Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

Crow,
Your story of Aruba ignited my memories of the nearly Venezuelan Archipelago of Las Aves. The history of Aruba would not be complete without including the events of the year 1678 that occurred at Las Aves. About twenty years ago, you would have seen my boat, the R/V Explorer (Roatan) in Las Aves waters. We were looking for the French fleet that was lost there in 1678.
A good history of that event, as told by another adventurer, can be read here: https://dreamwrecks.com/las-aves-galleon-wrecks
Don.....
 

Hello Mackaydon Amigo

Thanks for that very interesting story and link. The story was very enlightening as it tells why and how the Dutch retained their colonial possessions in that part of the Caribbean. Aruba today would have had a French flag instead of Dutch. I am always delighted and amazed what information you can learn.

Awesome mate worthy of a seat around the campfire of sin.

Cheers Crow:occasion14:
 

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yeah Crow, tell us more about the naked , blue eyed blond I'll have a coffee to go with it.

Gidday don amigo there was an old story that said Wanda was Russian but in fact she was actually Polish catholic that her and her family when she was young girl fled to united states after the Napoleonic wars. Her family living impoverished in New York. They met Pedro de Cires in Church. Being poor virtually destitute family they saw no option to marry off their daughter to Pedro de Cires who was moderately successful in being trader in the business of selling Quinine and reasonably well to do.

Pedro de Cires took his beautiful young wife back to Quito in which life was very different and very confined for women at the time. Very different from the freedoms she experienced in New York. While Pedro de Cires has his beautiful trophy wife he was continually away involved in business. It does not take much imagination that loneliness in a strange country with different customs in Quito, no doubt attracted many suitors and caused jealously by other women alienated her to point confiding her fears through the parish priest Domingo Mugno. She must of aroused powerful emotions and passions in him to the point of infatuation.

I have not doubt some where some how in our own lives we have come across a "Femme Fatal" And alas amigos sadly their fate is always the outcome of sadness of a beautiful innocence lost and gradual destruction like a flaming star burning out. No doubt Wanda De Cires was one such Flaming star.

Crow
 

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I married my femme fatal, She was just 17, while I was 32, almost didn't go through with it when I found out the age difference. but my mother convinced me ,sigh, she fell in love with her also, as did my father, and the rest of my family. I think that my mother as getting desperate. But there was no running around naked in the jungles that we found ourselves in. There are moments when I get melancoly and have a little bawling session.She left me in 1, day before her birthday in 2017
 

Crow and amigos,

I have a yarn of sorts that may interest you,,,,it is not about buried treasure but regarding an 'art treasure' of a possible leonardo da vinci second (earlier?)Mona Lisa...
As one news link I share below puts it " The so-called "Earlier Mona Lisa" is at the heart of a mystery that involves Caribbean tax havens, Swiss bank vaults, a mysterious international consortium, and the Sherlock Holmes of the art world"

It is quite a saga of great intrigue spanning decades and which has not been resolved yet and the art world is keenly following the unfolding events as the issue is currently in a court,,,I have shared below two links from last October to help you get on the saga quickly as it summarizes the yarn from 1913 onwards up to recent times,,,check both links...


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secret-battle-over-mona-lisas-prettier-twin
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50046133


A lay armchair detective sipping his cold ice tea and sitting in a shade of his veranda in this hot weather can point several points in this yarn..

-the battle over this twin Mona Lisa picture intensified in the last few years most probably as a result of the 450 Million sale of the "Salvadori Mundi" painting by Leonardo da Vinci allegedly bought by one Arabian prince who gave it to the new Louvre Abu Dabi.. ( by the way this "Salvador Mundi" painting has its own saga as well, as it seems it has now disappeared altogether fueling some conspiracy theories... but that is entirely another story)

-Who are these "Mona Lisa Foundation" guys who appear to be mere handlers or sort of "Custodians" of the twin Mona Lisa painting and who claim they actually dont own it? When legally pressed in court they revealed the owners as a firm by the name "Mona Lisa Inc" based in Anguilla (a tax haven),,,both news link dont suggest the following point as it is my own speculation..could the strange "Mona Lisa Foundation" guys be the same mysterious "Mona Lisa Inc" in Anguila and taking everyone for a ride by playing double roles 8-) ? I mean the same guys can own both firms and one firm can be the owner of the art while the other firm sort of a custodian ...

