 47 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:10,470 Like, at a... Like, at a big auction? Like, who knows? 48 00:02:11,070 --> 00:02:12,506 My god. 49 00:02:12,530 --> 00:02:13,546 Very strange looking. 50 00:02:13,570 --> 00:02:15,606 This looks so dark. 51 00:02:15,630 --> 00:02:19,446 Here. It's got a wire structure. See? 52 00:02:19,470 --> 00:02:21,506 And it's, like, wired. 53 00:02:21,530 --> 00:02:23,376 All stuck together. 54 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:24,906 Like, normally, gold nuggets are just 55 00:02:24,930 --> 00:02:26,606 hunks of gold that are pretty boring. 56 00:02:26,630 --> 00:02:28,600 But that one's very interesting. 57 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:30,760 - And this one? - I would like it. 58 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:35,606 I was not expecting to walk in a room 59 00:02:35,630 --> 00:02:38,376 with the biggest golden nugget in it today. 60 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:39,776 - Yeah, right? - That's pretty cool. 61 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:40,846 That's really cool. 62 00:02:40,870 --> 00:02:42,106 Looking at this stuff, it definitely seems 63 00:02:42,130 --> 00:02:44,006 like we're on the right track. 64 00:02:44,030 --> 00:02:46,676 And serra pelada seems like a good place to go. 65 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:48,630 And see if there's more left. 66 00:03:06,470 --> 00:03:08,246 Diego. Stop. 67 00:03:08,270 --> 00:03:09,177 What? 68 00:03:09,201 --> 00:03:11,176 Stop driving like that. 69 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,300 I'm gonna puke all over you. 70 00:03:14,930 --> 00:03:18,246 On a journey that started in pôrto velho, 71 00:03:18,270 --> 00:03:22,246 Parker schnabel and his team head from the capital, Brasília, 72 00:03:22,270 --> 00:03:24,076 to the state of pará 73 00:03:24,100 --> 00:03:27,670 and the remote amazonian town, of serra pelada, 74 00:03:29,670 --> 00:03:32,670 home to one of the biggest gold rushes in history. 75 00:03:34,820 --> 00:03:37,820 Over $5 billion of gold in today's money 76 00:03:38,630 --> 00:03:41,230 was found in just 13 years. 77 00:03:43,300 --> 00:03:46,206 Nearly seven times more than the infamous 78 00:03:46,230 --> 00:03:47,770 klondike gold rush. 79 00:03:50,470 --> 00:03:52,246 So when did the majority of the gold 80 00:03:52,270 --> 00:03:54,276 come out of the ground in serra pelada? 81 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:56,846 So, like, it was the beginning of the '80s, 82 00:03:56,870 --> 00:03:58,906 - it's when it started. - Yeah. 83 00:03:58,930 --> 00:04:01,246 Because people discovered the gold. 84 00:04:01,270 --> 00:04:04,346 So after the first discovery, 85 00:04:04,370 --> 00:04:06,006 like, the-the word spreaded 86 00:04:06,030 --> 00:04:09,330 and, like, everybody came to serra pelada. 87 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,776 In 1979, 88 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,390 a cattle ranch owner struck ground so rich in gold, 89 00:04:19,100 --> 00:04:21,706 that nuggets worth $100,000 90 00:04:21,730 --> 00:04:23,470 could be extracted by hand. 91 00:04:25,870 --> 00:04:27,906 Word spread, and within months, 92 00:04:27,930 --> 00:04:31,376 thousands of hopeful miners from across South America 93 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,800 descended on serra pelada, to seek their fortune. 94 00:04:36,970 --> 00:04:39,430 This is a pretty cool video I found on serra pelada. 95 00:04:40,430 --> 00:04:41,870 It's wild. 96 00:04:43,530 --> 00:04:45,746 On any one day, there's anything between 40 97 00:04:45,770 --> 00:04:47,706 and 80,000 of these blokes, 98 00:04:47,730 --> 00:04:49,446 all digging away feverishly 99 00:04:49,470 --> 00:04:52,376 to make this hole in the ground wider and deeper. 100 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:53,247 What? 101 00:04:53,271 --> 00:04:54,300 It's crazy, right? 102 00:04:57,830 --> 00:04:59,676 And by 1984, 103 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:03,470 when an Australian film crew arrived to document the rush, 104 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,670 the pit was 600 feet deep and 1,300 feet wide. 105 00:05:11,730 --> 00:05:13,306 Whatever they did before they came here, 106 00:05:13,330 --> 00:05:17,046 these fortune seekers, or maybe they're just wishful thinkers, 107 00:05:17,070 --> 00:05:19,546 are now prospectors. They all come here 108 00:05:19,570 --> 00:05:21,800 for the dream of getting filthy rich overnight. 109 00:05:22,770 --> 00:05:24,806 Unable to afford machinery 110 00:05:24,830 --> 00:05:27,646 or to transport it to the middle of the jungle, 111 00:05:27,670 --> 00:05:31,930 the miners dug the enormous pit entirely by hand. 112 00:05:32,570 --> 00:05:36,376 At its height, over $2,000,000 worth of gold 113 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,370 was being pulled from the mine every day. 114 00:05:43,730 --> 00:05:47,076 It's crazy that, like, that much happened in the 80s, and then... 115 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:49,070 Seems like almost nothing's happened since then. 116 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,746 Look at this. Gorgeous jungle out here. 117 00:05:54,770 --> 00:05:56,576 Yeah. It's proper, isn't it? 118 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:57,600 Right in it. 119 00:05:58,630 --> 00:06:00,944 So this is full-on Amazon rainforest, is it? 120 00:06:00,968 --> 00:06:01,968 It is. It is. 121 00:06:04,730 --> 00:06:08,076 I know it doesn't look like, but we are almost at the pit. 122 00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:09,606 The serra pelada pit. 123 00:06:09,630 --> 00:06:10,946 The hole? The big hole? 124 00:06:10,970 --> 00:06:12,430 Yeah. We're almost there. Yeah. 125 00:06:19,230 --> 00:06:21,346 Do you mind if you, like, go slowly 126 00:06:21,370 --> 00:06:22,470 so we don't miss it? 127 00:06:23,670 --> 00:06:24,976 - Yeah, it's here. - What? 128 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,476 - Where? - It's here. 129 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:28,446 - That was the pit? - That's the serra pelada pit. Yeah. 130 00:06:28,470 --> 00:06:29,530 What, the lake is? 131 00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:35,400 And there was a-a hole... 132 00:06:36,230 --> 00:06:37,476 Just a hole for mining? 