Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

Still credit where it was due.

I was still looking at the large stone that made its way from the top of the bluff to the bottom of the land slide.

I guess that it is safe now to tell where it was all along.

In the photo of the three signs that created the math equation, there appears to be a large flat stone lying flat on top of the symbol boulder...

It was in fact, a few feet above that boulder. The three stone stacks were there all along. Only a few feet away.

It was an optical illusion that kept others from messing with them until I could get up there.

I guess that they played me for a fool.

The stones were washed away.

All the time building custom tools was a waist of precious time... but they still are part of my arsenal. Somday I will use them again.

The more I study your photos, the more I learn

#/;0) ~

 

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[gjb]

A Peruvian Tale, continued

She looked at me hard for a full five seconds, and then asked: Señor, tell me, what’s a nickel to you? I felt truly ashamed, and gave her a dime.

Is this it?

Assuredly not! But just remember, you wanted more! The episode with the woman at the way station had a profound effect on me. From that moment on, I was a man with a mission. On the trail, in the odd bout of silence when tackling difficult terrain, the picture of that pathetic looking sad-eyed woman would haunt me.

Her every feature was implanted in my mind, from the care-worn creases on her forehead, the tracks below those penetrating eyes, even down to the port-wine patch and the mole on her cheek. It was as if the cares of a dozen people had been thrust upon her.

We trekked through the mountains on fairly decent paths, at one time coming across a fairly modern-looking rope bridge over a small ravine. It was fun, if you closed your eyes and thought of something other than the Bridge of San Luis Rey.

Now and then, we’d meet small groups of Peruvians, and pass through tiny hamlets. Mostly, the people would do their best to smile, though the cynic might observe that this was mostly for thoughts of the dollars in our pockets. Nevertheless, I never tired of preaching the no-haggle gospel, despite cries of, ‘For God’s sake, give it a rest,’ from the unenlightened.

Actions speak louder than words, and I was true to my faith: I always paid the asking price, and exhorted my companions to do the same. As might be expected, that was just one more uphill struggle on that tough but truly magnificent trail.

We were headed for fabled Vilcacamba (sort of) and the renowned Machu Picchu. Of course, we didn’t find the first, but you just couldn’t miss the second. It wasn’t the famous picture-postcard peaks that struck us most, it was the hustle and bustle of a virtual rail-head, where I’d expected the customary tranquility of the trail.

Machu Picchu itself is a true wonder - if you can ignore the hotel on top and train-loads of visitors. Fortunately, we were later to see it depopulated. We didn’t get to sleep overnight on the peak, being informed this wasn’t allowed, though my brother did (sneakily) some years later and observed that the sunrise from Huayna Picchu (the peak most associated with the site) is a wonder to behold.

The ancient settlement clings to a hill that a mountain goat might turn it’s back on. Buses ply up and down the zig-zag road to the top. Urchins race the buses downhill by taking the straighter route, and wait at the half-dozen or so bends to give a cheeky wave. They can’t win the last lap, though, but they’re sure there at the station with their hands out for cash.

When there’s a train in, there’s a thriving tourist market here. I wanted a permanent memento of my visit to Peru, and had my mind set on a llama skin rug, but I knew that these were sold at rip-off prices, and my resolve to pay the asking price was creating a strain on my conscience, and potentially even more on the limited cash in my pocket (at that time, they didn’t take credit cards in Peruvian village markets!)

I’d been hoping to find a rug while on the trail that maybe I could get fairly cheaply, but no such opportunity arose. I already knew the prices they charged in Lima and Cusco, having already established the lowest they’d go, and didn’t relish having to get one there. So, I thought this market might be a better place, but was now seriously debating whether or not to haggle. Small items of food was one thing, but at these prices my mission was taking something of a beating. And how could I possibly live it down if my trail buddies found out?

Maybe I could find a way to buy a rug surreptitiously, haggle it down to rock bottom, and then maybe embroider the truth about it afterwards. Surely, that wouldn’t really be hypocrisy, would it?

I looked around to check out the rug stalls, but could see my pals still roaming freely in the crowd. One was approaching me with a set of Peruvian pan-pipes. I put my hands in my pockets, casually looking around as he walked up.

