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Post by 1dave on Jan 31, 2015 19:19:25 GMT -5
April, 1957. I was in Rivera, Uruguay. We wanted to go to Artigas (Named after the great Uruguayan General), the next town to the northwest. To do so, we had to cross over into Livramento Brazil and catch a circa 1930 bus with people, chickens and piglets. We bounced for hours on a rocky path now known as Br-293. Half way we made a much needed pit-stop at a shack almost made of unpainted boards that included a 10' X 10' room designated as a "Quarto do Banyo." It featured an 8" hole in the concrete floor with 2" raised concrete foot pads on each side to . . . , well, it helped. There was a roll of waxed corn husk paper for our consumption free gratis. It was good to finally reach Artigas. Road from Rivera to Artigas. The sand Dune is over 160 million year old, older than the basalt that hosts the amethyst geodes. The families we visited usually used fantastic amethyst geode sections for door stops. One of them gave me one, and that is when I became a rockhound! They took me to a place a little southwest of town and drove an iron bar into the soft ground several times, heard a "TINK" and started digging, and there was another nice piece. I just checked Google Earth, and I think this is the place today. This photo from Ravenil is about how it looked back then. The only job openings were for Gauchos. Mindat has a few specimens.
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Post by Pat on Jan 31, 2015 20:40:06 GMT -5
Do you still have the doorstop and the TINK?
Neat story.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 31, 2015 21:16:22 GMT -5
Anyone here not know Rock Currier ? Yes, that is his real name! Rock in Chile at the Mina Farola - 1981 He was in Uruguay visiting the mines in 1982, but it is hard to find the photos he took.Check out what he has to say about Amethyst on Mindat.org. Some mind boggling photos of Brazilian Cathedral Geodes by the gross!
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Post by 1dave on Jan 31, 2015 21:18:07 GMT -5
Do you still have the doorstop and the TINK? Neat story. Yes, I still have the door stop, and memory of hearing the tink. They kept that neat piece.
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Post by snowmom on Feb 1, 2015 7:12:10 GMT -5
WOWdeWOWOW love the trip story and oh my that chunk of crystal... thanks for the post.
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Post by 1dave on Feb 1, 2015 11:44:11 GMT -5
WOWdeWOWOW love the trip story and oh my that chunk of crystal... thanks for the post. Special memories! Gauchos are a special breed! Unless you have met them, you don't know the meaning of "tough"! Hard working and fun loving and will share almost anything. Always willing to help. They invited a huge group of us to a big field where they built a long fire, killed several cows, and prepared "Asado con Cuero." To eat it you grabbed your chunk by the hair, took a bite, and sliced it off with your knife. Careful not to cut your nose!
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Post by snowmom on Feb 1, 2015 15:21:36 GMT -5
legendary tough! What a cool thing that you got to experience it firsthand!
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spiritstone
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2014
Posts: 2,061
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Post by spiritstone on Feb 1, 2015 22:38:28 GMT -5
My kind of way to mine for stone. Good vid and the amy stalicite slices would make an incredible bracelet as shown. I thought a couple I have were pretty fantastic in size, but seeing some of those had me drooling. Thanks 1dave.
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Post by 1dave on Feb 6, 2015 14:36:41 GMT -5
I wish I had known this back in 1957! From Winter 1987 Gem News International" Fig 4.
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Post by 1dave on Feb 27, 2015 0:52:51 GMT -5
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Post by iant on Feb 27, 2015 2:26:52 GMT -5
Loved reading all this, thanks Dave!
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