The unofficial visit

A visit to CEAMSE as described in the last post does not necessarily include a visit to the landfill. As we were not official visitors’ we had to use much persuasive power to get to the landfill itself. What CEAMSE did not want publicized is that the cartoneros still come in their hundreds every afternoon. They think that showing it on films and TV has increased the number that come in the hope of finding enough to live by for the next day. At three thirty they start to arrive – all ages – playing football while they wait, their bicycles at the ready. When five thirty comes around they are ready to race on their bikes the final two km to find the best of the recently dumped waste. Meantime the animal-like machines wait in line to drop off their rubbish onto the open pit for the scavengers to explore…