Geocaching

It’s like a global treasure hunt. When Kimber Russell asked if I wanted to go look for a geocache with her, I thought we would be going on some sort of shopping trip, but I was pretty far off. Geocaching is when you look for an item that some other geocacher has hid somewhere in the world. You are provided with GPS coordinates to where the item lies, but if you are sans GPS, which we are in Turkey, then you can use picture clues to get you close. There is no “X marks the spot.” You set out, you look, you dig, and hopefully, you discover some treasure.

A note about non-geohunters. They are referred to as “Muggles” (yes, like in Harry Potter), and you are not supposed to make it obvious to them that you are looking for a cache. Some of the caches are hidden right out in the open too, so it is an added challenge to try and search for a treasure without tipping off those around you.

Our search began with a picture of the entrance way to the Grand Bazaar. Kimber, Rob Tokanel and I set out looking for a tiny green well that was somewhere around Bazaar’s exterior. Our hotel is close by, and we had been to the Bazaar a few times since we arrived in Istanbul, so we had an idea of where the well might be. After about ten minutes, we found it, and moved onto the next clue: something along the lines of “if it weren’t for this cache, you would be in the dark.” Aha, a light post was right next to the well. Kimber and I moseyed up to it and sat down, pretending to be chit-chatting with each other while our hands furiously searched around for anything that might be treasure-like. Then, I hit something. A piece of black electrical tape was dangling from below the lamp post’s base. When I tugged on it, a little box fell into my hand. THE CACHE! The genuine excitement that I felt was written all over my face. Inside, we found a note that said “Greetings from Belgium!”, then a list of all the others who had searched for and discovered the cache. Normally, there is a little gift inside for whoever finds the cache, and you are supposed to take the gift and replace it with a new gift. This cache didn’t have a gift, but we left a Jordanian Dinar coin inside for the next person who finds the cache. After we all signed the piece of paper, we taped the cache back up and left. I was beaming.

WE FOUND THE CACHE!

It’s pretty cool to feel like a part of something global. People from all over the world can hide caches, and when you find one, its like being a part of a bigger human journey. Maybe some day I will plant my own cache. For now, my hunt for more world treasures and stories continues.

DCN: In Turkey, “closet” means bathroom — a closet is called a waredrobe.