Just out of curiosity, how many of you have tried this? What are the chances of really finding something that would make you extremely wealthy very quickly? Do any of you know of someone who was successful at this? Or is this just a time wasting hobby? Basically, what I need to know is - If I try this in my spare time, (as there might soon be plenty of free time again, if the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic gets hold of the society once more) - So will it be worth doing? Or will I just get sunburned to a crisp? We have all heard stories which are now a few hundred years old. Of some random prospector, having nothing but a cantankerous stubborn mule by his side, a pan, a sieve tray, along with a hammer and a pickaxe, plus a shovel - Suddenly discovering an amazing find! Back in those days people only had their gut instincts to go by... However today, just looking at the general area from Google Earth's satellite pictures, one can make a reasonably accurate educated guess. And of course, modern technology gives us extremely powerful tools as well. Like metal detectors, as well as nuclear resonance equipment, (if you are looking for gemstones or opal like rocks). Today the problem is that most of the areas which do have such valuable deposits - Have all been discovered and mapped. However there are some unexplored places in my country, which are literally larger than a lot of European nations! Which nobody could get to before. But now there are roads being built EVERYWHERE - Because of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, (CPEC). Since our military too is already doing their own prospecting since the last 2 decades. By fitting some highly sensitive radiation geiger counters underneath their aircraft - And so discover huge uranium deposits almost everywhere they go, (which will keep fueling our reactors as well as our nuclear weapons program for at least the next hundred plus years). So why can't I do something similar with a drone? Or I can try doing powered parasailing? There really is no law stopped me from trying. Just thinking out loud...
Well,, back in my younger days I did surface hunt for American Indian artifacts and had quite a collection ! However now I think you would have better luck just buying a good metal detector and hitting the beach ! Many things can be found like that ! Be sure and pack that sunscreen ! Ships have went down everywhere and it would not be unheard of to find coins and other gold and silver pieces ! It happens often here !
That dangerous road being built between Pakistan and China does indeed look dangerous! All those rock outcroppings! Were those gemstones being mined opals?
While it is true that many ships carrying a lot of wealth have indeed gone missing in these parts. Mainly in the last thousand years, (mostly Arab trading ships). But hunting for sunken treasure - Well, the probability of finding something huge is highly unlikely... Using a metal detector on the beach also won't get me much. Most likely I will just find keys people would have lost. Or bottle caps. A better idea would be to use a quadcopter drone with a very sensitive metal detector mounted underneath. That way I won't be doing much physical work - When all of that data will be fed into a computer, an underground map might emerge. Regarding where exactly are the precious metals deposited. That's not just one road, but hundreds, yes, literally hundreds of such roads are being built everywhere. Because believe it or not, but in about 15 years from now, 60% of the entire global trade with China will pass from here. So not only are roads being built, but new railway tracks are also being laid alongside. As well as massive pipelines for oil and gas. Plus a lot of high tension power lines too, (to keep all of this infrastructure energized 24/7). All ports are also being massively upgraded, to handle the maritime traffic. With airports also. No single road will be able to take that kind of 2 way traffic. Existing road and railway network of the entire country, (although very robust), will still get instantly blocked within hours if China went full throttle with it today! Which is why hundreds of such new roads are being built. All parallel to each other, across the entire nation. Which is why, as I said before. All the huge unexplored areas in my country, are suddenly opening up! So now is the right time for prospecting for precious metals and gemstones. Not sure about the opals, but generally speaking, Pakistan has known deposits of just about every type of precious rock.
I tried a metal detector one summer. It is an interesting process. Fortunately someone donated a older but quality White brand detector. I had used it to successfully clean up after construction projects would leave nails and screws or cut metal in the shrubbery and areas around the properties I had at the time. What I found out was that for me, in my area, it was a very hot very physical effort. Not only was I digging holes constantly, something I later learned I prefer to avoid, but I was bent over under the sun like a farmer hand digging the rows. Add to that the very low or non-existant quantity of interesting finds and I stopped. It is a useful tool for dinner parties when someone loses jewelry on the deck, or things like that these days.
S-H, I enjoy how your mind works. Interesting the coordinated development between your country and China. Yes, China is indeed becoming a stronger and stronger world power. It sounds like you think your country will also very much benefit.
