[meteorite-list] Bolivia Meteorite Adventure

From: Greg Hupe <gmhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2016 23:50:59 -0500
Message-ID: <D5EF32ACCDAF4F729996190D5699CCB7_at_Gregor>

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
====================
Received on Tue 13 Dec 2016 11:50:59 PM PST


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