133 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:39,400 Yeah, it's like a huge hole. 134 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:42,500 Let's go. 135 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:46,200 Oof. 136 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:50,700 Looks a bit different to the video you showed us. 137 00:06:57,270 --> 00:07:00,970 They found something like 2.6 million ounces. 138 00:07:01,770 --> 00:07:02,770 In that hole. 139 00:07:04,030 --> 00:07:06,600 Like, how much was there, though? 140 00:07:08,630 --> 00:07:10,170 That question really bothers me. 141 00:07:11,630 --> 00:07:12,770 It's what's left. 142 00:07:14,030 --> 00:07:15,306 It seems kind of crazy to me 143 00:07:15,330 --> 00:07:18,906 that it was that rich and then 144 00:07:18,930 --> 00:07:22,706 I haven't really heard of it producing ever since then. 145 00:07:22,730 --> 00:07:24,676 So what's happened then? 146 00:07:24,700 --> 00:07:28,746 We'll probably be able to find out from someone firsthand. 147 00:07:28,770 --> 00:07:31,446 That's why we need to talk with barbudo. 148 00:07:31,470 --> 00:07:33,570 Because he was here during the 80s. 149 00:07:34,270 --> 00:07:35,700 Cool. Let's go find him. 150 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,846 Next to the infamous pit 151 00:07:41,870 --> 00:07:45,630 is the small gold rush town of serra pelada. 152 00:07:48,430 --> 00:07:50,190 Driving through the jungle for hours on end. 153 00:07:51,100 --> 00:07:52,170 And then suddenly, 154 00:07:52,730 --> 00:07:53,800 there's a little town. 155 00:07:58,570 --> 00:08:00,330 Strange, little town. 156 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,446 Really weird, innit? 157 00:08:03,470 --> 00:08:06,370 We're gonna stick out so bad in this town. 158 00:08:12,270 --> 00:08:13,406 Barbudo. 159 00:08:13,430 --> 00:08:16,106 - Barbudo. - Yeah. We need to find barbudo because, 160 00:08:16,130 --> 00:08:19,170 he's the one that will be able to tell us 161 00:08:19,930 --> 00:08:21,776 where we can find the gold, 162 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,870 what is still going on in here, you know? 163 00:08:24,570 --> 00:08:26,030 Or where we should go next. 164 00:08:27,770 --> 00:08:30,146 - Here we are. - Here we are. 165 00:08:30,170 --> 00:08:31,870 Let's go find barbudo then. 166 00:08:36,790 --> 00:08:38,970 One thing this place is not short on... 167 00:08:39,660 --> 00:08:40,920 Is character. 168 00:08:41,730 --> 00:08:42,870 Have a look around you. 169 00:08:43,370 --> 00:08:46,876 It doesn't feel like the richest of towns. 170 00:08:46,900 --> 00:08:47,970 Ooh. 171 00:08:53,870 --> 00:08:57,106 Barbudo is a bona fide old timer 172 00:08:57,130 --> 00:09:00,576 who arrived in serra pelada in 1981, 173 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,346 at the height of the rush. 174 00:09:02,370 --> 00:09:03,646 - Barbudo. - Barbudo. 175 00:09:03,670 --> 00:09:05,530 This guy's amazing. 176 00:09:12,830 --> 00:09:15,046 "Barbudo." how does that translate? 177 00:09:15,070 --> 00:09:16,700 - "Big beard." - "Big beard?" 178 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:21,330 Was he a part of a good claim? 179 00:09:31,530 --> 00:09:35,006 Working small 6x9 foot claims, 180 00:09:35,030 --> 00:09:37,946 barbudo was one of the thousands of miners 181 00:09:37,970 --> 00:09:41,070 fighting for their share of the billion dollar bounty. 182 00:09:48,170 --> 00:09:51,146 One thing that helped not to be... to get so violent 183 00:09:51,170 --> 00:09:54,400 was that they weren't allowed to-to carry any knives, any nothing. 184 00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:05,706 Ten years later, the gold was still flowing, 185 00:10:05,730 --> 00:10:08,470 but dangerous landslides claimed lives. 186 00:10:20,030 --> 00:10:24,176 In 1992, the government shut the mine down, 187 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,200 forcing thousands out, including barbudo, 188 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:29,930 and leaving the pit to flood. 189 00:10:31,130 --> 00:10:32,606 But to this day, 190 00:10:32,630 --> 00:10:36,206 most serra pelada miners share one belief, 191 00:10:36,230 --> 00:10:39,700 that much more gold remains in the ground. 192 00:10:45,030 --> 00:10:47,376 He thinks that there's way more still there 193 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,106 - than what got mined out. - Way more. He's saying that 194 00:10:49,130 --> 00:10:53,746 what's is still there, it's like an unmeasurable. 195 00:10:53,770 --> 00:10:55,100 Why is it not being mined? 196 00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:03,646 Longstanding legal battles around the pit 197 00:11:03,670 --> 00:11:07,506 leave thousands of ex-miners in barbudo's position. 198 00:11:07,530 --> 00:11:09,006 Waiting for permits 199 00:11:09,030 --> 00:11:11,346 to allow them to mine the riches 200 00:11:11,370 --> 00:11:14,306 of serra pelada once again. 201 00:11:14,330 --> 00:11:16,746 He's waiting for a chance to mine again, 202 00:11:16,770 --> 00:11:20,400 and when he's able to mine and find the gold, 203 00:11:21,030 --> 00:11:22,376 and buy a new house, 204 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,646 that's the time when he will cut his hair 205 00:11:24,670 --> 00:11:26,346 and beard, and make a new ID. 206 00:11:26,370 --> 00:11:28,100 So he looks good on the picture. 207 00:11:28,970 --> 00:11:31,130 And is there mining happening? 208 00:11:34,430 --> 00:11:35,646 There is this one guy. 209 00:11:35,670 --> 00:11:37,276 He has the permit. 210 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:39,506 Do you think they'd be cool with us going there? 211 00:11:39,530 --> 00:11:40,570 He can take us there. 212 00:11:41,330 --> 00:11:42,530 Yeah. Get in the middle. 213 00:11:44,500 --> 00:11:45,500 Here we go. 214 00:11:47,230 --> 00:11:48,830 Big beard and big hair, too, right? 215 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,746 It's just an absolutely fascinating story 216 00:11:57,770 --> 00:12:00,876 and piece of ground. 217 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:04,430 You know, hopefully, there's still tons of gold to find here. 218 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:08,346 And so it would be cool to get actual hands on the ground 219 00:12:08,370 --> 00:12:09,400 and see what's going on. 220 00:12:20,670 --> 00:12:22,846 In the heart of the Amazon, 221 00:12:22,870 --> 00:12:25,106 Parker and his team head towards the site 222 00:12:25,130 --> 00:12:28,776 of Brazil's biggest the modern day gold rush, 223 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,030 the 1980s strike of serra pelada. 