-This twin painting appeared suddenly in 1913 by the mysterious Jack of all trades kind of art guy called Hugh Blaker...coincidentally 1913 is also the year the Mona Lisa from Louver was retrieved from the thief in Florence after being stolen in 1911,,,undoubtedly(many art historians agree) the theft and retrieval of the Mona Lisa greatly contributed to the unmatched global fame it gained after that...(the theft of Mona Lisa from the Louver is another international intrigue as well but that is also another story...)

Eager to see observations from the veteran eagle eyed treasure hunters...

TT
 

I married my femme fatal, She was just 17, while I was 32, almost didn't go through with it when I found out the age difference. but my mother convinced me ,sigh, she fell in love with her also, as did my father, and the rest of my family. I think that my mother as getting desperate. But there was no running around naked in the jungles that we found ourselves in. There are moments when I get melancoly and have a little bawling session.She left me in 1, day before her birthday in 2017

Hello Don Jose amigo.

Your wife was indeed a star that shone down on you. But never a "Femme Fatal"? Because you had a long joyous life together that saved you from a lifetime of loneliness. Her presence gave light to your darkness and those years of light you had children raised a family that has brought you grand children and great grandchildren. You can take heart That shining star you once knew may be gone amigo but she lives on in the family around you.

And till that time comes that your star is shining no more. Take heart you and your wife's stars are living on shining here in the faces of your descendants who shine brightly like the stars in the night sky.

And so the journey continues.....

Crow
 

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Well said Crow; you have a gift with the words.
Don.....

Gidday Don Mackaydon

Raggedy old Crow with half his feathers missing always found it hard to impress the ladies Amigo. So he had hang from his feet to kiss the "Blarney stone" at Blarney castle in Ireland to obtain the power of words to work its magic. Sadly not before many a year of being slapped in the face and told no in numerous lanuages!:laughing7:

Crow
 

Crow, how is your undersea minning co. comming ? /

Gidday Don Jose

Sadly it is dead as Dodo. The trios investment although very substantial was nothing compared to some who lost tens of millions. While indeed it was always a high risk project it would of broken the Chinese cartel like domination of rare earth metals. However a combination of factors contributed to the failure of a such a promising project.

The Key problem was loss of funding from the major investor partners because the company in its development stage did not meet its targets.

However there was fundamental reasons why the company never reached its development targets. For starters even tho the company met all environmental guidelines as per the licensed agreement with the PNG government. The company was continually hampered by a series of rolling legal challenges by environmental groups. Each legal challenge set the company back further driving up developmental costs.

What few people knew that the environment groups legal costs was funded by a foundation funded by Chinese communist front companies, that had the sole ambition to legally hider the project. However environmentalist groups got what they wanted to stop all undersea mining, even if they had to deal with the devil to get it.

Then two of the largest partners pulled out of the project because of the pressures from Chinese partners in other multinational mining projects. Thus the two major investors saw their bottom line threatened in other established projects. In so starving the project of extra funds.

There was lack of action by western powers to back the project as they were more concerned about preserving their environmental image than protecting access to strategic Rare earth Minerals. Ironic Politicians in west had just realized that they are in short alternative supply of rare earth minerals other than China.

The PNG government was offered by China to pay off the entire national debt of PNG for concessions in their favor. One of the concessions was revoke the mining concession. However legal obligations could not allow that to happen. So that deal with China fell through. But the implications of state interference in free trade.

China operating as a cartel deliberate flooded the market and the price of rare earth minerals fell, spooking banks wanting to recapitalize the project. Just when when Nautilus Minerals was trying recapitalize.

Finally the company starved of capital failed to make down payment on terms of agreement of the mother ship for the mining operations. With problems in getting the project refunded the board resigned like rats leaving a sink ship. The shipbuilding company sold the ship. Incidentally surprise surprise the shipbuilding company was Chinese company owned by Chinese communist front companies....

So amigo a promising project was blackballed by Chinese interference acting as cartel and every one in the west was ignorant or too scared to point the finger at China. So the west now has still rely on china's stranglehold on the supply of strategic rare earth minerals. And now dance to communist party whims. Because china controls the majority of the world supply.

Now the price has gone up and billions of dollars of your hard earned money are flowing into the pockets of the communist party members in China. China will be raping billions and billions from the rest of world for the next 2 decades. And everyone in the west was too dumb to see it.

