- 6/2/2025
In this episode of Mystery Places, we explore the most dangerous hotel in the world, visit the housing development in Luoyang, China, which is a copy of an Austrian UNESCO village, and check out the most fascinating beaches in the world. We also visit a used car market in Benin, and a diamond mine in Mirny.
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TVTranscript
00:00The
00:17allegedly most dangerous hotel is situated in the USA, at the coast of North Carolina.
00:30Richard is the owner of this mysterious hotel. The first peculiarity is that it's only reachable
00:43by helicopter.
00:48By helicopter? That's right, because the hotel is
00:59situated in the middle of the ocean, on an abandoned lighthouse. By the way, the flight
01:05is not included in the booking price. A return ticket for the flight costs $2,500. There is
01:13space for a maximum of three people in the helicopter.
01:20We fly 55 kilometers out on the ocean to the Cape of Fear. Sailors call the area the graveyard
01:28of the Atlantic Ocean. What looks like an oil rig is the lighthouse. The US Marine Service
01:34closed it down 30 years ago and abandoned it. No one wanted the rusty platform until 2010.
01:41That's when Richard showed up.
01:48I was the only bidder on this and I did not expect to win. It's a bit of a shock when I
01:53ended up getting it. It was, uh oh, now what do I do, right?
01:57Okay. So, as is, where is, sight unseen. There's your tower.
02:04We follow Richard a floor below to the generator room. It reminds us of a junkyard, but it's
02:12the central power and water supply station.
02:18From here we go onto the jetty, which circles the lighthouse, 25 meters above the sea.
02:31The recreation room is on this same floor. Seriously? The guests are supposed to feel
02:37at home here? The comfort is like in a two-star hotel. Okay, maybe the rooms make all the difference.
02:45Far from it. The entire furniture is from the original days of the tower.
02:55The coast guard used to be stationed here to help castaways. Today, it's a hotel.
03:00A weekend costs $570 per person.
03:06By the way, the tower is called Frying Pan Tower because that's exactly what it looks like.
03:16In the meantime, it has become a huge building site. The shabby look is part of Richard's concept
03:22and saves money restoring it.
03:25His plan seems to work out. Guests like English teacher Trixie and her husband Karim are looking
03:34for exactly this kind of kick. Business is going well. The summer is already booked out.
03:40Yeah, it's rustic. Yeah, it's her idea. She loves some extraordinary stuff, I think.
03:51When Richard isn't busy welcoming new arrivals, he is tampering with the tower.
03:56The whole head has melted off and it's destroyed. It's just setting up there pointing.
04:02That's the one we're going to climb all the way up there, set up the ladder, disassemble it.
04:06We have a new one coming in on Monday. So we'll put it in there and that will charge the battery banks for us.
04:11So let's go up there and get it.
04:14The batteries supply the emergency current for the radio equipment,
04:18so Richard can call for help if someone gets badly injured.
04:22This is the fun part.
04:27What's your first step? It's 120 feet down.
04:32We follow Richard up to the top of the roof, very carefully.
04:37If the camera fell down now, we couldn't air this program about the most dangerous hotel in the world.
04:43But is everyone allowed to just climb up here?
04:48They can come up here with assistance and the down area underneath,
04:52that's very rusty, only with a guided tour.
04:55Because there's areas where you can fall right through.
04:59We feel a little shaky on the entire way up, 40 meters above the sea.
05:04Richard is not afraid.
05:08He balances on the shaky ladder without any safety gear.
05:13Most homeowners, they use ladders around their house.
05:17with no safety gear.
05:19And the same thing here, my house is just a little different, that's all.
05:24But if something happens here, it would take an hour for help to arrive.
05:32Carol and Mark are the last guests to arrive.
05:35But instead of a welcoming drink, they are given safety instructions.
05:45This is an old facility and it feels a little springy or a little strange.
05:49Well, maybe something is rusted or broken since the last time we were here.
05:53Don't assume it's good.
05:54Just come tell me.
05:55We have a marine band radio there, which we can mayday on channel 16.
06:00If a person falls in the water, God forbid, do not jump in after them, please.
06:04Grab a life jacket right off of there.
06:06I can grab three or four of them.
06:08Throw them life jackets.
06:09And never go exploring on your own.
06:13If no one notices you falling into the water, who is supposed to help you?
06:17Whatever you do, don't lean against this rail.
