[meteorite-list] Bolivia Meteorite Adventure

Wed Dec 14 05:52:14 EST 2016

Great report, Greg, thank you, highly welcome. The 35 kg stone, powdered 
with reddish Bolivian soil, is truely a dry dream of any met-aficionado. 
Breathtakingly beautiful.

With best regards - Matthias

Am 14.12.2016 um 05:50 schrieb Greg Hupe via Meteorite-list:
> Bolivia Meteorite Adventure
> By Gregory M. Hupe
>
>
> On November 20, 2016 a massive meteorite event took place over 
> Aiquile, Bolivia at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time.  While still 
> daylight, Quechua Indian eyewitnesses saw ‘corkscrew’ smoke trails and 
> heard ‘whooshing’ noises followed by sonic booms and then stones 
> literally falling at their feet!
>
> Michael Farmer and I went to Aiquile to hunt for meteorites and 
> attempt to acquire stones from the inhabitants. Things didn’t quite 
> work out that way…
>
> Welcome to Aiquile Bolivia.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia1.jpg
>
> Possibly the main mass, an approximately 35-kilogram impactor.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia2.jpg
>
> Town Square in center of Aiquile.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia3.jpg
>
> Charango guitar with caballero and bull sculpture in the town square.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia4.jpg
>
> It would take us over two weeks after the fall to fly to Bolivia due 
> to Mike’s yearly show commitment in Japan.  Just 24 hours at home 
> after returning from the show, Michael flew to Florida to meet me.  On 
> December 8th we began our journey to South America from Miami.  Our 
> travels would take us by air to Aiquile by way of La Paz and then on 
> to Cochabamba and then by private hire to Aiquile.  With no sleep for 
> over 30 hours of travel from home to the dusty town near the 
> strewnfield, we were exhausted but too excited to rest. We went right 
> to work meeting with fellow meteorite hunter, Dario Ruiz, who had been 
> there for two weeks. He introduced us to individuals about hunting for 
> meteorites or buying some, but our hopes were quickly dampened by the 
> news of the town’s government putting up road blocks to deny access to 
> the strewnfield.  It turns out that the officials were confiscating 
> stones from the Quechua finders which put them in a panic and afraid 
> to talk to outsiders.  Things quickly became complicated.
>
> Dario, Michael and Greg in Aiquile.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia5.jpg
>
> View looking up the Aiquile strewnfield from the Quechua trail.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia6.jpg
>
> Cactus are a common beauty in the strewnfield.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia7.jpg
>
> We realized we were not going to be able to hunt for stones ourselves 
> without the threat of arrest, or far worse, physical harm from 
> protective villagers we were told may use force to stop outsiders from 
> hunting. Knowing this, we immediately went to ‘Plan B’ and were 
> granted secret meetings with owners of pieces from the fall.  To our 
> thrill and amazement, we were able to see several stones ranging from 
> small broken fragments to large kilo-sized pieces.  Throughout the 
> 48-hours we were on site we were told of several large pieces included 
> a 50-kilo ‘Puzzle Stone’ which we believe to be just rumor as is 
> consistent with most falls.
>
> Reflecting upon a fresh meteorite.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia8.jpg
>
> 100-plus gram fragment.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia9.jpg
>
> Same 100-gram fragment displaying ‘Slickensides’.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia10.jpg
>
> Interior indicating a shocked high metal H Chondrite.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia11.jpg
>
> On our second day we had an early start with a scheduled meeting to 
> see some stones, but being on ‘Bolivia time’ we sat for several hours 
> waiting, waiting and waiting some more.  To keep us from leaving and 
> going to other contacts, our new friend entertained us with some 
> guitar play dressed in his caballero ranch clothing made of javelina, 
> lama and other durable animal skins.  Aiquile is known as the ‘Capitol 
> of Charango’ (guitar) where the guitar is manufactured. It was nice to 
> enjoy this flavor of music high in the mountain village.
>
> Local Quechua playing a Charango guitar.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia12.jpg
>
> Video of the music of Bolivian friendship:
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Videos/AiquileBoliviaVideo1.mp4
>
> Newly fallen meteorite with Charango guitar.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia13.jpg
>
> Noon was soon upon us with nobody bearing stones for us to consider so 
> we walked down the street for lunch and chose one of a few street 
> vendors offering potatoes and sausage.  We ventured to the local 
> market and town square for a little tourism while we were there.  The 
> meal was very tasty and the sightseeing was nice but we were eager to 
> get back to work.
>
> Quechua offering an assortment of foods.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia14.jpg
>
> Aiquile market stocked with fresh fruits.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia15.jpg
>
> Coca leaves, a staple of high altitude living.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia16.jpg
>
> Grandmother and granddaughter enjoying an afternoon in town square.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia17.jpg
>
> Approaching our meeting place to see the stones we noticed two 
> out-of-place characters on brand new mountain bikes looking our way 
> and pointing a cell phone towards our direction and acting like 
> tourists.  We knew immediately they must be government officials with 
> their shiny bikes, mirror sunglasses and new clothing.  And we thought 
> WE stood out in the crowd!  Most Quechua don’t own bicycles in this 
> town, and if they did they would be very old and worn out.  Entering 
> the hotel meeting place we were led to a wall where we were informed 
> that a notice was hastily taped on the wall in the darkness of night.  
> It was a new ‘law’, or heavy suggestion as we surmised, that 
> encouraged locals to hand over their finds and forbid hunting for the 
> meteorite or the sale of them.  This new ‘Declaration 69’ would be 
> voted on in 60 days at which time it would either become official law 
