Re: [meteorite-list] Peruvian meteorite crater -
lebofsky
Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:31:52 -0800
Dear Mccartney:
If you plan to go to Peru, please read the following.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_sour
When in Rome ...
This is NOT Mexico (or Texas).
Larry
Pisco sour? How about Pisco and Coca Cola? I recall that memorable
day in Jan of '96 when Marvin Killgore, his buddy Hurley and me were at
Imilac. They left me out there alone with the promise that they would
return from Antofagasta with supplies by 3:00. Then Marvin and Hurley
left at Marvin's usual speed limit... 100 mph down the dirt road to
Antofagasta. Leaving me all by lonesome self out in the Atacama desert.
I had a good time looking and found quite a few good sized Imilacs,
then when 3:00 PM came along, and Marvin and Hurley did not arrive, I
began to get a bit nervous. Them speeding down that dirt road at 100
mph is something to worry about you now-- all by your lonesome self out
in a desert that has more akin to Mars than the earth. 11,000 feet or
more up.
Well my worry became very extreme when 6:00 came on, and still no
Marvin or Hurley. I looked in vain to spot their dust trail coming
down that long dusty road to Antofagasta.
8:00 PM sun now low on the horizon... Still alone out at Imilac. No
transportation out, and now verging on panic. All sorts of visions of
accidents that they might have had-- speeding down that road at 100
mph. Me all by myself out in the middle of nowhere.
I began to work out in my mind the prospect of walking out the next
morning. No way would I even venture to walk out at night with the
winds howling at 60 mph, as it does at night in the Atacama desert.
And at 20 deg F or less, I decided to wait till the day to make the
hike out... Like 25 miles to the next outpost, or wait along that road
for a traveler or the sometimes bus that travels that road.
Needless to say, it did not look good. I ran though what I thought I
might need for the pack out.
Then just as I was getting my sleeping bag and over-shell set up for
the night behind a hill to block the wind, with worry on my mind at
about 9:00 Marvin and Hurley barrel into camp.
What relief ! What joy ! I'M SAVED !
They saw that I was worried, and invited me in from the wind which was
howling at the time.
They offered me a Cola which I eagerly took, and began to guzzle down.
It kind of tasted different, but I did not care at the time. Till
Pisco found its mark. That big bottle of Cola was spiked with 50%
Pisco, (at 85% alc) and I guzzled it down in my post anxiety relief.
Marvin and Hurley were laughing at my expense as it began to take
affect, AT 11,000 FT ELEVATION !
I was crocked big time.
Then, as the night came on and it got quite dark, (you would not
believe the night sky in the Atacama, you can actually see by
starlight) I had to set up my over shell for my sleeping bag. What a
chore crocked at 11,000 FT. Marvin and Hurley laughing at my expense.
Somehow, someway, whatever, I got it done fumbling all the way through.
(those that have seen me struggle with that over shell without me
being crocked will will understand)
As I lay back getting ready for the snooze to come on, you would not
believe the sky at Imilac. You can see the Magellanic Clouds, and the
stars are fantastic. And there were I think an unusual number of
shooting stars that night, and even the faint ones cast light over the
weird landscape.
It was pretty amazing-- probably because of Pisco impressing my brain.
I pulled the over shell cover over my head, to keep the ever
decreasing wind out, (It usually stops at midnight) and bedded down for
the night-- expecting that the next day might be a hang over for me
with little meteorite hunting.
Morning came at 5:30 AM, and I woke, but it was too cold to get out as
ice had formed the over shell canopy as a warning that I would freeze
my fanny off. But when the sun comes up it warms very fast. And
during the day it often reaches 85 F.
But I had no hangover, none at all!
In fact I felt great.
Marvin and Hurley thought for sure that I would be wasted that day, and
I was up and going ready to find those elusive meteorites. So, I went
to it swinging Marvin's Gold Bug II with 14 inch coil. (God that thing
is hard all day. I am certain that I would have done better with my
VLF-710, which was down due to the fact that the airlines damaged my
coil in transit). All told I got 8.5 kilos of the larger Imilacs with
weights of 10 to 200 grams, with Marvin and Hurley getting 12 kilos of
mostly smaller ones each. Then the real kicker was when I broke camp
and Marvin checked where I had and my sleeping bag and found a 380 gram
Imilac individual right under where I had laid my head.
Moral of the story-- After drinking Pisco, dreaming of finding
meteorites, then and breaking camp, always check the ground under where
you sleep... You just don't know what you might be sleeping on. And
lastly, Pisco and