06:40You're allowed to enter the deck below under supervision only.
06:43Actually, I can go, but...
06:46No, no, no.
06:47I don't want to push you to go.
06:48No, no.
06:49I said push it.
06:50I know, but just...
06:52Hi.
06:53I'll go with you.
06:54Okay.
06:55I've done it many times.
06:59The stairs are 50 years old.
07:01For safety reasons, there should never be more than two people using it at the same time.
07:06The risk of the whole construction falling into the sea is too high.
07:09Why does Richard allow people down here in the first place?
07:13We have a liability release, which I'm sure you guys signed.
07:16And it basically says that this is a very dangerous place and you come at your own risk.
07:22And as far as liability insurance, you know, about the only thing they could try and take would be the tower.
07:27And most people wouldn't want this as a project.
07:30If you fall down, it's your own fault and you'll end up in the sea with the sharks.
07:35The money Richard makes with his hotel, he immediately reinvests in all sorts of repairs.
07:43And there is quite a lot of them to be done.
07:45In order to restore everything, Richard would need just almost 3.2 million dollars.
07:52A special highlight is the feeding of the sharks.
08:00That's included in the price.
08:02Unfortunately, nobody dares to join.
08:04So, our executive editor has to do it.
08:07At his own risk, of course.
08:09All he has to do is watch and hold on tight enough.
08:21Together with Brooke, we go down 25 meters to where the sharks are.
08:25She does the feeding.
08:26And again, there's a golden rule.
08:28If you fall into the water, it's your own fault.
08:32Here the, you know, splat in the water, they come straight up, usually.
08:39Yeah.
08:43Brooke is down here regularly and even goes for a swim sometimes.
08:47She uses bait fish to attract the sharks.
08:50Bull sharks are typical for the area and they are extremely aggressive.
08:58After 15 minutes of feeding the sharks, we return to the tower.
09:11It's time to relax.
09:12Most guests spend their time fishing.
09:15Throw in the bait, wait for a moment, pull out a fish.
09:19Good for Richard.
09:20The guests supply their own food.
09:22So today, they'll have black bass for dinner.
09:25Oh, by the way, the guests also have to cook for themselves.
09:29Like a youth hostel, only in the middle of the ocean.
09:40The rust and the sharks aren't the only hazards on the lighthouse.
09:43It's right in the middle of a hurricane region.
09:46The nightly thunderstorm gives us a good impression of just how uncomfortable it can get.
09:52Because the room doesn't even stay dry during this little storm.
10:01After a sleepless night, we head back towards the mainland.
10:04Richard lives on the lighthouse.
10:06For us, it seemed like the most uncomfortable hotel in the world.
10:11And a truly mysterious place.
10:16Our next mysterious place leads us to China.
10:21From Shanghai, we travel south by car.
10:24We notice skyscrapers seem to be typical of Chinese cities.
10:28Built for millions of people.
10:30Our mysterious place is said to be somewhere right in the middle of them.
10:39Just under 15 minutes' drive from the megacity Huizu,
10:43it suddenly appears.
10:44The Austrian village of Hallstatt.
10:47Copied by the Chinese.
10:49A real church, a fountain and timbered houses, exactly like in Austria.
10:59Even the flower boxes and the shutters.
11:07Austrian waltzes resound from small loudspeakers behind the plants.
11:12The Chinese have spared no effort, neither in size nor in detail.
11:20To the left, the Hallstatt Hotel.
11:22To the right, the copy.
11:23The historical stairs with the inscriptions.
11:25You also find them in China.
11:27The gourmet restaurant's menu, copied.
11:29The ancient wood-paneled church door, right here in China.
11:33And not only the inscription of the municipality of Hallstatt on the gully cover.
11:37They have even copied the entire lake, including the swans,
11:42which are driven to the front of the timbered houses every morning.
11:51Only the Chinese characters on the signposts
11:53and the Chinese women dressed in traditional Austrian costumes
11:57reveal that this is just a copy.
12:00Some things, like the village church, the Chinese have set to a slightly different purpose.
12:08They've simply turned the sacred site into a showroom for estate agents.
12:13This is where they sell the houses.
12:15Estate agents instead of altar boys.
12:18Sales show instead of mass.
12:23And now we realize the stolen Austrian village is not at all what really matters here.
12:28They are planning to build huge housing areas
12:31worth a total of $970 million around it.
