An Interesting Visit

Cagayan De Oro is filled with interesting people, I have to admit. Today, I sat down and had coffee with a treasure hunter. As you know, the Philippines is filled with buried gold treasure, which the Japanese left here during World War 2. My treasure-hunting friend is in the business of finding that gold.

Let's see:

• He received a million dollars for his minor share of a major treasure find in 2003 of Japanese gold, but unfortunately that money got snatched by the IRS when he transferred it back to the U.S. (He does have photos of actual gold bars though, which just goes to show that there is Japanese gold booty in The Philippines.)
• He was part of a second major treasure find, but unfortunately all of that gold got snatched by The Philippine government when he and his partners tried to get the stash out of the country.
• Now, he's thisclose to a third major gold find: He's done his research, talked with people who helped carry the gold up into the hills, and found the stash via his own ground penetrating radar, and dug a deep hole in the ground. At the bottom of the hole, he's found thick metal bars buried there, and big rocks. (He's got pictures of the big metal bar and rocks inside the big hole, so there's no doubt that there's gold under it.)
• Unfortunately, he has run out of money just a few feet away from the millions and millions of dollars of gold, and he needs $15,000 to move away the last few big boulders and bars and stuff. Whoever gives him the $15,000 will get $500,000 as soon as the gold is dug up.
• My treasure hunter friend said he'll arrange a visit for me to go out to the digging site, but it's a very long walk through a dangerous area, and the people who are watching over the hole in the ground aren't very friendly to outsiders — at least more than one outsider at a time, it makes them "nervous" — and there's no telling how they'll react. (One of his Filipino business partners has already been kidnapped and beaten, but returned safely, thank goodness.) Besides, the hole is filled up with rain water because the tarp that was covering the hole wore out, and you can't see the bottom of the hole (with the bars and big rocks) until the water is pumped out.

I can't imagine how frustrating that must be: To be that close to several tons of gold bullion, but not have enough money to be able to pay to move the rocks and stuff that is covering it. (Damn Filipinos: You think they'd work on credit, but apparently not.) Oh: He has a website too. I see the page is "Copyright 2007", so apparently this fortune in gold has been sitting there just out of reach for at least 12 months for lack of just $15,000.

Well, it certainly sounds like a good thing to spend my tax refund on this year. Anybody want to join me in helping this guy out?

Oh... and if you want, there is this other guy in a different part of The Philippines, who also needs money: He's only 5 feet away from his gold treasure. (Although this other guy does bear an incredible similarity in appearance to the fellow I talked with today, he doesn't have the same name, so it obviously isn't the same person, but amazingly, he too has photos of gold bars from past discoveries.) Wow: What a shame to have all of this lost gold sitting just out of reach, unable to be reclaimed without your help. Well, now is your chance to get involved and get in on the riches.