“You got something then?” I observed with little real interest. “Yeah”, he pointed to a stall nearby, “she even tried to shame me into paying full price.”

I looked in the direction indicated, fearing the worst, and there she was, way station woman - creases, mole, port-wine mark and all - positively beaming as she raked in the dollars.

 

[cwp]

Welcome, Gjb!!

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Watch it CWP, he's an Oak Island guy. Go check him out He thinks as I do.

 

[cwp]

Watch it CWP, he's an Oak Island guy. Go check him out He thinks as I do.

I won't hold it against him.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

I do, can't stand the competition. Espedialy a larcinistic one.

 

[tintin_treasure]

Anyone with a TH yarn for this cold weekend? Hello IPU..
TT

 

[Interested Party in UK]

Hello my adventure-loving friend, TT.

There is a spot in northwestern India which has a meandering river making its way down into the country's central plains and since time immemorial has been considered holy by many of the Hindu faith. On one of the riverbanks, there was a venerated spot that legend said a holy man used to meditate on and grant boons to those in need. As this was a time of some superstition, little education and plenty of upheaval due to war, famine and invasion, the holy man had a generous amount of believers and followers. They would fulfill his every command and accept his every utterance. As is the case in some instances like this, the yogi's fame/power spread like hyperbole usually does to those in need and in a desperate situation without much hope of resolution.

One day, a consort of the local raja who was desperate for a male child as she believed the raja would consider her favourably, decided to visit this mysterious mystic and see what the fuss was about. When it was the lady's turn to visit Mr Yogi, she entered his tent and asked that to prove his credence the yogi tell why she was there in front of him. Somehow he guessed correctly (no doubt the entourage, expensive clothing etc. gave a subtle hint or two), and Ms Lady was extremely impressed.

After consulting his Oracle or having his conversation with cosmic forces whatever the case may have been, the Yogi uttered that what he said had to be fulfilled by the Lady as he would grant his wish but a great misfortune would befall her if she did not do as she promised. To expedite the story somewhat, consort got her wish and she had a son and through court intrigue, he was able to take the throne. The pay-off was that this new raja and his resourceful mummy, had to commit to 21 (some say more, others less) yearly pilgrimages to this site and commit part of their wealth to the river that was the 'life-giver' and had been responsible for the boy raja.

Again to skip some sentences, the raja and mum did what was asked and paid a yearly visit amongst much fanfare and pomp and literally threw gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls away into this river. Hhhmmmm, this is where it gets interesting, the mystic passed away, and in his place, came some crafty and organised pundits who are/where considered the priestly class there. As is usual, the Mystics spot became an organised location to fleece folk and scare simple people to utter promises of donations they could ill afford. This went on for a lengthy period and the pundits systematically dredged the river and asked donors to instead put their valuables in a bespoke pit the kindly priests had dug to make things easier for themselves.

This went on for a very long time but then there was some continuous invasions from what was then Persia and current-day Afghanistan. They slaughtered the priests and local population and the court of the raja was violently destroyed as a heathen hotspot by the enlightened invaders. As time went on, the story remained vividly in oral tradition and the spot was known to all concerned but never defiled due to the reverence given to the original Yogi chap.

Then came the British...., they sent a surveying team to map the local area and that is when this story was put on paper and made 'official'. It had been decades and decades since the original mystic and his heady days as a sage. Anyway, one enterprising Englishman hired some Baluchi freebooters and labourers to aid him in an expedition. They got what they came for and found a decent amount of booty alright...
One of the Baluchi's built a massive fort-like home in the mountains and had it inscribed in marble that "Due to the Hindoos (sic) folly and the grace of Allah, I have found my paradise on Earth"! It still stands apparently although it has lost its former glory.

Johnny Englishman came home, bought an estate in Scotland and retired to a life of luxury and privilege. His descendants own various businesses up there in the highlands.

Now rumour had it, that a fair amount remained as the crafty old pundits had been done over by the invaders, and hadn't securely hid all the goodies...

The river and the location are well known there in India, and to this day, offerings are made there in reverence to the ancestors. Groups of young boys will work the river to find small amounts of cash, clothing etc..
Now what if a few gems had got stuck in a 'likkle,likkle' crevice here or there....?


The river is heavily polluted now and serious detritus is dumped there including poor dead folk whose families can't afford funerals.