12:38A few model houses like this one have already been completed.
12:41This is nothing like the 100-year-old timbered houses in the real Hallstatt.
12:47The copied village center, it's obviously just a huge marketing gag
12:50of the state-owned Chinese building company China Mining.
12:54We find someone who's in charge.
12:59The vice president of one of the building firms waves at us in a friendly way
13:04but refuses to give an interview.
13:06He also forbids us to talk to any of his employees.
13:11Finally, an especially selected estate agent is allowed to show us round the secretly copied village.
13:17We've developed a really big brand of oldeadylis.
13:22It uses a big brand of oldeadylis,
13:23the way to art.
13:25We used the oldeadylis structure in the oldeadylis.
13:27It's the use of an artist.
13:28It can't be a flying aircraft,
13:29so you can just be able to explore the everyday.
13:30We can go from a loud truck.
13:32photograph to our house.
13:33It's a high-level place.
13:34This is our coffee shop.
13:39It's like the first one of our coffee shop with the first style of coffee.
13:40It's our coffee shop and the first one.
13:41We'll take the first one on our coffee shop.
13:42Here's a coffee shop today.
13:43The oil is made by the oil in the oldenia.
13:47It's very famous in the oldenia.
13:49It's a travel kit.
13:51Imported wouldn't secretly copied or stolen
13:53describe it more accurately,
13:55and the Chinese even take it a step further.
13:57They used posters of the real mayor
13:59of the Austrian village of Harstad
14:01for promotion purposes.
14:03Here I can answer your question.
14:07But we didn't have any connection with him.
14:11Why did we bring it to China?
14:16Because it's the most beautiful city of the world.
14:20It's also a cultural heritage.
14:23We want to bring it to China.
14:30The Chinese are able to remain relaxed about it
14:32because in fact there is no law
14:34that forbids copying an existing village.
14:38We take a look around and want to find out
14:40how much Austrian heritage is to be found
14:42in this copied Harstad.
14:44A look behind the scenes reveals
14:46debris and garbage.
14:48Europe on the outside and disaster on the inside.
14:51And this is what it looks like
14:53behind most of the house walls in the village centre.
14:55And here we have some dusty market stands
14:58with the plastic fruit knock-offs.
15:01And the lobby of the noble hotel on the market square.
15:07A build-up of debris, dirt and garbage.
15:10Will this ever turn into a real hotel?
15:13Nobody is prepared to tell us.
15:18The whole day long workers and day labourers
15:20in their pedal boats ride across the copied lake.
15:23But not to stimulate the tourists to go on a boat ride
15:26but to collect the dead fish.
15:33And migrant workers clean up the washed-up garbage
15:35that is lying around.
15:37So things don't seem to work out properly here.
15:55The construction is obviously behind schedule.
15:58The Harstad copy doesn't seem to be one of those
16:00Chinese success stories.
16:02But what do the real inhabitants of Harstad
16:04have to say to the bold copy?
16:11No one here is angry.
16:12Reports on the copy of the village
16:13have led to a rise in tourist numbers.
16:16And the mayor has accumulated a whole wardrobe
16:18full of conciliatory gifts
16:20from the Chinese building company.
16:22But he has forgiven the Chinese and is even proud.
16:47Monica Wagner, the owner of the original hotel in Harstad
16:50has found her own way to deal with the copy.
16:53She is in the process of refurnishing the entire hotel
16:56with reproduced luxury furniture from China.
17:11No one knows when the Chinese Harstad
17:13will be completed.
17:14But the Austrians are moving towards the next
17:16thousand years of their future
17:18in a very relaxed way.
17:22Our search leads us on to the Caribbean.
17:27We are on the tropical island of St. Martin.
17:30What used to be the home of pirates and looters
17:32is now a popular holiday resort
17:34with a paradise feeling to it.
17:37Maho Beach.
17:38You could stay here the whole day
17:39sipping cocktails, swimming in the sea
17:40and enjoying the sun.
17:42But the tourists come here for a very different reason.
17:45We just passed through and I said we have to go there
17:47because we saw so many pictures and films.
17:50We came here to see the planes fly by.
17:549am. It's almost time.
17:58All the beach visitors are preparing for the big moment.
18:01Every day about 70 tourist bombers rumble over the beach visitors' heads.
18:16Just 10 to 20 metres above them.