> or be struck down.
>
> Young Quechua boy wearing chullo cap.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia18.jpg
>
> Small Quechua girl shopping early at the market.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia19.jpg
>
> Declaration 69 (Page 1).
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia20.jpg
>
> Declaration 69 (Page 2).
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia21.jpg
>
> Not wanting to tempt fate and be accused of stealing meteorites or be 
> set up by the ‘tourists’ on the mountain bikes, we decided to cut our 
> trip short and bug out early.  We didn’t want to alert anyone of our 
> revised plans so we made new appointments for later that day and the 
> next morning.  After making arrangements for an inconspicuous ‘escape’ 
> we met with our driver who quickly loaded our small amount of luggage 
> and he made his way through back alleys away from prying eyes.  He 
> stopped by an out of town gas station but did not pull in like normal 
> but chose to park behind a large bush for concealment from the cameras 
> at these locations. We would later learn that some cars are stolen 
> from Chile and utilized in small villages in Bolivia without proper 
> plates or registration after the right people are paid off. After 
> filling the tank from a gas can we were easily permitted to travel an 
> old Quechua trail.  The trail was a handmade cobblestone road that 
> threaded alongside treacherous mountains with hundreds of hairpin 
> turns without guardrails and lined with 1000-foot drop-offs.  Many 
> memorial markers lined the path indicating where many souls met a 
> terrifying death.
>
> Handmade Quechua cobblestone road leading towards the mountain pass.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia22.jpg
>
> ‘Highway to Hell’.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia23.jpg
>
> One of many destroyed vehicles along the Quechua trail.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia24.jpg
>
> Video of our route on the ‘Death Road’:
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Videos/AiquileBoliviaVideo2.mp4
>
> After six hours of a white knuckle and frightening ride utilizing five 
> different vehicles, either for evasion from possible followers meaning 
> to do us harm or because of the ‘stolen car’ issue, we finally made it 
> to safety in Cochabamba.  During our travels on the ‘Highway from 
> Hell’ as we called it, we received word of meteorites that were in 
> Cochabamba that we could possibly acquire.
>
> Three fragments of the Aiquile meteorite.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia27.jpg
>
> Fresh 437-gram fragment displaying black fusion crust and impact 
> markings.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia28.jpg
>
> We arrived at the pre-determined location and were escorted to a dimly 
> lit corridor in a downtown room without furniture.  After much 
> negotiation in Spanish between Michael and the owner, a few pieces 
> were purchased.  The large stone was not to be had as the owner wanted 
> to what amounted to the cost of a large ranch.  We left content with 
> the few pieces we managed to get and took two different taxis to a 
> hotel we booked online while in route to the meeting.  We took no 
> chances of being set up or followed.  Risk of false imprisonment in 
> South America is high so we had to constantly be on guard and switch 
> plans on the spot.  ‘Head on a swivel’ was the motto here. We managed 
> to get a 2-hour power nap after changing our itinerary back to the 
> U.S. before we had to be at the airport to fly to La Paz.
>
> Michael standing next to fountain town square in Cochabamba.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia29.jpg
>
> Greg in front of government building at town square.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia30.jpg
>
> Upon checking into yet another spur-of-the-moment hotel, we had a few 
> hours for some sightseeing around the neighborhood before getting some 
> rest before yet another 3:00 a.m. wake up call to catch a flight.
>
> Pedro Domingo Murillo Plaza in downtown La Paz.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia31.jpg
>
> Christmas celebration at San Francisco Plaza.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia32.jpg
>
> Quechua woman wearing traditional Bolo hat and attire adding color to 
> downtown.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia33.jpg
>
> After departing La Paz, with a quick stop in Santa Cruz, we flew over 
> the jungles of Brazil, Colombia and the northern Caribbean coast over 
> Barranquilla.  Next was a narrow of emerald-colored sea that led us 
> over Jamaica and over central Cuba before delivering us to Miami.
>
> Flying over the jungles of Colombia.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia34.jpg
>
> Leaving South American airspace over Barranquilla, Colombia.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia35.jpg
>
> The emerald Caribbean seas embrace the island nation of Jamaica.
> http://www.naturesvault.net/Images/AiquileBolivia/AiquileBolivia36.jpg
>
> While most of the meteorites recovered from this fall were confiscated 
> by the municipal government, some of those will be put on public 
> display in the local museum.  This means that of the very few that 
> were legally obtained before any overnight laws potentially go into 
> effect, very little will be available to the collecting community.  
> While we were prepared and had to bug out early due to a challenging 
> and fluid situation, we overcame the difficulties and returned home 
> safely.  The Bolivia meteorite adventure was a quick thrill ride 
> composed of; Excitement, Frustration, Disappointment, Danger, Reward 
> and most importantly – A trip we will not soon forget!
>
>
>
> Best Regards,
> Greg
>
> ====================
> Greg Hupe
> The Hupe Collection
> gmhupe at centurylink.net
> www.NaturesVault.net (Online Catalog & Reference Site)
> www.LunarRock.com (Online Planetary Meteorite Site)
> NaturesVault (Facebook, Pinterest & eBay)
> http://www.facebook.com/NaturesVault
> http://pinterest.com/NaturesVault
> IMCA 3163
> ====================
>
> ______________________________________________
>
> Visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/meteoritecentral and 
> the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/private/meteorite-list/attachments/20161214/fd9df30f/attachment.html>