[meteorite-list] First Authenticated Bolivian Meteorite?

From: MARSROX_at_aol.com <MARSROX_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:44:12 2004
Message-ID: <de.1600b2c2.285957a9_at_aol.com>

The team of Kevin Kichinka and Blaine Reed wish to announce the finding of a=
 candidate for Bolivia=B4s first meteorite. A 12-15 gram specimen was found=20=
near Sevaruyo, in SW Bolivia on June 11 at 11:40AM in a dried stream bed. Fu=
sion crust seems to be present on 20% of the specimen. No chondrules are vis=
ible. It was the only rock to attract a magnet from among several hundreds e=
xamined. No magnetite appears to be present in the area. The ever-pessimist=
ic Blaine gives the rock a 50-50 chance. We will learn if this IS the first=20=
Bolivian meteorite after Blaine=B4s return and slicing in a couple of weeks.=
 Meanwhile, the search continues in earnest.

It has been an exciting adventure. We retrieved Blaine=B4s stained passport=20=
without penalty. We were caught in a crossfire of miners throwing dynamite s=
ticks at police in downtown La Paz and were running with thousands of other=20=
Pacenos away from the teargas. In the middle of the cloud, kicking on our ho=
tel door, refused entry, we choked on enough teargas for this life. I have s=
ome great photos I took while gagging and before the police went after me.

On the way to our first search area, a blockade of cargo trucks, the drivers=
 protesting high interest rates, put us for an hour off road through the chi=
cken farms. Public busloads full of locals couldn=B4t ford the rivers our 4x=
4 could and were left standing outside the bus. Children waited to guide you=
 through for B10.

Following our possible find, we camped at a second unproductive search area=20=
under a black and glowing southern sky. I=B4ll save the metaphor for a futur=
e story in =B4Meteorite=B4. Temps hit 27F. Glad I bought that 0 degree bag.

On the way to a third search area and a volcano climb, we got stuck in the m=
ud in a desolate area. Pachamama brought us a selfless cargo truck driver an=
d a motorcycle guy who drove 10km RT to get a chain able to pull us out. The=
 cargo driver told us that he had spent three days once stuck in the same pl=
ace We lost an hour=B4s time.

The climb of Volcan Tunupa went well for Blaine and I as we went to the last=
 accesable height of 15,300=B4- good for only 5 days at altitude. The photos=
 I took were from a rock leaning into about a 2,000=B4dead drop. I=B4m not e=
xactly sure since I only looked for a second.

We crossed the Salar de Uyuni to reach this place. The Salar is visible as a=
 white patch from space and is a huge salt pan. Unfortunately it was covered=
 by a few inches of water that made the tract invisible. Our helper sat on t=
he roof of the Toyota trying to find it. We took a wrong turn at a fork and=20=
the usual 45 min crossing took 4 hours averaging 11 MPH.

The last leg to here was going fine on the washboard road in the middle of n=
owhere SW Blovia when the engine simply shut down 10km from Uyuni. An hour l=
ater, we discovered that a connection had shorted, we bypassed it and made i=
t here. The engine is entirely coated with salt and I am concerned for our f=
uture endeavors.

Tonite we sleep in a town made famous by Butch and Sundance. Tomorrow we pla=
y tourist and visit a train they shot up. Then we will return to a couple of=
 promising search areas. Blowing sand, erosional environment, lacking volcan=
ic rocks, always covered by billions of llama poops. Somehow, Blaine found a=
 500 yr. old musket ball amongst the poop. A pea in the peas.

A couple more nights of fabulous stars, Mars is s-o-o-o red. The nights are=20=
so-o-o-o cold. We=B4re carrying an extra 70 liters of fuel and you still can=
=B4t get there from here.=20

=A8A brief gunbattle ensued, then all went quiet. The posse waited until daw=
n before entering the house. There they found the two bandits stretched out=20=
on the floor, dead, with bullet holes in the head. Butch had shot Sundance a=
nd turned the gun on himself.=A8

Continuing the search from Uyuni, Bolivia,

Kevin Kichinka
Received on Wed 13 Jun 2001 07:56:23 PM PDT