18:18But why does the runway have to be exactly next to the beach?
18:22The reason is simple enough.
18:24There is not enough space on the island.
18:26Because the aircraft need at least 2,300 metres to land safely.
18:31Tourist manager Marla Chemist is happy about it.
18:34Because up to 10 cruise liners arrive every day
18:37just to watch the airplanes.
18:39She understands.
18:40I love it.
18:41Well, it's just excitement to have this huge plane
18:45like try just a little bit over your head
18:48and you can almost touch it but not possible.
18:51But it's fun.
18:52It's nice to see the excitement
18:53and this is one of the few places
18:55you can actually see the plane so close up.
19:01Almost half a million tourists visit the island every year
19:04to have a live experience of the show.
19:06That's why they even have loudspeaker announcements.
19:09The flight schedule is always updated
19:11to make sure no one misses a plane.
19:15The landings alone are spectacular enough
19:18but there is one thing that attracts the beach visitors even more.
19:22The take-offs.
19:23The plane turbines almost blow the tourists away.
19:30Because remember this is high jet fuel
19:33that's coming out and blowing the hot air on you
19:36and then the sand picks up and really stings your skin.
19:39Some people are thrown into the water but they love it
19:42and they keep coming back.
19:45The best spot right behind the runway.
19:48Because the jets can only take off at full throttle on this short runway.
19:52That causes a great stir.
19:54The turbine air whips the visitors faces at speeds of up to 200 km per hour.
20:01One time we had Air France come in
20:03and the wheel of the Air France actually touched on the fence and pulled it down.
20:07So you have to be very careful.
20:09Of course a lot of them are trail seekers.
20:11The take-offs are spectacular but also dangerous.
20:16The government could theoretically have the whole beach shut.
20:19But several signs indicate here you marvel at your own risk.
20:23The thrust is so strong it literally catapults the visitors into the sea.
20:27In 2012 two women were even thrown off the fence and seriously injured.
20:32But hardly anyone is afraid.
20:34It was great. It was refreshing.
20:39You feel the power of the engine so it's great.
20:45Normally nobody likes to visit the beach in the rain.
20:47It's different here.
20:48Maho Beach may be the only beach in the world
20:51attracting even more visitors during the rain.
20:54Because then the turbine air whips up the water.
20:57The extra kick for many.
21:04I mean where else in the world do you have this?
21:08And this.
21:12Probably nowhere.
21:13And that's why Maho Beach is one of the coolest beaches in the world.
21:20Our next mysterious place lies in Central Africa.
21:25The small country of Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world.
21:29There isn't enough money for proper streets and infrastructure.
21:32Nevertheless countless German scrap cars end up here.
21:37Cotonou is the largest city in Benin.
21:39And the central hub for used cars in Africa.
21:42From the city's highest building you have the best view of the traffic chaos.
21:47From here we look for German scrap cars.
21:50The fastest way to get around is using the scooter cabs called Kekes.
21:54The official characteristic sign of the local taxi drivers are their yellow shirts.
21:59And then we're off to the harbour at full speed.
22:06We arrive after 15 minutes.
22:11The ships with the German cars are supposed to land here too.
22:14Thank you very much.
22:17Au revoir.
22:19The harbour is Benin's most important distribution centre.
22:24The loading and unloading of the ships provides many people with work as day labourers.
22:29Together with them we await the arrival of the German cars.
22:32The day labourers pass through a rigid choreography every morning.
22:40First the cars have to get off the ship.
22:43Then it's over to the customs parking bay in the harbour.
22:47And from there in an overnight transfer travel to the selling points for the customers.
22:53Three times a week the security personnel prepares for a fresh load of used cars.
23:00They are supposed to discourage thieves.
23:02Later on the workers have to drive the German cars out of the ships.
23:09Every day they wait at the harbour for more vehicle transports to earn their living.
23:14The men check the helper's driving licences and keep them as a deposit to prevent cars from vanishing.
23:31After a two hour docking manoeuvre the stern flap of the ship finally opens.
23:36A maritime parking deck.
23:44As soon as the hatchway is open the security guards have to keep the helpers in check.
23:53Because they can't wait to drive the cars off the ship on behalf of the car dealers.
23:58Little brawls are part of the everyday business here.
24:01Everyone wants to reach the cars quickly because they are paid per ride.
24:05If you are fast you can make up to five cars a day.