Well that is the place I organised a trip or two too and it was amazingly different to the simple, straightforward, mostly without overt risks, lifestyle we lead here....


IP


PS. Don, have you checked my follow-up PM?

 

[audigger53]

OK this is one that happened to my brother. Background:
We used 6 foot 2X2's as walking sticks because one of the ways to stake a claim in Arizona, is to put a 1&1/2 by 1&1/2 inch stake 4 feet above the ground with the notice in a "baggy".
The Gopher hole:
My brother went up a ridge to look over into the next valley and when he got high enough to just look over, he set his staff on the ground. As he was looking into the next valley, he realized something was strange. His walking stick was sinking into the ground. He pulled it out and realized he had put it into a "gopher hole (he thought). When he looked down into the hole he could see Daylight! We checked later and found that the ridge went up at a nice slope on this side, the other side was 150 feet vertical followed by another 150 feet reverse overhang. My brother told me he lost no time in getting back down as all he could think of was "Willey Coyote" riding a rock down to the bottom with no where to jump to. If it had let go it was 300 feet to the bottom. So much fun hiking off trail in the Nation Forest.

 

[audigger53]

After I got out of the hospital for my back we went to my brother's in El Paso. Then the ladies just had to go over to Juarez to go shopping. My back started hurting so I went just inside a shop to sit down. He kept trying to sell me a rug, even though I told him my back hurt and I had to sit down. Turns out I was the first customer of the day and it is bad luck not to make that first sale of the day. I ended up buying a hanging rug just to make him happy. For a lot less than he started asking for it. I would have paid him the money just to sit down to ease the pain.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

They had that same custom in the Thieves Market in ole Peking. Chins in 47. I believe that it was started by the Jewish traders. I spent many a happy hour haggleing on something that I never really wanted.

Gad, that was over 70 years ago, man does time fly

 

[tintin_treasure]

Hello my adventure-loving friend, TT.

There is a spot in northwestern India which has a meandering river making its way down into the country's central plains and since time immemorial has been considered holy by many of the Hindu faith. On one of the riverbanks, there was a venerated spot that legend said a holy man used to meditate on and grant boons to those in need. As this was a time of some superstition, little education and plenty of upheaval due to war, famine and invasion, the holy man had a generous amount of believers and followers. They would fulfill his every command and accept his every utterance. As is the case in some instances like this, the yogi's fame/power spread like hyperbole usually does to those in need and in a desperate situation without much hope of resolution.

One day, a consort of the local raja who was desperate for a male child as she believed the raja would consider her favourably, decided to visit this mysterious mystic and see what the fuss was about. When it was the lady's turn to visit Mr Yogi, she entered his tent and asked that to prove his credence the yogi tell why she was there in front of him. Somehow he guessed correctly (no doubt the entourage, expensive clothing etc. gave a subtle hint or two), and Ms Lady was extremely impressed.

After consulting his Oracle or having his conversation with cosmic forces whatever the case may have been, the Yogi uttered that what he said had to be fulfilled by the Lady as he would grant his wish but a great misfortune would befall her if she did not do as she promised. To expedite the story somewhat, consort got her wish and she had a son and through court intrigue, he was able to take the throne. The pay-off was that this new raja and his resourceful mummy, had to commit to 21 (some say more, others less) yearly pilgrimages to this site and commit part of their wealth to the river that was the 'life-giver' and had been responsible for the boy raja.

Again to skip some sentences, the raja and mum did what was asked and paid a yearly visit amongst much fanfare and pomp and literally threw gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls away into this river. Hhhmmmm, this is where it gets interesting, the mystic passed away, and in his place, came some crafty and organised pundits who are/where considered the priestly class there. As is usual, the Mystics spot became an organised location to fleece folk and scare simple people to utter promises of donations they could ill afford. This went on for a lengthy period and the pundits systematically dredged the river and asked donors to instead put their valuables in a bespoke pit the kindly priests had dug to make things easier for themselves.

This went on for a very long time but then there was some continuous invasions from what was then Persia and current-day Afghanistan. They slaughtered the priests and local population and the court of the raja was violently destroyed as a heathen hotspot by the enlightened invaders. As time went on, the story remained vividly in oral tradition and the spot was known to all concerned but never defiled due to the reverence given to the original Yogi chap.