Here are a few things people in both Pakistan and China say: "Pakistan and China friendship is higher than the Himalayas, and deeper than the deepest ocean". "Pakistan and China were the best of friends since BC times. And thus will remain so till the end of time". "China doesn't need any friends, we have Pakistan. So we don't need anyone else", (they say). Pakistan and China also share a common hate for India. So whenever we now give India a bloody nose, (regarding our long standing dispute over Kashmir) - Chinese now refer to Pakistan as "Iron Brother"... It's basically a mutually beneficial strategic (and now economic) partnership. China had always had a major disadvantage when it comes trading with Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. And it's mainly because all their maritime traffic unfortunately has the pass through the Straits of Malacca. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca Which can very easily be blockaded in times of conflict. Just one aircraft carrier will be enough to stop all maritime traffic in that area. So China will have no choice but to drop to their knees within days. This actually is why Chinese haven't been able to take back Taiwan by force. They can easily do it in just one day, (considering the firepower China now has today). But when US will block the Straits of Malacca, China will be economically ruined forever in less then a week's time. There is a lot more to mention here, but I am oversimplifying it. Or else we will go completely off topic... Anyway it takes almost 40 days for a ship of crude oil from the Middle East to reach China. But Pakistan and China share a common border. And so a ship of crude oil from the Middle East takes only 2 to 3 days to reach Pakistan. So if Pakistan becomes China's gateway to Africa and Europe, as well as the Middle East - There will be no stopping China. Blockading the Straits of Malacca too will then have zero effect - This is why one Chinese diplomat said to his Pakistani counterpart. You people have placed every Chinese in your debt of gratitude, for at least the next 3 to 4 generations... This by the way is also why China is now claiming more and more territory in the South China Sea. As with each passing day, they no longer feel any threat if the Straits of Malacca were blocked.
I learned that area was sensitive for control of the entire area during wwll. Plenty of videos explaining in on the various history channels. Key to the continent type stuff.
It is the original Silk Route, which Marco Polo traveled. So the cultural and economic ties of Pakistan and China go back many thousands of years. This is why India is now making trouble, (causing border conflicts in the area). The aim is to do whatever is possible, to keep the region destabilized. Because the day This China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) got going, the world will never be the same again. In the past humanity lacked the know-how to construct highways through some of the tallest mountains in the world - The Himalayas. But now it is within our grasp! So the Straits of Malacca and it's strategic importance, will soon be nullified... The entire geopolitical games everyone had been playing for centuries - All of that will become obsolete overnight.
https://geology.com/gemstones/states/arkansas.shtml Our niece spent a few days hunting for gemstones to use in her jewelry making business.
That reminds me of a Tourist Trap I fell into. We were in the mountains, driving the porsche a bit on a scenic vacation. Lo, there was a gold panning operation and ice cream parlor, so we pulled in for snacks. I should have run on sight! We ended up panning, pulled up some low grade emeralds, and the lapidary and mounting process cost me 1200 bucks! She still has them as green momentoes of a sweet weekend journey. I keep looking at that spot on the wall where an 85 inch tv should be. Oh well. Marriage is often described as a compromise.
That's beautiful Toni! Thanks for sharing the link! I can't stop laughing. Short answer is no, absolutely not. There really is no reason to. Detailed answer is, well, first of all Pakistan is an impossible nation to take over, (way too wild, dangerous, and extremely unpredictable). Which amazingly is now known as the "sword arm" of the entire Muslim world... We also are one of the few nations in the world that very successfully defeated the Coronavirus pandemic. Just look at the number of infected people in neighboring India and Iran. Chinese don't want more territory, they are just not interested. They are the oldest surviving civilization... And in their own legends, it is written that they sent out explorers long ago throughout the entire world. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_He They also say that they had discovered America first, long before Christopher Columbus. But when the explorers reported back - Their Emperors decided that it would be pointless, (yes they have always had a somewhat introverted policy). As the entire world at that time was full of only barbarians... Are things any different today? No, not really. Outsiders may get confused, and may assume that China today desires to take over the entire world - Specially when you see how many border conflicts and disputes they have going. With India, Vietnam, Philippines, plus a few more. Chinese believe that when they were weak, everybody else stole territory from them. Which actually is true to a very large extent. Take for example how the British stole Hong Kong, and the Portuguese did the same with Macao. But today both territories now are back in Chinese control. Basically, they don't want to expand, because they already know that all other empires which tried doing that, eventually perished. From the Roman, to the British, and the Japanese too. More recently, we all have the example of the Soviet Union collapsing - All because they too had an expansionist policy. So since BC times, Chinese have known not to make that mistake. To never bite off more than they can chew, (gluttony is frowned upon in Chinese culture). They also believe in slow and steady wins the race. Perhaps this is why they are the oldest surviving culture... But now when it comes to safeguarding their territory, and specially taking back what once historically belonged to them, (which others shamelessly stole from them). China today doesn't compromise. So if they want it back, they are going to get it, I e way or another! I now need to split this post in 2 parts, otherwise this is more then 10,000 characters.
