sandstonegirl
-
Posts
8 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by sandstonegirl
-
-
I think that if I wanted to use this method of getting to a cache...
First of all I'd wait until I could get at least two trusted muggle friends to accompany me in the taxi...
Then using local maps, I'd look for a suitable roadside spot where the taxi could stop, within walking distance of the cache. Then you need to think of some sort of plausible reason to give the taxi driver as to why you need to go there...
Ummmm
You're doing a photographic project on the local landscape? (I don't know what the local situation is regarding random foreigners taking photographs 'off the beaten track'.)
How about taking a small geological hammer and the story that you just want a few interesting rock samples?
You could all take picnic stuff with you - Scramble out of the car, head off for the cache location, then all sit down and start eating sandwiches while you wander off randomly examining the surrounding landscape... (This would work well if you happened to be British - We'll picnic anywhere
)Failing that you could always try explaining to your taxi driver that you just need to find a small plastic box with a pencil and notebook in it ...
Thinking about all this a bit more, I think my first move would be to contact the cache owner and do a bit of homework about the area... see if they can give you any helpful thoughts about how easy/difficult it would be for you to attempt their cache by taxi.
Good luck
MrsB
Oh, that's brilliant, MrsB!
I should have thought about that. I never go into the countryside without my trusted rock hammer, be it to fend off wild dogs (only happened once, fortunately) or to collect rocks. The whole country is full of geologists anyway, so I'd guess such weired stops aren't totally uncommon. The roads will most likely be endless and straight but it should work out if the car is parked a bit away, and once summer is over. I don't want to get barbecued out in the desert
My target is to find each and every cache in that small country while I'm there. It should be doable with some preparation as there are only 130 or so in total.
And related to that: I so often take taxis from airports and always get annoyed if the travel bug hotel is just out of walking distance and the taxi is passing it, and there's no cache near my hotel. Maybe I for once should ask a driver to stop nearby, also good preparations assumed.
-
Firstly, as a woman alone you will NOT be able to enter Saudi Arabia - period! Women may not drive in SA and neither may they be in a vehicle with a male who is not family or husband.
Secondly, how long is "temporarily" and when will your residence commence? Rental cars are not expensive and driving in Doha is no different to New York or Chicago or London for that matter. A bit more aggressive perhaps but that's all.
Thirdly, feel free to PM me about caching sprees in Qatar. There are a number of cachers who would be more than happy to have you tag along over weekends.
Ah!
1. I know, and I also know about covering up. That's why I'd only do such thing when my husband visits.
2. planned are 10 months for now and I'll come over somewhere in August. Yiha, heat!
Never driven in any big city fortunately, or unfortunately in this case. 3. cool! I'll drop you a pm once I'm there and bored
-
Would be a very expensive trip, not sure what taxi's charge over there, but i can imagine that the cab driver would probably charge a hell of a lot for waiting time, especially hunting for some caches, what seems like 2 mins could easily turn out to be 30+.
Well, from what I heard taxis are really cheap, and I'm getting a transport allowance which should get me to and from work and to shops every day plus around the (admittedly small) country several times each month. So that's not a problem.
It's rather that I don't know how to cache if my means of transport is a muggle.
-
Hi SSG
Cincol would be best to help
Certainly there are a good few urban caches in Doha - but a rented car or using your hubbies car on w/e is best to get to the oput of town caches.
I've done a number with cincol and a saloon car would work with many - but the 4x4 will get you to the fun caches
I haven't looked around here yet and don't know Cincol. Will this thread lure him out of hiding or should I send him a pm?
My hubby is not working in Qatar. He's offshore in Europe but if I like working here and he also likes Qatar from his visits he might ask for a transfer and we'd stay here more permanently and might eventually buy a car. But that's still almost a year from now. So I thought about renting one for now or hiring a driver/using taxis.
So I guess it's the rental/driver/taxi option for now and, as there aren't that many caches in total I should hire a 4x4 once in a while. How far can you go with a saloon? I know the inland lake is out of bounds but what about the rest of the countryside?
-
Not sure what the caches and driving is like in Qatar, but I do know that you will not be allowed to go to SA. Getting a visa for there is not trivial. Visiting Bahrain & the UAE is easy but you'll need to fly there.
Hmm.. I know that colleagues went by car to Oman, but they usually stayed longer in Doha and thus had their own vehicles. We'd love to do that as well even though border formalities and visa are not easy.
-
Hiho,
I also posted this in the Arabian Peninsular forum as I am looking for local advice. but I'd also like to see this discussed here. Maybe there are more people with similar experience here or who'd just like to give their opinion.
I'll be moving to the Peninsular for work soon. I'm not a confident driver and the city I'm about to go to sounds like hell from what I hear. Someone told me Palermo traffic is quiet and peaceful in comparison. That was the most terrifying driving experience I'd ever had! I now wonder if I should get a chauffeur and/or take taxis instead of renting or buying a car. Though: how to cache then? Has anyone ever cached by taxi or similar means? The driver would of course be a muggle and I'm afraid he'd harm the cache or see it as something potentially dangerous.
The landscape is mostly saltflat desert and many caches are hidden under rocks not too far from the road. So whatever I do I'll most likely be overlooked by the driver. Has anyone ever cached with a driver, and how did that work out?
-
Hiya guys,
I'll soon be moving to Qatar for work, temporarily. I'm not a confident driver and the traffic in Doha sounds like hell from what I hear. I now wonder if I should get a chauffeur and/or take taxis instead of renting or buying a car. Though: how to cache then? Has anyone ever cached by taxi or similar means? The driver would of course be a muggle and I'm afraid he'd harm the cache or see it as something potentially dangerous.
Any advice?Also, does anyone have any general advice on transport? My allowance would be enough for a small rental car but I guess I won't be allowed to cross the border to SA (no worries, hubby will visit a few times). Buying a car is probably too expensive. Do taxis or chauffeurs cross the border? I guess if not I'll be stuck in a tiny hot country for a while
)
Caching with chauffeur/taxi?
in Arabian Peninsula
Posted
I know, bad luck on Ramadan and on temperature. HR has all the stuff they need to apply for my visa so that's something at least.
I just had a look through a lot of caches a bit off the roads, and it really looks like I'd need a 4x4 for many of those. Shame. Do you happen to have an idea what a small 4x4 rental might cost? Doesn't need to be a pajero or a huge pickup, but just a small car with decent ground clearance and strong enough 4WD? (Fiat Panda 4x4
Um.. great for steep Greek mountains but no idea how such baby would perform in sand) I think I should get a car anyway, even though I don't like driving in cities. But I suppose it's better than waiting for taxis at least twice per day.