24:09First the cars from the lower decks are driven out of the ship.
24:13Many don't make it on their own.
24:16They have to be pushed, pulled and towed in a three men formation.
24:30Or the car behind pushes it out.
24:36Finally we are allowed into the inside of the ship.
24:39The unloading is in full swing here too.
24:42As our reporter explores the swimming parking lot the lower decks have already been empty.
24:48This is how the system works.
24:52The drivers have to wait in small groups until a security guard calls them to the waiting cars.
24:58Time is money.
25:02If a damaged car blocks the unloading process the drivers get less tours and less money.
25:08In cases like these there are fixers with their service cars at hand.
25:12They offer gasoline, oil and spare batteries for mobile start assistance.
25:17Almost every tenth car needs fixing before leaving the ship.
25:21That way the fixers earn their couple of dollars thanks to the used car imports from Germany.
25:26We meet with the chief mate on the command bridge of the Japanese ship.
25:42He has been transporting cars for more than 20 years and knows the dangers of the sheet metal business.
25:51Are you allowed to leave the ship while you are here for a day?
25:55No, we just stay here because we are not familiar with this place.
26:01This place now is also a pirated area.
26:06Ah, okay.
26:07Yeah, because it's very difficult.
26:09All the crew is on duty for lookout.
26:14The shipping companies don't like the pirate problem to be mentioned.
26:18They even keep a salt secret to prevent the insurance fee from rising.
26:25There are only 10 seamen working on the swimming steel giant.
26:32The technical upgrades leads to less crew members and the local day laborers take on the work in the harbors.
26:38The two of them watch the unloading from 20 meters high up.
26:48How long does it take to get all the cars off the ship?
26:51Or 1,893 units.
26:55They will only work for about 12 hours.
26:5912 hours?
27:00Just 12 hours.
27:03Every half hour, a platform truck brings back the helpers who have already handed over their car at the customs parking bay.
27:09They are hoping for another tour and commute around the port the whole day long until the entire ship is empty.
27:21High time for us to leave the ship with the last cars.
27:24Below deck, we look for a ride.
27:26Almost three quarters of the vehicles have already been removed from the vessel.
27:30How many minutes we take down, to drive down?
27:3510 minutes, taxi.
27:3710 minutes.
27:3810 minutes, yes.
27:47Now the German scrap cars are facing the next hardness test, the African roads.
27:52The car with our reporter breaks down after just 20 meters.
27:56He has to look for another ride.
28:01Please stop this car.
28:02Cool, cool.
28:11After the German scrap cars have driven off the ship, it's straight to the customs parking bay,
28:16which is just a few hundred meters from the harbour area.
28:21At first glance, it's just a huge parking lot beneath the burning equatorial sign.
28:28But between the vehicles, it seems like a bizarre.
28:33The African dealers and their helpers are eagerly waiting for their order from Germany.
28:39They are curious to find out in what condition the cars arrive.
28:46Because many of the cars have missing lamp glasses, outlet nozzles, wing mirrors or missing brand emblems.
29:01The dealers have a lot to do on the customs parking bay.
29:05They use their waiting time to make provisional repairs before selling the cars.
29:17The best deals are made by the men from the tyre service, because many cars arrive in Benin with a puncture.
29:25Detach the tyres, put them back on again and balance them by guess and by gosh, all inclusive.
29:30Then our reporter tries changing tyres the Benin way.
29:45But his inefficient technique is almost bad for business.
29:48The trade with the second-hand tyres, it's also a way for the locals to get their share in the business of importing scrap cars.
30:08After darkness sets in, suddenly it gets hectic on the customs parking bay once again.
30:23After 11pm, the German scrap cars are allowed to leave the harbour.
30:27Everything that hasn't been repaired by now is towed.
30:35The used German cars are now on the second to last stage of their long journey.
30:41Before the cars reach the parking lot where they are to be sold, their number is checked.
30:48To make sure everything is in order and there will be no fraud.
30:51The drivers are in a hurry, they have no time for consideration.
30:55They have a long night in front of them.
30:58After midnight, the time has finally come.
31:01The cars are dismissed into the Benin night for a simple reason.
31:06The streets are empty now.
31:09The sheet metal caravan with the many damaged cars would be too much of an obstruction for the already chaotic traffic.
31:15The German scrap cars have to travel 10km.
