[meteorite-list] Progress or ruination?

From: MeteorHntr at aol.com <MeteorHntr_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 12:01:18 EST
Message-ID: <d2d.44982a85.3698dcde_at_aol.com>

All,

I am a bit conflicted with this too.

However, to insist that a group of humans stay in a setting from a couple
centuries ago, like keeping apes in a fake looking jungle cage at the zoo, just
so we can go an see them "undisturbed" is a bit morbid.

Like others on the list, I too have visited San Pedro de Atacama on my
several trips to Imilac in the past and really loved going there. The old small
buildings, narrow streets, broken glass bottles cemented into the tops of
walls around yards as security fences, were unforgettable.

It was an oasis compared to dry and desolate surroundings.

But, also as unforgettable, was all the trash strewn about the highway for
thousands of miles up and down the Pan American highway. Somebody forgot to
put up the "Keep Chile Clean" signs. Litter was so abundant, especially at
railroad crossings. Burned out cars and buses were sitting on the side of the
road from car wrecks years if not decades before. What 99% of people saw
when traveling on the highway(s) of Chile was the trash, not the beauty. You
had to get off the highway before things would clean up.

So to me, my hunch is that if there are high class hotels coming in to the
San Pedro de Atacama, my bet is that they will at least clean the trash up on
and around their own property. They might even pay to have the other trash
in public areas cleaned up as well. So in a way, the development might be a
good thing.

And the situation with the residents there, imprisoned in poverty, is sad.
I am sure they, like most anyone else in the civilized world would like to
have a good job, be able to afford TV, a nice car, good health care, maybe be
able to send their kids off to college to have a CHOICE as to what they want
to do with their life.
For those of us with enough money to travel there, it is fun, but we get to
leave and choose where we go next. To be stuck there for one's whole life,
it might get to be a drag after a while. If they can make a buck and improve
their life, who are we to say that is bad?

If I would ever choose to head that way again, either to find rocks or
simply as a tourist , I would probably choose to stay in an overpriced nice place
instead of an overpriced small place. Although, the places I stayed at a
decade ago were quite modern considering; not mud floor huts that the post cards
would indicate.

I for one can fully understand why they would want to develop that part of
the country for tourists. It is an amazing place and I am sure as word
spreads more and more people would want to go there. I for one, have STRONGLY
recommended that anyone that has a chance, should go and see San Pedro de
Atacama. Not to mention, take a fishing boat out to see the penguins on the way up.
 Oh, and there is a great steak house in La Serena. And the vineyards, very
much worth the tours. And when you are in Antofagasta, don't forget to wear
your seatbelts, they will pull you over and ticket you for that infraction
alone. And the Pampa area, words can't describe how desolate it looks...and
words can't describe how daunting the feeling is, in the pit of your stomach,
if your truck gets stuck out there. And don't forget the Pisco and Pepsi,
when heading out to your campsite. And, pick up some lumber in the trash
piles along the highway to make a campfire out of, or you will be very cold once
the sun sets and you are waiting for the Pisco to kick in!

Oh, and did someone mention strewnfields? Why wouldn't EVERYONE want to go
there? There are meteorites to be found!

As far as the copper mines growing and encroaching on people, I am sure
there is room to get on either side of that argument. Some would argue that at
least they are not killing off wildlife in the process, since wildlife doesn't
live out there to start with. If they force humans to scoot over a little,
well, that is what humans are good at, moving over.

I just hope they do what they do with taste, and it allows more people to
enjoy the beautiful setting that is waiting for them in such a desolate corner
of the earth. If they decide to trash the place even more, well, it wouldn't
really surprise me, it is kind of their tradition down there anyway.

Steve Arnold #1
Arkansas


In a message dated 1/9/2009 10:05:16 A.M. Central Standard Time,
meteoriteguy at yahoo.com writes:
Sad,
I was there on top of that rock a few years ago. San Pedro de Atacama is a
fantastic town, a little like the wild west, with dirt streets, no water (all
water is trucked in) and dodgy looking people. I had more fun there than can
be explained. To have Hollywood types jetting down there to stay in a spa
just sucks in my opinion. The geysers were amazing, typical that man would
destroy them to make more money mining. Oh well.
Michael Farmer


--- On Fri, 1/9/09, Michael Gilmer <michael_w_gilmer at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Michael Gilmer <michael_w_gilmer at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Progress or ruination?
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Date: Friday, January 9, 2009, 8:57 AM
> I have mixed feelings about this story :
>
>
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1642444_1870349_1870342,00.html
>
> I guess we'll be dodging errant golfballs and hearing
> cell phones
> ring while walking around one of the more remote places on
> the Earth. :(
>
> I wonder if any of these wealthy tourists realize they are
> visiting
> a famous strewnfield?
>
> Regards and clear skies,
>
> MikeG
>
>
> .........................................................
> Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
> Member of the Meteoritical Society.
> Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
> Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and
> http://www.glassthrower.com
> MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale
> ..........................................................
>
>
>
>
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Received on Fri 09 Jan 2009 12:01:18 PM PST