Crow
 

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Crow and amigos,

I have a yarn of sorts that may interest you,,,,it is not about buried treasure but regarding an 'art treasure' of a possible leonardo da vinci second (earlier?)Mona Lisa...
As one news link I share below puts it " The so-called "Earlier Mona Lisa" is at the heart of a mystery that involves Caribbean tax havens, Swiss bank vaults, a mysterious international consortium, and the Sherlock Holmes of the art world"

It is quite a saga of great intrigue spanning decades and which has not been resolved yet and the art world is keenly following the unfolding events as the issue is currently in a court,,,I have shared below two links from last October to help you get on the saga quickly as it summarizes the yarn from 1913 onwards up to recent times,,,check both links...


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secret-battle-over-mona-lisas-prettier-twin
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50046133


A lay armchair detective sipping his cold ice tea and sitting in a shade of his veranda in this hot weather can point several points in this yarn..

-the battle over this twin Mona Lisa picture intensified in the last few years most probably as a result of the 450 Million sale of the "Salvadori Mundi" painting by Leonardo da Vinci allegedly bought by one Arabian prince who gave it to the new Louvre Abu Dabi.. ( by the way this "Salvador Mundi" painting has its own saga as well, as it seems it has now disappeared altogether fueling some conspiracy theories... but that is entirely another story)

-Who are these "Mona Lisa Foundation" guys who appear to be mere handlers or sort of "Custodians" of the twin Mona Lisa painting and who claim they actually dont own it? When legally pressed in court they revealed the owners as a firm by the name "Mona Lisa Inc" based in Anguilla (a tax haven),,,both news link dont suggest the following point as it is my own speculation..could the strange "Mona Lisa Foundation" guys be the same mysterious "Mona Lisa Inc" in Anguila and taking everyone for a ride by playing double roles 8-) ? I mean the same guys can own both firms and one firm can be the owner of the art while the other firm sort of a custodian ...

-This twin painting appeared suddenly in 1913 by the mysterious Jack of all trades kind of art guy called Hugh Blaker...coincidentally 1913 is also the year the Mona Lisa from Louver was retrieved from the thief in Florence after being stolen in 1911,,,undoubtedly(many art historians agree) the theft and retrieval of the Mona Lisa greatly contributed to the unmatched global fame it gained after that...(the theft of Mona Lisa from the Louver is another international intrigue as well but that is also another story...)

Eager to see observations from the veteran eagle eyed treasure hunters...

TT

Gidday TT

Grab a brew and pull up a seat at the campfire of sin amigo.

Thank you for a very interesting story amigo. The story has a interesting history. Anything is possible with off shore registered companies in tax havens.

There is Entire industry behind the art world. While the wealthy elite like to portray themselves as benefactors of culture. And the vast amounts of foundations are used by corporations to avoid paying taxes. Investing in art is an old money form of bit coins. Of course the new generation of nuvo rich are looking for bit coin to hide money.

I have no doubt that beyond all the academic air of self righteousness there is a whole industry of shifty business going on in art world from money laundering tax evasion and forgery.

Crow
 

Thanks Crow..you are right...sadly the art/antique world is a cloak and dagger business and it is sort of an underworld by itself,,,so many things at play behind the scenes,,,

TT
 

Gidday Amigos

Grab a brew and join us at the campfire of sin.

Two things this bedraggled of Crow has learned as a rule.

One never keep all ya eggs in one basket, always have many irons in the fire. I have seen so many people come and go crash and burn terribly by solely relying on one thing. The more irons in the fire the more things you can fall back on.

Two never take failure to heart think of it as the learning curve. With each failure you grow stronger for it. If you had heeded rule one ya have some thing to rebuild from.

The trio amigos had way more failures than successes. But each failure has been see as a lesson. Between us we have micro businesses investments, plus investments in mining and banking shares, real estate. Gold investments and treasure research projects etc...Some will crash and burn and others others amigos well what can I say....Fly

The hardest transition was rewiring ourselves from employees to employers. While it was easy criticize when getting a secure wage every week until the proverbial shoe was on the other foot. There is many factors employees do not see behind the scenes. Those lessons amigos was hard learnt lessons.

Searching for treasure be it lost mines, buried or sunken treasure the equation is always the same. If there isn't a buck in it its not worth breaking your back for it. Some times it all too easy to become too involved with a treasure story that clouds decision making in the viability of it. Some times you have to be brutal with these stories to get to the truth.

Old Crow has lost his fair share of feathers from various projects but from the ones that he still have he is soaring like an eagle at present.

Brew amigos :coffee2:

Crow
 

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Gidday Amigos

Grab a brew and join us at the campfire of sin.