31:22They all drive as fast as they can and preferably in a convoy.
31:31Early the next morning, there is hustle and bustle along the road.
31:35The people here live directly at the roadside and off the scrap cars.
31:39Like this family whose stand makes us curious.
31:51What is in here?
31:54And where is it from?
31:58From Nigeria.
32:01And how much do I have to pay for this whole bottle?
32:05I would like that you show me how to do it. I want your job. I want to do your job.
32:16We have discovered a typical Benin gas station.
32:20Our reporter is allowed to work here for a few hours.
32:23The gasoline is smuggled in from Nigeria and is sold in old rum or whiskey bottles along the road.
32:30Whole families live off this.
32:33The Benin government tolerates this black refuelling and waives its right to collect the taxes due.
32:47The black petrol costs 60 cents. No guarantee on the quality.
32:51Cars are refuelled from these 20 litre bottles.
32:54Physical commitment is required here.
32:56After having finished his work, our reporter has won over many fans. Who would like to keep him there?
33:12From the gas station, it's not far to the points of sale where the German cars are waiting for their new African owners.
33:24About 40,000 scrap cars from Germany, Europe and the USA are waiting for buyers from all over West Africa.
33:35We want to meet one of the dealers that set themselves up at these points of sale and wait for customers.
33:45Yes, can I help?
33:46Yes.
33:47I would like to talk to you.
33:48Hello.
33:49Amar is a car dealer and was born in the Lebanon.
33:50He explains why the car dealing business is mostly in Lebanese hands.
33:51We are Lebanese.
33:52Yeah.
33:53So mostly the people who I am buying from are Lebanese people.
33:56They are looking for these vehicles in Europe, in Germany mainly.
33:58And we buy them.
33:59And we buy them.
34:00The efficient Lebanese bring in seed money and international relations.
34:05The local Benin people are mostly left with working with a lot of money.
34:10They are looking for these vehicles in Europe, in Germany mainly.
34:14And we buy them.
34:15The efficient Lebanese bring in seed money and international relations.
34:21The local Benin people are mostly left with working as a substitute driver, refueling tanks,
34:30or working as a mechanic.
34:32They make enough money to sustain their families, but most of them won't ever own a car themselves.
34:47The people from this country, they buy also, but they don't buy that big number of vehicles.
34:54They buy, but mainly, mainly Nigerian people buy.
35:00These vehicle tourists from Nigeria and other neighboring countries buy more than 80% of the cars and take them back home.
35:07If they are interested in a car, they check it thoroughly.
35:17On our way going to Nigeria, at times, some cars break down.
35:22Yeah.
35:23Some of them coach the catalysts with the engine.
35:26The minute they remove it, they change the system of working.
35:30Yeah.
35:31And how would you say, this car, is it in good condition or?
35:34Yeah.
35:35It's in good condition.
35:36On our way going to Nigeria, at times, some cars break down.
35:40The old machine has seen a lot.
35:44193,000 kilometers.
35:47That's as good as new for African standards.
35:49The engines often run another half a million kilometers here.
35:53If the buyers have decided on a car, bureaucracy sets in.
35:57It's not possible to pay in cash on the spot.
36:00The money must be put in the bank or transferred.
36:03The handing over of the keys is not particularly ceremonial.
36:10For each car, the dealer gets about 100 to 150 dollars.
36:26And then the time has come.
36:28The caravan of German scrap cars leaves the yard towards Nigeria.
36:36What lies ahead are dirt roads, deep potholes and a lot of sand and dust.
36:42But if they're lucky, a couple of more years under the African sun.
36:49From Benin, we travel on to Siberia.
36:54Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Siberia lies the city of Myrny.
36:59This city exists for one sole reason.
37:02The diamond mine Myr, one of the largest in the world.
37:07Almost 40,000 people live in Myrny, holding out in snow, ice and minus 50 degrees.
37:14Hard to imagine, this is the center of the Russian diamond mining industry.
37:19And we want to see these diamonds.
37:24After more than a year of research, we have finally been granted permission
37:28to shoot at the second largest producer named Al Rosa.
37:32But we are put off at first.
37:34And now I would like to visit the camera platform of Carriera Myr, where we will see what it started.
37:42Okay?
37:43Okay.
37:44Okay.
37:45Okay.
37:48Underground, the early shift is still working and we are not allowed to interrupt, but the view
37:53compensates for the weight.
