Savoy

All good advice, I have 40-something caches hidden. I hide often because I live in places that usually are just coming around to geocaching. That was the US in before 2001, and then China around 2002... now I seem to be the "Johnny Appleseed" of geocaching in Brazil (Rio) in 2008. My hope that if I can be a good example of what a quality geocache 'is' that others will hide quality caches too!! I find that my enjoyment comes balanced easily between the two... I only find caches that I think I'll remember (esp. those that are a bit challenging or will leave me a special memory) - my cache 'count' is low, but my experience caching is high! My hide cache 'count' is high compared to most, but my hope for each one is that they will make someone else's 'fond memory' list and not just be another number on their tally. - Savoy

Good idea... we tried that one, and response was a link back to the FAQ regarding "how to become a reviewer" which the short version (paraphrased my me ) is, "we'll contact you if we are interested in your help." I and others here in Brazil, have asked to send a short list of people willing to be even just 'back up' reviewers for the Brazil caches. We don't have a local reviewer in - country. Our caches are reviewed by a very nice, but VERY busy reviewer in Europe who's practice seems to be to clear the Brazil caches every 10-14 days. He and GS don't respond to emails where we've asked to help out or when we've asked what we can do to make things better for us. I'm take a family on a hike tomorrow along with mine... and guess what the 'boys' want to try doing. The spirit of this thread is, that we are wanting and trying to build a community of geocachers here, but its hard to feel like you are a part of the GC community when we don't feel like we are being as included - at least as much as others. As to the point of the next post... we're feeling the same thing, but no one (GS or the reviewer) is telling us what that might be. We are certainly willing to do whatever we need to do to... but I've been geocaching on three continents now, and this is the first time I've experience this type of 'cold shoulder' - thats as least how it feels. Brazil and Brasilian's are wonderful, active and relational people. Its hard for me to explain or defend what it looks like is happening here to them. - Sav

That didn't last long. Exactly the type of constructive, helpful, supportive comment Geocachers living in Brazil have come to expect and are trying to learn to love. When you only have 20 or so caches with 30 km or so AND none for the next 150 km... waiting two weeks for a new cache to come out seems a lot longer than when you are surrounded by hundreds or even thousands within the same area in the US. The other thing to remember about South Americans (esp. Brazilians) as is all about the relationships. Even a, "hey we know your out there but its gong to be a while before we will get you a reviewer in-country" reply to the PM or the to submission would help make the wait a bit more understandable for us. - Savoy

My wife just got back from our 'home base' in the states with my recent trades, etc. in tow. (I'd love to be able just to 'get mail' but in the places I live, its unlikely anything that has - or appears to have - value, would never make it. SO, I just have to wait for special days - like today! These are from the Math trade, a Singapore 2006, a Raith Gras Cross, and a copper Medusa. Next we have a US/China Adoption path tag and a set of Chinese Lanterns, including the LE. These are just wonderful - also bringing back great memories of our time in China. The last set has a German Tranquility, Aztec Calendar, Triple Dragon 'Dipper', and an Alien Compass Rose. Well, thats it for me for awhile - next time I'm back in the US is July, so until then... Take care! Savoy

My wife returned from the states with my little Treasures all in-hand. From the math trade, I've received 2 of 2 from AtlantaGal and 1 of 1 from Golby. Thanks you two, I'm just love'n these coins! (Picture Below) My send coins had problems, so I'm sending a second set with tracking this time. After they arrive, that finishes it up for me This was fun! Take care, Savoy

I'm now on my second week of waiting for cache GC1PM2Z... seems that Brazil is still at the bottom of the reviewer's list. SEVERAL SEVERAL younger caches in Spain and Portugal are getting two-three day turn around from the same reviewer. - Savoy

Thanks for the tips... we've had a good event, and will be trying a few more as we can. I think we are headed to the islands next!! Take care - Sav

E-mail sent. Thanks! Savoy

I found these in a cache (Barra Woods Cache - Rio, Brazil) but they weren't logged as being out of the USA... so, I've picked them up, and moved them to another more often frequented cache so they can keep moving. Cache Me if you Can and "Traveling Coin" (I think) I really like the mostly metal coins... they have an 'early' geocoin feel. Very classy! - Savoy

I would have LOVED to have one of these; I'm living in South America now and those themes (esp. one so well done) really resonate with me; Great job!

That is just a WONDERFUL coin, and message!

WOW... with all that caching going on, I thought we get to see a few more 'cache and release' coins that we've seen so far?! Anyone see and then release (or discover) anything actually in a cache you'd like to share?

We're having one of the first 'event' caches near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - I thought I'd drop a note here in case other geocacher's in Brazil were in the area with weekend of 21-March. We're just starting to build our geocaching community here, so if you're near-bye, we'd love to meet you! GC1N36H Meet and greet Rio cachers (Event Cache)

Sorry to say, that all three of these were in the same USPS priority package... mailed them just after the results went out. (I posted the sent message on Feb 16th in this thread). Sorry for the loss, but as I said in my reply email, I do have additional copies coins of this coin (since they are my sig coin) and I want you to have them. Please respond to my email with a confirmation of a few details, and then I'll have my family in the US send you an additional set to replace the ones lost. I won't be able to confirm the receipt of my trades until I return to the US, and it looks like that might be a few more months. BUT thanks in advance for whatever I did received. Take care, Savoy

Yep... good advice all. After this I'm going to stop my whining, but it would have been nice to hear something as to why there was such a long delay, or if there was something I could have done better/different/slimmer/whatever, that make the process smoother. 24-FEB to 4-MAR is a long time to hear nothing, esp. with several direct emails put out. This was cache 41 and 42 for me to put out, but the first time that I've felt such a 'cold shoulder' communication-wize. I'm just going to count my blessings on my luck placing these so far, and hope someday the reviews will start talking to me. (I'm happy to try and speak English, Chinese, and Portuguese)

Well, they were published today (4-MAR)... but no notes and no replies to my messages as to what the delay was, or tips on what I could do better (if anything) next time. To this day, I'm not sure what was happened with the cache. I'm helping my friend rewrite the event cache - it was his first time, so it will be approved. He got his first feedback yesterday night.