224 00:12:33,270 --> 00:12:37,076 Whether or not there is a lot of gold left, 225 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:40,306 that still has an element of mystery attached to it. 226 00:12:40,330 --> 00:12:41,330 Here it is. 227 00:12:44,130 --> 00:12:46,500 Just 50 yards from the flooded pit 228 00:12:48,530 --> 00:12:51,246 is the small mine of chico osorio, 229 00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:53,006 veteran of the gold rush. 230 00:12:53,030 --> 00:12:56,706 He is one of the only people who still has a permit. 231 00:12:56,730 --> 00:12:57,730 Parker. 232 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,206 The king of gold. 233 00:13:01,230 --> 00:13:02,576 Yeah, right. 234 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,506 He says he's the king of gold here, you're the king of gold there. 235 00:13:05,530 --> 00:13:06,530 What happened? 236 00:13:10,130 --> 00:13:12,246 Was a motorbike accident. 237 00:13:12,270 --> 00:13:13,270 - When? - When? 238 00:13:16,330 --> 00:13:17,900 Thirty days. Recent. 239 00:13:20,630 --> 00:13:23,470 He was your age when he was working in the mine. 240 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:31,100 Found 1,000 kilos of gold in 15 days. 241 00:13:33,300 --> 00:13:35,370 I don't think I've ever met anybody that's... 242 00:13:36,570 --> 00:13:39,600 Found that much gold in that amount of time. 243 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:42,706 - I mean, for sure I haven't. - Because, 244 00:13:42,730 --> 00:13:47,030 so it sounds like the vein of gold was just, was, like, super rich. 245 00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:57,100 That's crazy. 246 00:14:00,170 --> 00:14:02,906 Chico's one ton gold windfall, 247 00:14:02,930 --> 00:14:05,676 equivalent to $32,000,000, 248 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:09,146 is legendary in serra pelada to this day. 249 00:14:09,170 --> 00:14:12,870 And for a few years, chico lived the high life. 250 00:14:13,970 --> 00:14:15,906 Owner of two private jets, 251 00:14:15,930 --> 00:14:19,500 chico was a regular on the Rio de Janeiro party scene. 252 00:14:20,330 --> 00:14:22,806 He was doing parties, like, in rio, 253 00:14:22,830 --> 00:14:25,206 in other parts, like, in the beaches, everywhere. 254 00:14:25,230 --> 00:14:27,000 Not here. 255 00:14:27,970 --> 00:14:29,546 I love how normal it is for them. 256 00:14:29,570 --> 00:14:31,546 Like, talking about what it was like in the '80s. 257 00:14:31,570 --> 00:14:34,030 For them, it's just like, "yeah, it's not a big deal." 258 00:14:36,230 --> 00:14:38,876 I think it was definitely a big deal. 259 00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:41,500 So what happened to the-to the rest of the money? 260 00:14:43,570 --> 00:14:44,806 And he say they spent 261 00:14:44,830 --> 00:14:47,776 he spent all the money in the-in the cave, 262 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:49,246 in the-in the pit. 263 00:14:49,270 --> 00:14:51,963 Because he was investing to find more gold. 264 00:14:51,987 --> 00:14:52,987 Gotcha. 265 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:57,476 He's saying that, like, there are some areas 266 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:00,100 where there are really big, old nuggets still. 267 00:15:03,100 --> 00:15:05,506 He wants to go with you and, like, to show you. 268 00:15:05,530 --> 00:15:06,830 Sweet. That would be cool. 269 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:13,876 For the last 20 years, 270 00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:17,200 chico spent all his money mining at the pit's edge, 271 00:15:18,970 --> 00:15:21,276 trying to get back on the gold vein 272 00:15:21,300 --> 00:15:24,000 that made him a millionaire in the 1980s. 273 00:15:26,970 --> 00:15:28,446 Somebody hits the lottery and wants to spend 274 00:15:28,470 --> 00:15:31,470 every last penny that they made on more lottery tickets, so be it. 275 00:15:32,130 --> 00:15:33,130 But I'm boring. 276 00:15:34,030 --> 00:15:35,546 I mean... 277 00:15:35,570 --> 00:15:37,776 You look at me right now and you look at chico 278 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:39,876 when he was at my age. 279 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:41,540 Which one would you rather hang out with? 280 00:15:42,630 --> 00:15:45,946 Chico was, like, chartering jets out of the jungle 281 00:15:45,970 --> 00:15:48,476 to go stay in the fanciest hotel in rio 282 00:15:48,500 --> 00:15:50,876 with rags for clothes. 283 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:53,376 Like, I'd much rather hang out with him than me. 284 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:54,400 I'm boring. 285 00:16:06,630 --> 00:16:07,800 So he's telling me that... 286 00:16:08,630 --> 00:16:10,446 It goes 17 meters down, 287 00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:12,646 then there's a tunnel that goes this way 288 00:16:12,670 --> 00:16:16,706 and then it goes down 24 meters more. 289 00:16:16,730 --> 00:16:18,506 So in total, it's 41 meters. 290 00:16:18,530 --> 00:16:20,176 And it's in solid rock? 291 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,160 - Yeah. - How do they get through the solid rock? 292 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:25,030 Yeah. Jackhammer. 293 00:16:28,330 --> 00:16:30,100 - This is wild. - It is. 294 00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:38,706 They are not working here 295 00:16:38,730 --> 00:16:40,776 because they ran out of money. 296 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,176 So people that were working here just quit. 297 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,106 Have you ever seen anything like this? 298 00:16:47,130 --> 00:16:48,400 No. Man, that's deep. 299 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:57,246 What happened? 300 00:16:57,270 --> 00:16:59,430 - What happened? - I twisted my knee then. 301 00:17:01,870 --> 00:17:02,930 You okay? 302 00:17:04,170 --> 00:17:05,170 Dan, are you okay? 303 00:17:06,130 --> 00:17:07,536 Yeah. 304 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,360 - Man. - Hell. 305 00:17:12,730 --> 00:17:14,406 But after striking out, 306 00:17:14,430 --> 00:17:17,300 chico can't afford to dig any deeper. 307 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:20,036 Now he's trying to find gold 308 00:17:20,060 --> 00:17:22,560 in the Ridge alongside the pit. 309 00:17:36,030 --> 00:17:39,206 Here they used excavator to dig this role 310 00:17:39,230 --> 00:17:40,746 because they wanna reach the... 311 00:17:40,770 --> 00:17:42,606 The red-the red rock over there 312 00:17:42,630 --> 00:17:44,776 because that's where they think there's gold. 313 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,476 Millions of years ago, rivers of hot magma, 314 00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:51,146 containing liquid gold and quartz 315 00:17:51,170 --> 00:17:54,776 flowed under the landscape of serra pelada 316 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,170 as volcanic activity forced the magma upwards. 