37:55Wow!
37:57Gigantic!
38:02Mir is one of the deepest artificial holes in the world.
38:06It goes down 525 meters with a diameter of 1.2 kilometers.
38:15The diamond mine Mir is so enormous you can even see the hole from outer space.
38:20But the open cast mining was stopped 15 years ago.
38:26Due to the excessive mining the walls suddenly collapsed causing acute mortal danger to the workers.
38:33So we have to go down below.
38:39Underground the mining continues.
38:42The entrance is right next door and thanks to a special permit we are allowed to witness it first hand.
38:50But diamond mining underground is dangerous.
38:54That's why we have to take part in a safety briefing.
39:00The protective mask supplies about 50 minutes of oxygen in an emergency.
39:16We even have to sign a waiver.
39:20If anything happens it's our problem.
39:22But we really want to see the diamonds.
39:26Therefore we must go down the mine.
39:28Our guide, shift supervisor Sergei Gamba.
39:32The miners have to follow a strict schedule.
39:44Many of them are day laborers.
39:46If they miss the elevator going down they lose a day's wage.
39:50There's just one person for whom Sergei willingly makes time.
39:53The mere mine is like a family business.
40:05And has been for 60 years.
40:07We are finally going down.
40:10Most of the equipment like the elevator dates back to Soviet times.
40:14But it still takes the miners down three times a day.
40:17Exactly how deep we don't know.
40:19Which causes some confusion.
40:21We go down even further.
40:37A whole kilometer.
40:38It's easy to get lost here.
40:40The diamond mine is a sort of tunnel labyrinth system.
40:43And at 1.2 kilometers it's the deepest in the world.
40:51As far down as this we expect extreme heat and stuffy air.
40:55To our surprise it's nothing like that.
40:57Temperatures of 15 degrees are pleasant.
41:0040 degrees more than outside.
41:02But the temperatures are just one of the many reasons why Sergei loves his work.
41:07But the job is very dangerous.
41:20Sudden fires or smoke are not uncommon in the narrow corridors.
41:36And sometimes even a simple step can be risky.
41:53Luckily our march is over after this little stunt.
41:56Because even miners like Sergei have staff cars.
42:02We use it to get to the place of action which is one kilometer away.
42:05A huge machine is waiting for Sergei.
42:08The object of desire a massive rock wall.
42:11Since Sergei is so concentrated we assume this must be our treasure.
42:16We are not geologists, we are farmers.
42:21We gave us the direction.
42:23Our job is to cut.
42:25The geologist comes to check.
42:28The shpuras are going to be over, the hole is going to be over.
42:31If they are all done, we will go further.
42:33The question is wrong.
42:35The diamonds are on the way.
42:36The caratons are on the way.
42:38We have to get to the herd.
42:40Because underneath Myrny lies a gigantic deposit of the volcanic rock kimberlite of a very rare kind.
42:50It's teeming with diamonds.
42:53What's special?
42:54Not every kimberlite has valuable stones.
42:56But here in Myrny the amount is extraordinary.
42:59Sergei's job to tear the rocks off the wall with this monster.
43:06The steel drills have been especially designed for mining and can even crush concrete.
43:11All that's missing is the truck that picks up the diamonds.
43:16After a short commotion.
43:32Let's go.
43:46Even if it looks rough, the mining doesn't harm the diamonds in the least.
43:50They are made of the strongest material in the world and almost indestructible.
43:55But we don't see much sparkling or glittering yet.
44:04A dirty business.
44:05But diamonds are not just noble pieces of jewelry.
44:08They are very sought after in the economy.
44:10For example, in the drilling systems and the high-tech industry.
44:14But no diamonds yet.
44:17Okay, look.
44:18The truck.
44:19Lost some of the stones.
44:21Like this one.
44:23Can I keep this?
44:24Are there diamonds inside right now?
44:26Yes, I don't know, but it should be.
44:29But I can't see anything.
44:31It's just a stone.
44:32There are no diamonds.
44:33There is something.
44:34There is something.
44:35There is something.
44:36No chance to keep it?
44:38No.
44:39Okay.
44:40Well, it was worth a try.
44:44The stones are transported to the collecting bin with a trolley.
44:51Every day about 400 tons of rock end up here.
44:54Ready to be transported above ground.
44:57To where exactly, we'll see later on.
44:59Sergei and his fellow workers are done for the day.
