A closer look
Cal Orcko in Bolivia features a massive, nearly vertical limestone cliff face covered in over five thousand perfectly preserved dinosaur footprints. The bizarre vertical orientation makes it look like prehistoric reptiles magically defied gravity by walking straight up a massive wall, but it was actually caused by tectonic plates shifting a flat lakebed over millions of years. Visitors have to wear hard hats and stare at the quarry from a distance because the entire priceless geological marvel is situated right next to a highly active, incredibly loud modern cement factory. It is painfully ironic that one of the most spectacular paleontological sites on the planet is constantly at risk of being pulverized into cheap building materials for local construction projects. Traveling to see magnificent ancient history often just means standing in a dusty industrial zone and quietly praying that corporate mining interests don't accidentally blow up the Jurassic period before you get a photo!