317 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,106 The unique geology of the area 318 00:18:01,130 --> 00:18:03,876 meant soft rock was saturated, 319 00:18:03,900 --> 00:18:08,100 creating quartz veins with up to 80% gold volume. 320 00:18:09,430 --> 00:18:13,876 Tectonic movements then pushed the gold bands up to the surface, 321 00:18:13,900 --> 00:18:15,776 creating what would become 322 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,970 one of the richest hills on earth. 323 00:18:19,130 --> 00:18:23,176 Now chico is chasing iron-rich red rock, 324 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:24,946 known as bulls blood, 325 00:18:24,970 --> 00:18:28,730 usually a strong sign that gold is nearby. 326 00:18:33,370 --> 00:18:35,606 I'm curious about this whole thing. 327 00:18:35,630 --> 00:18:37,246 Also, like 328 00:18:37,270 --> 00:18:40,106 I'd love to help them out with the excavator if we can. 329 00:18:40,130 --> 00:18:41,946 Like, if we paid for a couple days rent, 330 00:18:41,970 --> 00:18:44,006 would that help them... 331 00:18:44,030 --> 00:18:45,970 You know, find out more about what's going on? 332 00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:51,106 He say it would be a big help 333 00:18:51,130 --> 00:18:54,046 because if you bring an excavator here, 334 00:18:54,070 --> 00:18:56,476 you could try to get that rock from there. 335 00:18:56,500 --> 00:18:58,606 Yeah, when they got, like, 336 00:18:58,630 --> 00:19:02,100 to break all the-the... The rocks there, 337 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,630 his time without money will pass and... 338 00:19:07,630 --> 00:19:09,306 And you'll find a lot of gold there. 339 00:19:09,330 --> 00:19:12,046 He'll be, like, with his plane again, and... 340 00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:13,576 We'll do that as long as he promises 341 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,630 to go to the hospital and get his leg looked at. 342 00:19:25,970 --> 00:19:28,906 He said that the only thing he wants is to-to heal... 343 00:19:28,930 --> 00:19:30,876 - Okay. - And go to the hospital. 344 00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:34,706 Okay. Well, we're gonna go find a place to, sleep... 345 00:19:34,730 --> 00:19:36,206 - Yeah. - And, 346 00:19:36,230 --> 00:19:38,830 we'll come back and help his guys out tomorrow. 347 00:19:42,330 --> 00:19:45,876 Finally, we found a place where we could go and help 348 00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:48,376 because the places we've been before, 349 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,746 it was a lot like tricky, sketchy, 350 00:19:50,770 --> 00:19:52,746 like, illegal places, you know, like... 351 00:19:52,770 --> 00:19:55,306 And this, for the first time during this trip, 352 00:19:55,330 --> 00:19:58,706 we found a place where it's legal. 353 00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:01,376 There is the mining right there, so it would be good 354 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,330 to check if there's... if there's still gold in here. 355 00:20:06,470 --> 00:20:09,646 There's this rags to riches to rags story 356 00:20:09,670 --> 00:20:12,106 of serra pelada, right? 357 00:20:12,130 --> 00:20:14,846 And I think basically you had a town 358 00:20:14,870 --> 00:20:18,770 hit a, $5 billion lottery, and... 359 00:20:20,070 --> 00:20:22,700 All that money has been vacuumed out, right? 360 00:20:23,170 --> 00:20:24,430 Like, it's all gone. 361 00:20:26,130 --> 00:20:29,076 But they're saying, "there's gold still in the ground." 362 00:20:29,100 --> 00:20:30,500 There's only one way to find out. 363 00:20:41,770 --> 00:20:42,770 Diego. 364 00:20:43,970 --> 00:20:44,970 What up, mate? 365 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:47,800 I've got a bit of an issue with my knee. 366 00:20:48,500 --> 00:20:49,706 What happened? 367 00:20:49,730 --> 00:20:52,170 Did you see how I twisted it on the mine yesterday? 368 00:20:53,670 --> 00:20:55,030 It's swollen up a little bit. 369 00:20:56,070 --> 00:20:57,400 And I can't straighten it. 370 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:10,700 - Pain? - Yeah. 371 00:21:14,930 --> 00:21:16,300 - Now? - Little bit. 372 00:21:17,770 --> 00:21:18,770 Turn around. 373 00:21:19,270 --> 00:21:20,270 Upside down. 374 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,200 What happened? What did you do? 375 00:21:27,770 --> 00:21:28,770 That was it. 376 00:21:33,530 --> 00:21:34,930 You need to go to a hospital. 377 00:21:39,170 --> 00:21:40,846 We don't have the resources here 378 00:21:40,870 --> 00:21:43,506 to do an ultrasound or an X-ray. 379 00:21:43,530 --> 00:21:44,676 Even worse with iso. 380 00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:46,606 He will have to drive, like, 381 00:21:46,630 --> 00:21:48,276 one and a half hours to two hours 382 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:51,576 to find a place where he can actually run the test 383 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,806 and get to the confirmatory diagnosis. 384 00:21:55,830 --> 00:21:57,046 - High five, team. - Hi. 385 00:21:57,070 --> 00:21:59,076 - See you soon. - You're and your bum joints? 386 00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:00,270 Yeah. Yeah, yeah. 387 00:22:02,470 --> 00:22:03,530 - See you. - Bye. 388 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:05,400 You can't just fix him? 389 00:22:07,170 --> 00:22:08,546 Come on. 390 00:22:08,570 --> 00:22:11,800 Dr. Diego, put some screws in there and bolt them together. 391 00:22:14,630 --> 00:22:17,976 Do you think you'll be able to come back, like, soon? 392 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,176 Probably not today. 393 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:20,360 - I really don't know. - Yeah. 394 00:22:22,170 --> 00:22:25,176 Well, I guess we'll go find an excavator without him? 395 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:26,200 - Yep. - Yeah. 396 00:22:32,270 --> 00:22:35,276 At the edge of the legendary serra pelada pit, 397 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:39,206 Parker and crew have the chance to prospect for gold 398 00:22:39,230 --> 00:22:43,670 on chico ozario's claim if they can find an excavator. 