Then came the British...., they sent a surveying team to map the local area and that is when this story was put on paper and made 'official'. It had been decades and decades since the original mystic and his heady days as a sage. Anyway, one enterprising Englishman hired some Baluchi freebooters and labourers to aid him in an expedition. They got what they came for and found a decent amount of booty alright...
One of the Baluchi's built a massive fort-like home in the mountains and had it inscribed in marble that "Due to the Hindoos (sic) folly and the grace of Allah, I have found my paradise on Earth"! It still stands apparently although it has lost its former glory.

Johnny Englishman came home, bought an estate in Scotland and retired to a life of luxury and privilege. His descendants own various businesses up there in the highlands.

Now rumour had it, that a fair amount remained as the crafty old pundits had been done over by the invaders, and hadn't securely hid all the goodies...

The river and the location are well known there in India, and to this day, offerings are made there in reverence to the ancestors. Groups of young boys will work the river to find small amounts of cash, clothing etc..
Now what if a few gems had got stuck in a 'likkle,likkle' crevice here or there....?


The river is heavily polluted now and serious detritus is dumped there including poor dead folk whose families can't afford funerals.

Well that is the place I organised a trip or two too and it was amazingly different to the simple, straightforward, mostly without overt risks, lifestyle we lead here....


IP


PS. Don, have you checked my follow-up PM?

IPU....thanks a lot amigo for this tantalizing yarn!,,how wonderful to read your story,lying on my bed with the lights dimmed,and sipping my milk with coffee,,,,,,,,it sure is interesting,,,,so the TH chaps that benefited, did they manage to salvage part of the precious metals?...
How about you?were you lucky?
TT

 

[tintin_treasure]

IPU,,,,I came across this treasure info on British soil,,nice Info's

http://www.countryfile.com/treasure

TT

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

cold ?? it's 37 C ( 98 F) right now. Tin Tin.

 

[tintin_treasure]

cold ?? it's 37 C ( 98 F) right now. Tin Tin.

Don......it was rather cool weather today in some parts of Europe.
TT

 

[Interested Party in UK]

Hi TT,

The chaps that benefited - the Englishman and the Baluchis, it didn't state what exactly they found, but they were specifically looking for the hiding place of the cache of the pundit priests and scouring the river near the bank the mystic yogi used to utter his visions on.

There wasn't much details or information as to exactly what they found, they probably kept it quiet for good reason, but they ended-up equivalent to present day multi-millionaires.

As for me, i'll submit another post very soon...

IP

 

[Interested Party in UK]

The first trip I made to India, was after I'd uncovered the story and facts that corroborated what had happened. I was fortunate in the sense that the bulk of the information was stored and archived here in the UK. I went there to carry out some pleminary checks and establish some contacts. It was very daunting at first because of the vast differences in culture, customs, social necessities and bureaucracy.

But after the initial contact, things started moving. I was wary of being treated as a gullible fool and being played by the locals and the 'officials' who were usually self-appointed. Because the place was out of the way and not close to any centre of authority, it was easy to get stuck if the mucky stuff hit the fan. If I'd played my hand too quickly, I would have had nothing to bargain with later and there was nothing stopping anyone hijacking my idea and moving me aside.

I just said to folk that I was there to verify some historical facts and see some places for myself. As is sometimes the case, when poor local peeps see an outsider, they only see an opportunity to try and enrich themselves. There is no point in getting aggrieved with this - it is a natural reaction to poverty and hopelessness. Anyway, I felt the best way too approach was to talk to the locals about old customs, local legends etc..
They were not simple by any means and of course knew the tales inside out and actually remembered the story of the "ferenghi" (meaning foreigners), taking out a treasure hoard all those years ago. There was plenty of stories going around; there had been the multi-billion pound discovery at the South Indian temple and it has always been rumoured that many such sites exist across the ancient land that is India. To someone that has nothing, there is nothing more alluring than instantly having everything.

I then proceeded to lay some groundwork, making agreements with local peeps etc.

When I returned to the UK, I started the planning in earnest, I made some innocent, naive yet fundamental errors. I tried to accomplish too much too quickly. I did not cater for every eventuality nor did I credit others with cunning or greed.

There was some quick, harsh and expensive lessons I learnt.