There are 5 within 20 kilometers... and 6 more within 72 kilometers. I usually live in places where I put out more than I can find

I can appreciate that... really, and I don't mind a wait for a thoughtful review. BUT, I'm not receiving ANY type of feed back, even to my email (all in English). A simple reviewer's note saying that there was some flag that triggered a formal review, or a suggestion, or just 'hey I'm busy, please wait' would work. Also, the other caches from Brazil that are waiting (like the event cache) - are a bit harder to understand why they were waiting so long, while other caches in outside of Brazil where get approved each day. As of today 3-MAR I'm still waiting to hear 'anything'. In NOVember we posted a few caches that needed to be archived due to safety or that they had been stolen. The cacher that placed it had only one (1) find and no longer was active on the site... after waiting until FEB. in NOT hearing from the reviewer and the owner to archive the caches so we could replace them with newer, safer, and muggle-resistant caches, we just posted notes to the caches - we replaced them, re-hid them, and hope that future cachers will notice the note! (Not clean, but better then what was there). My question is why could they not simply be archived, so we could place 'replacement' caches following the actual guidelines of GC.com? I was just as frustrating to wait for a non-responsive reviewer in those cases, as it was now. I'm sure, and from what I hear, this particular reviewer is a VERY nice guy and VERY faithful in doing his responsibilities BUT we are not feeling it here in Brazil - there must be an other reason then. My simply suggestion was to get this guys some local (in country) help!! Our first event cache is scheduled for 21-MAR (seems quick to non-Brazilians but that is still a good date for us), it is taking about a week now, to get that approved! Anyway, listening. Savoy n Rio

A quick search, search shows that no caches have been approved after 22-FEB in Brazil. I know of other Brazilian player's caches are waiting as well. - Sav

Yep, its been activated, and no notes whatsoever. I've placed 40 other caches.... this is the first time something like this has happened to me. As of this morning (2-MAR), nothing new. I've emailed three times to be sure that I didn't miss anything, but I've yet to get a response from those as well. - Sav

This is really getting frustrating... the reviewer is publishing Portugal and Spain, but not Brazil. There are caches that were put out and published today (1-MAR) in Spain, and we've been waiting since around 24-FEB for a couple of caches and an event in Brazil. I'd be happy with, "I'm busy and am taking care of 'my own' first..." but we're getting nothing. Nothing from GS or the reviewer.

I knew that the cache was in a bad part of town (we are in South America), but many of the prettiest parks are' next to gang-held communities. So we went anyway (that is what makes it a stupid human move). So there we are, walking around with sunglasses, GPSrs. and down from the hills comes the armed-'community'-patrol; most likely think we look a lot like some forward unit from the special unit police force. Now, we have to try and explain what we are doing to these guys without making matters even worse. "Cache" isn't a work we know here, and we're thinking 'treasure box' wouldn't be a good approach either... so we settled on tourist looking for an area with good Feng Shui. That seemed to work, but we got out of there anyway. That cache has been moved a bit further down the hill to a safer location (thats all relative down here of course)

Thanks for the info... I was hoping there was a list of reviewers so I could see who was taking care of Brazil. I knew about the 'fishing' around for your area reviewer method already, but thanks for the confirmation that there isn't another way. We've been waiting since about the 24th (this is the 1st) for reviews on two caches: GC1N2BC GC1N2CV and I know of one event cache (by another person) that we hoped to see published. Our reviewer is covering three countries (I think) - he has logged in and published other caches in Spain and Portugal, but we are still waiting here in Brazil. If we've done something wrong or I (or Brazil) are 'on the outs' with cg.com/reviwers, then someone please let me (us) know. The reviewer never emails back (this isn't the first time something like this has come up here) so the 'just email them a message' method doesn't seem to work. I emailed Groundspeak day before yesterday asking if they would get at least a 'backup' reviewer that lives at least on our continent (country would be better) to help so there isn't this long delay. There hasn't been a reply back from them yet either. SO, all that to say... we are beginning to develop a community here, but its hard when you feel so low on the gc.com/reviewer totem pole. "Please Sir, may we have some more caches?" - said in Portuguese of course Advice on dealing with this - anyone in a similar boat?

I'd say you need more critical mass before taking off to a separate forum. Either more geocachers and more topics. But feel free to ask Groundspeak about that for the acceptable thresholds. Regarding the second question, it would be a good idea to set up a cache event and to gather everyone for a few drinks and to get to know everyone. It really helps to build up a community. How many people would you think you could join for such a thing? It looks like we are going to have a cache even in March (21st) in Rio de Janeiro. We 'll see who all shows up

Does anyone know where I can find the list of reviewers or moderators for our region (Brazil)? Thanks! Savoy