399 00:22:47,930 --> 00:22:51,246 When you look at serra palada, I mean, you look at chico, 400 00:22:51,270 --> 00:22:56,646 and he has to believe, as anybody would, that, like, 401 00:22:56,670 --> 00:22:57,746 that's all still there. 402 00:22:57,770 --> 00:23:00,046 And we just need to, you know, get our stuff together 403 00:23:00,070 --> 00:23:01,530 and mine it. 404 00:23:02,830 --> 00:23:05,506 Is the ground as good as they say it is? 405 00:23:05,530 --> 00:23:07,330 I'd like to know the answer to that question. 406 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,077 All right. 407 00:23:10,101 --> 00:23:11,800 See if we can find this excavator. 408 00:23:13,670 --> 00:23:15,176 It's an interesting little shop. 409 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:16,200 Should he go in? 410 00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:19,030 Yep. 411 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,770 Does he know where we might be able to find an excavator? 412 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,230 We need to take the right here. 413 00:23:33,830 --> 00:23:35,400 These streets are too small. 414 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,670 Well, there's one. 415 00:23:40,230 --> 00:23:41,230 A backhoe. 416 00:23:42,070 --> 00:23:43,676 Not my preference. 417 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:46,046 - Backhoe? - It has a loader scooper on the front 418 00:23:46,070 --> 00:23:48,400 and an excavator on the back. 419 00:23:49,470 --> 00:23:51,630 I'm guessing it's probably the only one around. 420 00:23:55,230 --> 00:23:56,246 Should we just start it up 421 00:23:56,270 --> 00:23:57,670 and somebody will come running out? 422 00:24:00,830 --> 00:24:02,500 Here's somebody coming. 423 00:24:04,830 --> 00:24:08,030 Marcos. 424 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:12,070 He's the owner of the excavator. 425 00:24:15,330 --> 00:24:17,600 He could run for us. It's available. 426 00:24:18,770 --> 00:24:19,770 Can we go look at it? 427 00:24:36,430 --> 00:24:37,430 Yeah. 428 00:24:37,970 --> 00:24:39,176 Hey, we'll take it. 429 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:40,930 As long as he doesn't want too much money. 430 00:24:46,470 --> 00:24:48,446 - 2,000 reals. - A day? 431 00:24:48,470 --> 00:24:50,270 - It's like $400? - $400, yeah. 432 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:53,806 Yeah, that's fine with me. 433 00:24:53,830 --> 00:24:55,546 I don't have that much cash on me. 434 00:24:55,570 --> 00:24:56,477 Do we need to go get it now 435 00:24:56,501 --> 00:24:58,181 or does he trust me to pay him afterwards? 436 00:25:05,970 --> 00:25:06,807 Yeah, he trusts you. 437 00:25:06,831 --> 00:25:08,500 - You can pay... - good. 438 00:25:09,230 --> 00:25:10,147 The last thing I'm going to do 439 00:25:10,171 --> 00:25:12,070 is not pay somebody around here. 440 00:25:15,270 --> 00:25:19,106 The smallest excavators that we have are 50 tons. 441 00:25:19,130 --> 00:25:21,430 That thing is probably eight? 442 00:25:22,300 --> 00:25:24,076 And I don't know that a 50 ton excavator 443 00:25:24,100 --> 00:25:25,100 would dig that rock. 444 00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:29,630 So where I'm from, rock is rock. 445 00:25:30,370 --> 00:25:31,406 And it doesn't dig. 446 00:25:31,430 --> 00:25:33,776 But that sort of red bull's blood, 447 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,146 as they call it in Portuguese, it might be really soft. 448 00:25:36,170 --> 00:25:37,330 I don't know. 449 00:25:37,970 --> 00:25:39,130 It's all new to me. 450 00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:51,100 All right. 451 00:25:52,330 --> 00:25:54,570 A little funky on the old gear shifter. 452 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:56,970 Brakes aren't great. 453 00:25:58,330 --> 00:25:59,330 Cool. 454 00:26:00,470 --> 00:26:03,176 Parker's handshake deal gives the team 455 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,146 a day's prospecting on chico's mine 456 00:26:06,170 --> 00:26:10,046 and a chance to see whether there's still gold to be found 457 00:26:10,070 --> 00:26:12,430 at this 1980s hot spot. 458 00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:26,500 Made it. 459 00:26:28,130 --> 00:26:29,130 Hey, chico. 460 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:36,100 All right. 461 00:26:37,370 --> 00:26:38,610 Let's see if we can dig a hole. 462 00:26:39,730 --> 00:26:40,730 Eyes on the road. 463 00:26:42,570 --> 00:26:45,106 Chico believes the iron rich red rock, 464 00:26:45,130 --> 00:26:46,876 or bull's blood here, 465 00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:50,106 is an indication they are on the gold. 466 00:26:50,130 --> 00:26:54,206 Now it's up to Parker to see if he can break through to it 467 00:26:54,230 --> 00:26:55,370 and test it. 468 00:26:57,570 --> 00:27:00,846 I'm curious to see what comes out of this, right? 469 00:27:00,870 --> 00:27:02,306 And I'm sure there's still a lot of gold 470 00:27:02,330 --> 00:27:03,476 left in the ground. 471 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:08,806 But, who knows if it's right here in this little hole 472 00:27:08,830 --> 00:27:10,100 in the ground we're digging. 473 00:27:11,530 --> 00:27:12,830 But we're going to go find out. 474 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:27,870 Diego, do you think this could collapse? 475 00:27:29,230 --> 00:27:30,230 Yes. 476 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,346 I look like I'm making Diego nervous. 477 00:27:34,370 --> 00:27:37,570 Your left front is really close to the border. 478 00:27:38,870 --> 00:27:40,300 That's the way I like it, Diego. 479 00:27:42,070 --> 00:27:43,876 At chico ozario's mine, 480 00:27:43,900 --> 00:27:47,646 on a Ridge next to the famous serra pelada pit, 481 00:27:47,670 --> 00:27:51,776 Parker's prospecting to see if there's still gold in the ground, 482 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,500 40 years after the original rush. 483 00:28:03,270 --> 00:28:06,776 It's just an absolutely fascinating piece of ground 484 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,446 and probably the last huge gold rush. 485 00:28:10,470 --> 00:28:13,830 And it's hard to believe that they would have gotten it all. 486 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:17,970 I just want to see gold. 487 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,600 The rock is really soft, actually. 