.....^=^%@                                          @%^=^.....
......^=^%                                          %^=^......
.......^=^                                          ^=^.......
........^=                                          =^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........             ................             ..........
..........             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ..........
..........             @@@##########@@@             ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... FROM   NORTH   TO  SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ..........
.......... KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ..........
.......... THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL  TO STONE, ..........
.......... A FOOT OR TWO.  NO ROOTS  CAN FESTER, NO ..........
..........             DUST CAN LINGER.             ..........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^= HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY LOW =^........
.......^=^ PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ^=^.......
......^=^% EARTH  IS  BARE  IN PATCHES AS LARGE  AS %^=^......
.....^=^%@               YOU AND ME.                @%^=^.....
....^=^%@#                                          #@%^=^....
...^=^%@## CROSS IT TO GET TO THE OCEAN,  OR  DON'T ##@%^=^...
..^=^%@###          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ###@%^=^..
.^=^%@####                                          ####@%^=^.
..^=^%@###                                          ###@%^=^..
...^=^%@##                                          ##@%^=^...
....^=^%@#                                          #@%^=^....
.....^=^%@                                          @%^=^.....
......^=^%                                          %^=^......