Now regarding the Pakistani mindset, and why aren't we afraid of China taking over? Well, truth of the matter is that we don't really have a true friend we can count on, and neither does China. So that's how - That's why, we became the best of friends in modern times. Also both China and Pakistan hate India. So have a - The enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of a thing going here. We could have said that we have the entire Muslim world behind us. But actually no, we don't, (we never did). As after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, which was our best friend, also became hostile towards Pakistan. Iraq too stabbed Pakistan in the back many times at the international diplomatic table. Once weapon stashes were discovered in the Iraqi embassy, (which they were using to destabilize Pakistan). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_raid_on_the_Iraqi_embassy_in_Pakistan We directly asked Saddam Hussein at the time, that what was the meaning of this? What did we ever do to you? Because of which you through we deserved to be treated like that? There was no answer... Which is why, later we were all secretly smiling during the first and second Gulf Wars, when Iraq was getting smashed to bits - Unfortunately, wars also proved that nobody in the entire Middle East was capable of defending themselves, (Western forces had to come and liberate Kuwait). We in Pakistan also very clearly remember, how the West didn't do a thing, when India tested their first nuclear bomb in 1974 - But instead put sanctions on Pakistan, so that we don't start developing our own nuclear weapons. Like, why were we being punished for something we didn't even do at that time??? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiling_Buddha Still Pakistan secretly managed to build up it's own nuclear technology. And early in 1984 we secretly conducted a successful cold test. So at that point, we became a nuclear power also. But a full scale test wasn't carried out, as that cannot be hidden... But here too, in the name of strategic cooperation, (as well as the enemy of my enemy is my friend) - China came forward and offered their territory for us to conduct a full scale test. So during that same year, one underground nuclear test took place in China's test site in their desert. However the funniest thing was, why was the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, seated there as the surprise chief guest? And why was he seen clapping like a child, with tears flowing down his face? I mean, why would a retired military general, and now a diplomat, get so emotional over a Chinese nuclear test? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahabzada_Yaqub_Khan Of course, nobody in authority on either side will ever admit to this. However today it's an open secret... But at the time, had it become known that China had offered it's territory to Pakistan, to conduct our own full scale nuclear test - Then the entire world would have caught fire! US however regularly (and openly) allowed UK to conduct as many underground nuclear weapons test in their Nevada proving ground as they liked, (because UK is close a NATO ally). And so nobody said anything, or did any protest about it at the international diplomatic level. But if it had become known that China was providing the same favor to Pakistan - Then some kind of war would have started for sure... So we kept pretending that we weren't the least bit interested in acquiring nuclear weapons technology, (while in reality we had everything we wanted). 14 years afterwards, in May of 1998, when India again tested their nuclear weapons. West again didn't do anything about it. Because they were all secretly smiling inside, as India now openly becoming a nuclear weapons state will become a major headache for China... But then, in just 2 weeks, Pakistan tested it's own nuclear weapons, (5 tests at once). Proving that we too always had the capability - But we just weren't interested in starting an arms race in the region. Until of course, our hand was forced. So this is why, China and Pakistan will never spoil our brotherly relationship, (way too much depends on it now). Because we need each other very badly. We both really don't have anyone else to depend on. These who are friendly towards us, unfortunately have had their teeth pulled out. While the majority openly hates our very existence. Yes we are friends with many other countries in the region. Saudi Arabia is one country which also stepped forward at that time to assist Pakistan, (financially). But when it comes to strategic partnership, both Gulf wars proved that the entire Middle East isn't capable of defending itself - Just look at the past 30 years, see where Iraq is now, (hopeless), Syria and Libya destroyed by war and infighting. Sudan recently split in 2, Somalia (a country of great strategic location), turned into a lawless nomadic territory which is now truly ungovernable. All of this we in Pakistan see, and take notice, (and learn from it). The second crusade has actually started, yet nobody is noticing, (our people believe)... We also have the example of what happened to Turkey's great Ottoman Empire, how the West strategically and very successfully ruined them in Word War 1 - Where Turkey was made to sign unfair agreements. In 2023 I think, those agreements will become 100 years old. And so will automatically expire (according to International law), unless renewed... So now we see France and Greece getting ready for war with Turkey. Their timing is perfect! So like I said so already, all of this we see and notice. Only with China can we now have a mutually beneficial future. Because our own Muslim brotherhood has let us down too many times (in recent years). Or even if they want to assist, they themselves have now been made toothless... The West also just wants to keep Pakistan enslaved, with one type of sanction or another. Only China comes to our assistance in times of need. Like during this recent Coronavirus pandemic. Chinese themselves were in a terrible situation. Yet they still came for our assistance, end result was that together we both have now successfully controlled the spread of the virus in our countries, (which the developed Western world still can't). In fact nobody from anywhere else came to Pakistan for assistance - Because everybody was secretly wishing that may both these countries die a miserable death! May be a politically incorrect thing to say out loud in the open, but we all know that it's the truth... Not at all surprising actually, as we in Pakistan and China already know what everyone else feels about us and our strategic partnership... Anyhow, this is why we aren't afraid that China will take over Pakistan or something. Because China has always done whatever was in their power to build Pakistan up, (they desire a strong duffer state between themselves and the rest of the world). If they really wanted to take us over one day, then why did they selflessly assisted Pakistan when it came to developing our own nuclear technology? While the West only put sanctions upon more sanctions in Pakistan... This is why China supports North Korea also. As over there as well, they want a borderline insane Pitbull kind of a buffer state between them and Japan - And over here, Pakistan is like a ferocious Doberman Pinscher, just itching to bite India! Such is how the geopolitical situation is over here these days. But, as a windfall, for me at least - This means that all the unbelievably large unexplored areas of country, how have now new roads to get to! So now I am thinking of prospecting for minerals, precious metals, rocks, and gemstones. Already some very large deposits of chromite have been found recently. For which the Chinese are ready to pay a very good price! By the way, this video below is over 5 years old. So all the things this man is warning against, have already become true.
