A GOLD miners’ Christmas is usually an unassuming, often spontaneous affair that consists primarily of eating, drinking, pleasant companionship and entertainment.

In the dense jungles, vast savannahs and other remote interior locations, the customary hustle and bustle of the Christmas season take another shape and experience.

For gold miner Paul Chow, who is today in Kaikan, Region Seven, away from the clustered urban life, seeking the hidden treasures of the earth, Christmas is made up of sweat, hard work and fond memories.

This motivates him to make it as comfortably as he could through the festive period.

Being accustomed to this, Chow has spent several years in and out during many Christmas Days away from his family.

The father of three reflected that the tranquility offered in the interior cannot be compared to any other part of Guyana, which makes the holidays even lonelier.

“Even men who have no family connections and are hardened to the interior miss being with their relatives and friends at Christmas time, very few can appreciate Christmas in the interior,” Chow said.

Noting that camp mates would sometimes get together and have their own version of a Christmas party, Chow underscored that such actions are a needed distraction, rather than having lonely days and nights in a hammock.

“This is not the best of times for us where the holiday is concerned, but we try to have a big pot of cook-up with rum and other drinks to have our own little Christmas lime,” he said.

However, only if the camp has been doing well with gathering gold and other gems, would the miners be in high spirits to have their own version of that Christmas lime, otherwise it is just another day of work.

“Many persons would stay in the backdam to look over their gold operations, especially if they are on a hot string of gold,” he said, adding: “Most persons would want to leave the bush and return home; however, sacrifices must be made in order to provide for themselves and family.”