Arts & Entertainment
Chilean Coal Miners Visit Plimoth Plantation
Two of the 33 miners trapped for 69 days last year came to Massachusetts to assist a fundraiser and requested Plymouth as their first stop.
In another spring day at Plimoth Plantation, visitors met Wampanoags, English colonists, Chilean miners...
Chilean miners?
The Metro West ESL (English as a Second Language) program in Framingham presents its annual gala and fundraiser Thursday night. A graduate of the program, Angel Valdivia, arrived here years ago from Chile. He knew people who knew people in Chile and eventually made contact with one of the miners trapped in the Copiano mine in 2010. He said they would happily help with the fundraiser as its featured guests.
Before arranging the visit of Florencio Silva and Omar Rojas, program managers asked them what they wanted to do while staying in the Boston area. , they said.
Wednesday afternoon, Silva, the first to emerge from the mine Oct, 13, 2010, and Rojas, the 17th, toured the museum and Mayflower II. Valdivia served as translator.
Word spread fast about the visit of two of the famous 33 miners. While they acted as any tourist, snapping photos and asking questions, tourists turned their cameras on the pair.
“I feel proud to be in another country and, I’m just a miner from Chile, and people know me,” Rojas said.
Aboard the replica ship, they showed particular interest in the story of the 102 passengers kept below in the dark for 66 days with only a few, small candles for light. They endured 69 days in the dark.
“It’s a new experience for me,” Silva said. “To learn about this culture from so long ago is really interesting. I’m very grateful to everyone who showed us around.”
Everywhere they went people shook their hands, hugged them, asked for photos with them. They showed amazing patience.
“We have a reason to have patience,” Rojas said. “They suffered so much for us. This is a way to give back.”
In the next few days, they will learn about their host community, visit a Framingham school, go to a Red Sox game, do a whale watch from Gloucester and attend a Spanish Mass at St. Stephen church. At the gala they will met representatives of the drilling company that helped rescue them. They’ll attend a farewell cookout at Valdivia’s house Sunday night and leave for Chile Monday morning.