488 00:28:26,070 --> 00:28:29,676 Unlike most hard rock, which has to be blasted, 489 00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:33,400 here it's soft enough to dig with a backhoe. 490 00:28:37,270 --> 00:28:39,546 I'm just worried that I'm going to shift 491 00:28:39,570 --> 00:28:41,706 too far to my left. 492 00:28:41,730 --> 00:28:42,946 When I put pressure on it, 493 00:28:42,970 --> 00:28:44,470 that whole side's sinking right. 494 00:28:46,370 --> 00:28:48,330 Yeah, it's sinking a little. 495 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:50,400 Just keep an eye on it. 496 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,800 We can see the red rocks there. 497 00:28:58,370 --> 00:29:00,300 Parker, that's exactly what they want. 498 00:29:01,030 --> 00:29:02,030 Perfect. 499 00:29:05,370 --> 00:29:07,376 We can go down there and just walk down there 500 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:09,671 and fill some buckets if you're cool with that. 501 00:29:09,695 --> 00:29:10,695 Yeah. 502 00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:14,176 With chico's workers' help, 503 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,306 the team stockpile the iron-rich red rock 504 00:29:17,330 --> 00:29:19,200 to be processed in the morning. 505 00:29:27,170 --> 00:29:29,546 This is a happy lot, the kind of enchanted land, 506 00:29:29,570 --> 00:29:31,546 maybe you don't want to leave. 507 00:29:31,570 --> 00:29:33,050 Do they want me to stay here forever? 508 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,700 So we'll come back in the morning? 509 00:29:51,370 --> 00:29:54,776 Since we got here, the feeling that I have 510 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,576 is people only talk about gold here, but I don't see it. 511 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,706 So tomorrow is going to be the day for us, like, 512 00:30:00,730 --> 00:30:02,630 to discover if there is gold or not. 513 00:30:09,330 --> 00:30:11,006 We will run the dirt tomorrow, right? 514 00:30:11,030 --> 00:30:13,106 - We'll crush it. - We will run the dirt tomorrow. 515 00:30:13,130 --> 00:30:14,230 Hey, guys. 516 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,376 - You're back. - Hey. 517 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:17,446 What are you doing here? 518 00:30:17,470 --> 00:30:18,646 You all right? 519 00:30:18,670 --> 00:30:20,506 - I am all right, are you? - We are. Are you? 520 00:30:20,530 --> 00:30:21,530 I'm good. 521 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,606 I'm good. I've had a mad day. 522 00:30:24,630 --> 00:30:26,970 - The doctor sent me to the mri place. - Yeah. 523 00:30:28,270 --> 00:30:31,246 So I've stretched my medial ligament 524 00:30:31,270 --> 00:30:33,200 and stretched my cruciate ligament. 525 00:30:34,900 --> 00:30:36,330 So is it still hurting? 526 00:30:36,900 --> 00:30:38,046 I haven't... 527 00:30:38,070 --> 00:30:39,406 - You haven't moved? Okay, yeah. - No. 528 00:30:39,430 --> 00:30:40,446 Don't do it. 529 00:30:40,470 --> 00:30:42,646 If I straighten it, then it would hurt. 530 00:30:42,670 --> 00:30:44,946 I am starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast. 531 00:30:44,970 --> 00:30:46,746 - Go get a plate. - Yeah, I'm going to get one. 532 00:30:46,770 --> 00:30:48,106 I'll get you a plate. Sit down. 533 00:30:48,130 --> 00:30:49,376 - All right. Thanks. - Rest the knee. 534 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:50,846 - I'm gonna milk this one. - There's a plate here. 535 00:30:50,870 --> 00:30:52,046 No, there's one plate here. 536 00:30:52,070 --> 00:30:54,006 Look. 537 00:30:54,030 --> 00:30:55,779 I'm going to get you to do everything for me. 538 00:30:55,803 --> 00:30:56,746 She'll get you a plate. 539 00:30:56,770 --> 00:30:57,295 Yeah. 540 00:30:57,319 --> 00:31:01,006 And when I say everything, I mean everything. 541 00:31:01,030 --> 00:31:02,846 Seriously. 542 00:31:02,870 --> 00:31:04,206 Good to have you back, man. 543 00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:05,306 Thanks. 544 00:31:05,330 --> 00:31:06,810 - Me too. - Thanks for having me back. 545 00:31:07,470 --> 00:31:10,076 So not to be a kind of downer on everything. 546 00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:11,676 I can't walk. 547 00:31:11,700 --> 00:31:15,806 And Diego's now sorted me out with this. 548 00:31:15,830 --> 00:31:17,876 Which stops me bending my knee. 549 00:31:17,900 --> 00:31:21,276 It's got metal inside of it, but it's manageable. 550 00:31:21,300 --> 00:31:23,430 So just got to get through another month. 551 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,376 How much of this ground did you manage to move yesterday, then? 552 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:37,646 You remember when we were there, 553 00:31:37,670 --> 00:31:39,606 - they show us like a red rock? - Yeah. 554 00:31:39,630 --> 00:31:41,276 That's the bull's blood. 555 00:31:41,300 --> 00:31:43,100 So we took some of the material there. 556 00:31:44,530 --> 00:31:47,246 Eager to find out if there's any gold left 557 00:31:47,270 --> 00:31:48,706 in serra pelada, 558 00:31:48,730 --> 00:31:52,506 Parker and the crew head back to chico's for the results 559 00:31:52,530 --> 00:31:54,130 of yesterday's prospect. 560 00:32:01,870 --> 00:32:02,870 Hey, chico. 561 00:32:11,870 --> 00:32:15,454 Is this only from what you guys collected yesterday? 562 00:32:15,478 --> 00:32:15,946 Yes. 563 00:32:15,970 --> 00:32:17,776 That's from what we got from yesterday. 564 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:18,976 They process a bit. 565 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,720 So now we're going to see the result of it. 566 00:32:24,370 --> 00:32:27,106 How does this plate thing work, Parker? 567 00:32:27,130 --> 00:32:28,846 If you take a copper plate and clean it 568 00:32:28,870 --> 00:32:32,876 with a bunch of battery acid, Mercury will stick to it. 569 00:32:32,900 --> 00:32:36,230 So this is a sheet of Mercury attached to copper. 570 00:32:36,930 --> 00:32:37,747 Wow. 571 00:32:37,771 --> 00:32:39,776 But it's like liquid Mercury, right? 572 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:40,900 You can scrape it off. 573 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,006 The red rock containing the gold 574 00:32:45,030 --> 00:32:48,246 is first crushed into a powder 575 00:32:48,270 --> 00:32:51,470 and washed over a Mercury coated copper plate. 576 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:57,376 The fine gold particles stick to the Mercury, 577 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:58,830 forming an amalgam. 