Two things this bedraggled of Crow has learned as a rule.

One never keep all ya eggs in one basket, always have many irons in the fire. I have seen so many people come and go crash and burn terribly by solely relying on one thing. The more irons in the fire the more things you can fall back on.

Two never take failure to heart think of it as the learning curve. With each failure you grow stronger for it. If you had heeded rule one ya have some thing to rebuild from.

The trio amigos had way more failures than successes. But each failure has been see as a lesson. Between us we have micro businesses investments, plus investments in mining and banking shares, real estate. Gold investments and treasure research projects etc...Some will crash and burn and others others amigos well what can I say....Fly

The hardest transition was rewiring ourselves from employees to employers. While it was easy criticize when getting a secure wage every week until the proverbial shoe was on the other foot. There is many factors employees do not see behind the scenes. Those lessons amigos was hard learnt lessons.

Searching for treasure be it lost mines, buried or sunken treasure the equation is always the same. If there isn't a buck in it its not worth breaking your back for it. Some times it all too easy to become too involved with a treasure story that clouds decision making in the viability of it. Some times you have to be brutal with these stories to get to the truth.

Old Crow has lost his fair share of feathers from various projects but from the ones that he still have he is soaring like an eagle at present.

Brew amigos :coffee2:

Crow

thanks Crow,,wise advise in this uncertain times..

TT
 

Gidday Amigos

Pull up a seat around the fire.:occasion14:

You know even in this time of world uncertainty many of world wealthiest have increased their net worth. Old Hardluck used to drill into Kanacki and me. To be a successful treasure hunter you have to focused in all parts of your life even with your personal fiances. It does not matter the income it is what you do with it? You live to your means and not beyond your means. And what is your means amigo?

For me means is 75% of your income the other 25% should be invested in some shape of form.

There has been a whole generation that grown up on easy credit so they live from week to week paycheck to paycheck spending money even before they earn it. Using one credit card to pay off another. So they are in a endless debt cycle to have all things they want now now now!

So in effect they are robbing peter to pay Paul and vice versa never really owning anything. However they are always at the mercy of a good boom economy. The reality of economies they cyclic and as we are seeing now many around the world are in financial difficulty. They in effect overspent 75% of their income not allowing savings to fall back on during a crisis.

You can see it in the context of flying an aircraft to put it in another way of having a 25% reserve fuel tank to fall back on in times of need. Income the fuel to keep you flying.

Now if ya boarded an aircraft and pilot said we are going to use all the fuel we have on the flight and hopefully we will have enough to land? You would be thinking twice before flying?

Its no different managing income your going to crash one way or another.

I have one of my nephews in his 30's renting one of my properties. His dad got a big windfall from one of my projects and gave his son 100 grand to better himself. In the 12 months he worked and still got a wage and the 100 grand was spent on crap he did not need. 12 months later he is still renting with nothing to show for the 100 grand given him. Still living week to week.

He did not heed the 25% rule and has reaped what he has sown. Niet Nada Zip...

I saw an opportunity of investing in shares I put a spare 25 grand into a company called "Afterpay" an alternative to credit cards it was sitting at 7 dollars a share. Which from March to July has sky rocketed to 71 dollars a share So a 25 grand investment is now worth about 250 thousand dollars.

My nephew even if he had put 25% invested in those shares he would of been one and half times richer than the original 100 grand he was given. If he had invested the 100 grand he would of made a million dollars...

So for me in the last few months of the shutdown I have being doing very well, while for many it is catastrophic. But the point I am making even in times of crisis there is ways to make money. And for anyone wanting to be a treasure hunter amigos? One much apply it to all aspects of ones lives and you will still have the experiences and journeys along the way.

Brew amigos.

Crow.
 

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Good morning amigos.

During the start of Covid 19 crisis the Company Afterpay went up 740% See article

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/australian-company-grew-740-percent-022547004.html


If you had just 1000 dollars cash invested you would of turned it into 8400 dollars. Not bad money for 3 and half months investment. I wish I had invested more but I have the 25% rule. Experts are divide some say it could go to 100 dollars a share? Others think it drop back to a more realistic price of 24 dollars a share. I tend to agree with the later. Banks are restructuring their credit card business and other rival companies are setting up. And the covid 19 panic is subsiding. So for me I prefer not to be too greedy and take the profit. Still there are opportunities still out there Amigos.

Treasure hunters are always looking for opportunities....Extraordinary times can raise extrodinary opportunities.

Crow
 

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