I made the wrong choice in hiring some locals to dive the river and look for goodies on my behalf, did I really expect one to honestly give up a valuable that fouls solve all their problems at a stroke?

I also suddenly realised that it was a long shot with such a way of doing things and that dredging the riverbed or having a suction pump was better than simple standalone human endeavour. After a frustrating yet steep learning curve, I knew when enough was enough and cut my losses.

I would love to say I found a lil something for my efforts, but I didn't.

Thing is, further into central India, I found out about an American team, doing some amazing things in and near a river close to the old diamond mines situated near there...EL Crow knew about them when I discussed it with him. Even after everything, I am not disheartened and am more focused and a lot wiser for the experience. If they say every cloud has a silver lining, then perhaps that is why I am now helping this Indian group invest in gold workings in South America..

IP

 

[tintin_treasure]

The first trip I made to India, was after I'd uncovered the story and facts that corroborated what had happened. I was fortunate in the sense that the bulk of the information was stored and archived here in the UK. I went there to carry out some pleminary checks and establish some contacts. It was very daunting at first because of the vast differences in culture, customs, social necessities and bureaucracy.

But after the initial contact, things started moving. I was wary of being treated as a gullible fool and being played by the locals and the 'officials' who were usually self-appointed. Because the place was out of the way and not close to any centre of authority, it was easy to get stuck if the mucky stuff hit the fan. If I'd played my hand too quickly, I would have had nothing to bargain with later and there was nothing stopping anyone hijacking my idea and moving me aside.

I just said to folk that I was there to verify some historical facts and see some places for myself. As is sometimes the case, when poor local peeps see an outsider, they only see an opportunity to try and enrich themselves. There is no point in getting aggrieved with this - it is a natural reaction to poverty and hopelessness. Anyway, I felt the best way too approach was to talk to the locals about old customs, local legends etc..
They were not simple by any means and of course knew the tales inside out and actually remembered the story of the "ferenghi" (meaning foreigners), taking out a treasure hoard all those years ago. There was plenty of stories going around; there had been the multi-billion pound discovery at the South Indian temple and it has always been rumoured that many such sites exist across the ancient land that is India. To someone that has nothing, there is nothing more alluring than instantly having everything.

I then proceeded to lay some groundwork, making agreements with local peeps etc.

When I returned to the UK, I started the planning in earnest, I made some innocent, naive yet fundamental errors. I tried to accomplish too much too quickly. I did not cater for every eventuality nor did I credit others with cunning or greed.

There was some quick, harsh and expensive lessons I learnt.

I made the wrong choice in hiring some locals to dive the river and look for goodies on my behalf, did I really expect one to honestly give up a valuable that fouls solve all their problems at a stroke?

I also suddenly realised that it was a long shot with such a way of doing things and that dredging the riverbed or having a suction pump was better than simple standalone human endeavour. After a frustrating yet steep learning curve, I knew when enough was enough and cut my losses.

I would love to say I found a lil something for my efforts, but I didn't.

Thing is, further into central India, I found out about an American team, doing some amazing things in and near a river close to the old diamond mines situated near there...EL Crow knew about them when I discussed it with him. Even after everything, I am not disheartened and am more focused and a lot wiser for the experience. If they say every cloud has a silver lining, then perhaps that is why I am now helping this Indian group invest in gold workings in South America..

IP

Great story and courage as well as adventure IPU!....as you said , most important thing is to learn and move on!
Hope u would somehow return back to the river project at a later date with more resource and planning,
TT

 

[Interested Party in UK]

That baby is on the list for sure...

Don't know if you recall, there was major flooding in northwestern India a few years ago, and in the mountains, there was a location that was brought to light where old artefacts from the days of the one and only Alexander the Great, were found and smuggled and then sold on the black market in the Far East. India really is a massive treasure house and I have some things I'd like to look into when I have the resources and time to do so.

For now, no more speculative endeavours, more certainty until I am better able to expand operations.


IP

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

IUK, life is a hard teacher, as I have found with Tayopa, but if you accept her lessons, as she intends, you will have a full life..not necessarily lucrative, but full of memories.

I have found th e vedas extremely interesting along with the Tao teachings. Did you know that they had described microbiology long before microscopes were invented ?