578 00:33:00,930 --> 00:33:03,830 The mixture is then scraped off the plate 579 00:33:05,330 --> 00:33:08,306 before it's put in a cloth and squeezed 580 00:33:08,330 --> 00:33:10,470 to make it into a solid ball. 581 00:33:11,870 --> 00:33:13,446 It's like velcro. 582 00:33:13,470 --> 00:33:14,646 - Yeah. - I see. 583 00:33:14,670 --> 00:33:17,006 - Chemical velcro. - Gotcha. 584 00:33:17,030 --> 00:33:19,076 That's extremely toxic. 585 00:33:19,100 --> 00:33:21,900 Is this the same process they used in the '80s? 586 00:33:25,930 --> 00:33:27,706 At the beginning, they didn't use Mercury, 587 00:33:27,730 --> 00:33:28,876 like at the very beginning, 588 00:33:28,900 --> 00:33:30,576 because the nuggets were bigger, 589 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:31,900 I guess, probably. 590 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,176 That squeezing takes out only the water 591 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,546 or the Mercury that is not bind to the gold. 592 00:33:42,570 --> 00:33:45,606 That's right. Just like squeeze it down into a little ball. 593 00:33:45,630 --> 00:33:48,370 It has just gold and Mercury stuck together. 594 00:33:51,870 --> 00:33:52,870 There it is. 595 00:33:56,370 --> 00:33:58,230 Well, how much does he think that is? 596 00:34:05,230 --> 00:34:06,500 Half a gram. 597 00:34:12,690 --> 00:34:13,690 Okay. 598 00:34:14,230 --> 00:34:15,600 That's not a lot of gold. 599 00:34:16,670 --> 00:34:19,246 Worth just $32, 600 00:34:19,270 --> 00:34:22,960 the results indicate they are not on the gold. 601 00:34:33,030 --> 00:34:34,896 He's saying, I still don't have the gold, 602 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:37,806 but just because I still haven't reached 603 00:34:37,830 --> 00:34:42,195 the right deep to get the real gold that is underground. 604 00:34:42,219 --> 00:34:43,219 I see. 605 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:44,976 So he's hopeful. 606 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,936 There's no such thing as a broke gold miner. 607 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,300 They're just temporarily off the pay street. 608 00:34:51,630 --> 00:34:53,846 I mean, it's funny, and it's also like super sad. 609 00:34:53,870 --> 00:34:55,346 Chico had to have been one of the most 610 00:34:55,370 --> 00:34:56,776 successful miners here 611 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:58,446 during the big gold rush in the '80s. 612 00:34:58,470 --> 00:35:01,876 And he's still like chasing that high, basically. 613 00:35:01,900 --> 00:35:03,806 There's really not much difference 614 00:35:03,830 --> 00:35:07,076 between a prospector who's hit it big 615 00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:09,900 and is trying to do it again and like a drug addict. 616 00:35:11,130 --> 00:35:14,306 Every question we ask him, the answer is always, 617 00:35:14,330 --> 00:35:15,546 "we just need to get deeper, 618 00:35:15,570 --> 00:35:17,206 and there'll be more gold 619 00:35:17,230 --> 00:35:20,006 "than was in the hole from the '80s," right? 620 00:35:20,030 --> 00:35:22,206 I mean, maybe he's right, 621 00:35:22,230 --> 00:35:24,370 but it doesn't look like he was right today. 622 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,976 Despite another disappointing gold recovery, 623 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,400 chico refuses to give up the hunt. 624 00:35:46,370 --> 00:35:47,630 Where? 625 00:35:57,630 --> 00:35:58,770 The colossus? 626 00:36:04,830 --> 00:36:08,076 He's saying that the company colosso, they were here, 627 00:36:08,100 --> 00:36:09,376 and they perceive these companies 628 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,276 as stealing the gold from them. 629 00:36:12,300 --> 00:36:14,676 Colossus, a Canadian company, 630 00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:17,576 had the rights to mine a 2,000-acre claim 631 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,446 around the serra pelada pit. 632 00:36:19,470 --> 00:36:22,376 Under their deal, the local mining cooperative 633 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,370 would take a cut of any gold found. 634 00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:38,506 He's telling us that they would put gold inside ambulances, 635 00:36:38,530 --> 00:36:41,246 and they would like... 636 00:36:41,270 --> 00:36:43,776 They would pretend the ambulance had someone 637 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:44,906 injured in there. 638 00:36:44,930 --> 00:36:47,000 He believes they were stealing it. 639 00:36:50,770 --> 00:36:52,670 Yeah, I mean, colossus, 640 00:36:53,670 --> 00:36:55,570 it really doesn't make sense to me. 641 00:36:56,770 --> 00:36:59,000 I need to find out more about what's going on. 642 00:37:11,170 --> 00:37:12,246 - That's him? - Yeah. 643 00:37:12,270 --> 00:37:13,606 Big mustache. 644 00:37:13,630 --> 00:37:17,046 Parker and crew visit another local gold miner, 645 00:37:17,070 --> 00:37:18,976 Geraldo Capoeira, 646 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,330 who also made it big in the serra pelada gold rush. 647 00:37:28,770 --> 00:37:33,046 The biggest audience in a movie theater in the world 648 00:37:33,070 --> 00:37:35,276 ever registered was in serra pelada. 649 00:37:35,300 --> 00:37:36,546 Wow. 650 00:37:36,570 --> 00:37:40,276 They had like a big screen set in an airplane strip. 651 00:37:40,300 --> 00:37:42,946 - So all the miners came. - 60,000 people. 652 00:37:42,970 --> 00:37:45,546 - No. - Yeah, 60,000 people went 653 00:37:45,570 --> 00:37:46,900 what did they watch? 654 00:37:51,070 --> 00:37:52,330 Was porn. 655 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,030 That's crazy. 656 00:38:06,870 --> 00:38:08,200 - Sleep well? - Yeah. 657 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:10,730 Who heard the whining dog? 658 00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:12,676 The whining dog, yeah. 659 00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:14,570 I heard the whining dog. 660 00:38:15,370 --> 00:38:18,500 I was going to let him in, but I didn't. 661 00:38:19,670 --> 00:38:21,576 Nobody did. 662 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:24,530 I thought about being nice, and then I wasn't. 663 00:38:26,730 --> 00:38:28,576 So what's this article you sent us last night then? 664 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:29,646 What's that about? 665 00:38:29,670 --> 00:38:30,746 Did you read it? 666 00:38:30,770 --> 00:38:31,846 Yeah, I read it, yeah. 667 00:38:31,870 --> 00:38:33,806 Really interesting. 