Lee Gimpel
03/01/2006
The best places to look for meteorites are the world’s most
remote locations, particularly the Sahara and Antarctica. But a do-it-yourself
approach is not usually a good investment. TravelQuest International offers a
10-day prospecting trip to Antarctica for $36,400 per person. It includes six
nights at Patriot Hills, 81 degrees south latitude. Those who go do not pocket
any meteorites; they are all scientific property.
The legality of taking meteorites from North Africa is not well established. Even successful expeditions can be stymied by bandits or customs officials. Svend Buhl, CEO of NigerMeteoriteRecon, leads occasional trips to the region. He will not say exactly where he travels for fear of alerting nefarious elements in a "little-known North African country at the border of the Central Sahara." Trips run about $5,000 per person; those who go should not expect a hotel room or shower for 19 days.
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