[meteorite-list] Bolivia Meteorite Adventure

From: Mattias Bärmann <majbaermann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:52:14 +0100
Message-ID: <f1c0a7af-5ff0-397e-da0d-c55f7fa47864_at_web.de>

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)
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Received on Wed 14 Dec 2016 05:52:14 AM PST