668 00:38:33,830 --> 00:38:36,176 Overnight, Parker's researched the story 669 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:38,476 of the mysterious colossus mine 670 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:42,076 that chico claimed stole serra pelada gold. 671 00:38:42,100 --> 00:38:44,246 So basically, the way it went from... 672 00:38:44,270 --> 00:38:45,506 And correct me if I'm wrong here, 673 00:38:45,530 --> 00:38:48,876 but my understanding from what I read last night, 674 00:38:48,900 --> 00:38:52,776 it sounds like there's a whole pile of scandal and corruption 675 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:56,046 with how they got in there 676 00:38:56,070 --> 00:38:58,046 and all this crazy right? 677 00:38:58,070 --> 00:38:59,206 Yeah. 678 00:38:59,230 --> 00:39:04,206 And there are reports from the public prosecutor's office 679 00:39:04,230 --> 00:39:07,246 here in Brazil saying that the agreement that they made 680 00:39:07,270 --> 00:39:09,306 was not really benefiting the miners, 681 00:39:09,330 --> 00:39:13,130 so that's why the miners don't like them here. 682 00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:18,676 Colossus acquired the mining rights 683 00:39:18,700 --> 00:39:21,400 to serra pelada in 2007. 684 00:39:23,470 --> 00:39:26,676 Under their deal, the local mining cooperative 685 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:29,530 would take a cut of any gold they found. 686 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,346 But after seven years, colossus pulled out, 687 00:39:35,370 --> 00:39:39,400 claiming not to have recovered a single ounce of gold. 688 00:39:40,900 --> 00:39:44,146 But my understanding from what I read last night 689 00:39:44,170 --> 00:39:49,376 was that colossus spent around $300 million 690 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,846 developing that mine site and then went bankrupt. 691 00:39:52,870 --> 00:39:55,276 And the deal that colossus made, 692 00:39:55,300 --> 00:39:58,276 like they agreed to pay $150,000 a month 693 00:39:58,300 --> 00:40:01,606 just right out the door as well. 694 00:40:01,630 --> 00:40:03,376 It'd be nice if we could find someone 695 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,376 - at colossus to talk to. - Really good. 696 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:07,806 - Like... - Really good. 697 00:40:07,830 --> 00:40:09,006 Yeah. 698 00:40:09,030 --> 00:40:12,017 I would be curious to see their take on all of it. 699 00:40:12,041 --> 00:40:12,446 Yeah. 700 00:40:12,470 --> 00:40:15,576 You have this local politics, and you have this 701 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,206 other dynamics that we don't really know, right? 702 00:40:18,230 --> 00:40:19,606 I'm so curious. 703 00:40:19,630 --> 00:40:20,976 You can just go there and ask. 704 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:22,706 Yeah, we can probably just go there. 705 00:40:22,730 --> 00:40:24,246 Yeah? Right. 706 00:40:24,270 --> 00:40:25,576 - Let's go. - Let's go then. 707 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:26,846 There's big beard. 708 00:40:26,870 --> 00:40:28,730 He might know something about colossus. 709 00:40:29,530 --> 00:40:30,570 Let's go and ask him. 710 00:40:46,670 --> 00:40:49,506 And the company was operating like in a partnership 711 00:40:49,530 --> 00:40:51,546 with the miners, 712 00:40:51,570 --> 00:40:55,606 but it didn't went bright because the company made... 713 00:40:55,630 --> 00:40:57,406 He calls it baboseira. 714 00:40:57,430 --> 00:40:59,446 It's like a mess, made a mess here. 715 00:40:59,470 --> 00:41:00,506 Right. Did they take the money and run, 716 00:41:00,530 --> 00:41:02,330 or did they never make any money? 717 00:41:06,870 --> 00:41:08,770 He doesn't know if the company... 718 00:41:17,730 --> 00:41:19,276 He says there's a bunch of tunnels, 719 00:41:19,300 --> 00:41:20,446 but he doesn't really know 720 00:41:20,470 --> 00:41:21,790 if there is a lot of gold or not. 721 00:41:24,630 --> 00:41:26,906 It's a little bit tricky to sort of 722 00:41:26,930 --> 00:41:32,306 get to the real root of what's going on here. 723 00:41:32,330 --> 00:41:34,930 So it's definitely worth doing a bit more investigation. 724 00:41:36,370 --> 00:41:40,346 The team head to the site of the colossus headquarters, 725 00:41:40,370 --> 00:41:45,176 located just half a mile northwest of the serra pelada pit, 726 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,300 to look for evidence of the mile-long tunnel. 727 00:41:50,170 --> 00:41:51,206 I'm really excited. 728 00:41:51,230 --> 00:41:52,476 Yeah, I am too. 729 00:41:52,500 --> 00:41:54,606 I mean, abandoned mine. Yeah. 730 00:41:54,630 --> 00:41:55,830 I want to see what's in there. 731 00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:58,546 You excited, Parker? 732 00:41:58,570 --> 00:42:01,346 I'm just curious how intact everything is. 733 00:42:01,370 --> 00:42:03,530 I would assume that it's been scavenged. 734 00:42:04,900 --> 00:42:06,746 We should make a turn to the right. 735 00:42:06,770 --> 00:42:07,607 The next one? 736 00:42:07,631 --> 00:42:09,170 - The next one, yeah. - Okay. 737 00:42:14,170 --> 00:42:15,170 Probably it's here. 738 00:42:15,730 --> 00:42:17,670 Holy that's the entrance. 739 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:21,276 Well. 740 00:42:21,300 --> 00:42:23,776 Wow, that's barricaded. 741 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:24,906 Yeah. 742 00:42:24,930 --> 00:42:26,070 What's going on? 743 00:42:26,630 --> 00:42:28,006 That's quite sketchy. 744 00:42:28,030 --> 00:42:30,246 Doesn't look very welcoming, I've got to say. 745 00:42:30,270 --> 00:42:31,906 There is a guy over there. 746 00:42:31,930 --> 00:42:34,970 It's like saying, "nobody's allowed in here." 747 00:42:46,570 --> 00:42:47,700 He's a local miner. 748 00:42:59,970 --> 00:43:01,776 - It's the... Isn't it? - Yeah. 749 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:03,470 Are they actually not going to let us in? 750 00:43:07,830 --> 00:43:11,046 What the is going on around this place? 751 00:43:11,070 --> 00:43:13,446 Next time on Parker's trail... 752 00:43:13,470 --> 00:43:14,676 Two or three million ounces 753 00:43:14,700 --> 00:43:16,060 came out of this hole in the '80s. 754 00:43:18,270 --> 00:43:19,346 What is that? 755 00:43:19,370 --> 00:43:21,030 Maybe these guys were like 756 00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:25,776 look, look. 757 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,530 This is a very real opportunity.