45:09Well, probably, it's an avantiura.
45:12It's an avantiura.
45:13It's an avantiura.
45:14It's the taste of the land.
45:16Well, it's an avantiura.
45:17There's an avantiura.
45:18The smell of joy.
45:19The smell of joy.
45:20The friends, friends, colleagues.
45:22Romantic.
45:23After the work, beer.
45:25It's all.
45:26After the work of beer, that's all.
45:56It's an open-cast mining site which is still in operation.
45:59We fly the 400 kilometers to Njövr.
46:02This is where we meet Dmitry Shuklin.
46:04Just like underground, everything has to be done very fast in daylight.
46:21The reason for the rush?
46:23The blaster has to fight adverse conditions in the Siberian winter.
46:26He's worried the fuse might freeze at minus 32 degrees Celsius.
46:30So it's hurry, hurry, hurry.
46:44It seems to have worked out. Silence all around.
46:48Good? Good. Very good.
46:59It's all beautiful. It's all worked out.
47:06Half an hour later, the first trucks drive into the heart of the mine.
47:10As opposed to the mining in Myr, the kimberlite can be mined in daylight here.
47:14But how do the stones turn into diamonds?
47:21Maybe the secret is disclosed here.
47:23The final stage of the production takes place in this terrain.
47:27Our first impression, gigantic.
47:30This is where all the stones from under and above ground are gathered together.
47:35Dmitry shows us what happens here.
47:38Dmitry offers the work that has been taken from the carriere.
47:45The head drill.
47:46The head drill is a small.
47:49It's eccentric.
47:51It's under us.
47:53There is not a diamond in the world which is as big as a rock.
47:58That's why they are ground, step by step.
48:05Until they have a diameter of 15 centimetres and are small enough to fit into these holes.
48:10But we still can't see them.
48:17Perhaps that will change here.
48:21Warning signs, double doors and suddenly a lot more security personnel.
48:26We seem to have come close to our destination.
48:36Maybe behind this door we'll find what we've been looking for for so long.
48:40But we find dirty old stones.
48:44The machine scans the stones and simply sorts out the diamonds.
49:03The valuable ones are put into a sulfurous chemical bath.
49:07The mixture is strictly secret but it separates the volcano's stone kimberlite from the diamond.
49:15But these are just stones.
49:17The exact procedure is kept from us.
49:19A big secret and still no diamonds.
49:22But we are told we'll find them here.
49:24We enter an unspectacular room.
49:25One thing is eye-catching there are only women here.
49:26And they actually work on what we've been looking for the whole time.
49:27Diamonds.
49:28A whole pile of diamonds.
49:29Too many to even count them.
49:30Since they are shaped much later they are still raw.
49:32The whole pile of diamonds.
49:33Supervised by a iron shop at the endroit.
49:34The whole pile of diamonds.
49:36unspectacular room. One thing is eye-catching, there are only women here
49:41and they actually work on what we've been looking for the whole time. Diamonds.
49:48A whole pile of diamonds. Too many to even count them. Since they are shaped
49:54much later they are still raw. Supervised by the only man around, the women have a
50:03very important job to do. The weight is measured in carat. One carat is 0.2 grams but
50:20these stones are much heavier. That arouses our interest. Can I grab one? No. Why not?
50:27They earn about $1,000 a month. It's good money but wouldn't it be tempting to put a little
50:42something in your own pocket?
50:45No. We won't think about that.
50:52The reason? The stones are catalogued before the transport. If a single one of them gets
50:57lost, they all have to compensate for it. And that could be very expensive.
51:09How much money is now on the table?
51:11No. $5 million.
51:14Apart from size and weight, the price depends on the so-called purity. The workers sort the
51:19raw diamonds into 16 colour categories. The rule? The purer, which means clearer in colour,
51:26the more valuable. Especially dark diamonds cost about $10 per carat. Nothing compared to those
51:33which are almost as transparent as glass. And even though there is more money lying around
51:41than these women will ever earn in their entire life, they remain relaxed.
51:46For us, for this reason, there is already an immunity on these stones. So, we consider them
51:56only as their work, not as some money premiums, bonuses or something.
52:04Rather valuable stones. Demand in Russia is so high, they are only sold in the country itself. And
52:13there are still a lot more.
52:15A lot more.
52:16A lot more.
52:18A lot more.
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