Embasy Caches

[+John in Valley Forge]

[+Harry Dolphin]

No. Because Geocaching decides (or the CO decides) which country the cache is in. I doubt that a cache in DC would get published claiming it's in Russia. (Though a cache hidden in the French part of St. Martin/Sint Maarten should properly be listed as being in France. But it's listed in the non-existant country of St. Martin.)

[+MontyFam]

Is an Embassy public property or would anyone allow it? LOL

[+JBnW]

Maybe GS could issue souvies for them??

[+geodarts]

Is an Embassy public property or would anyone allow it? LOL

 

I recently completed a virtual at the Canadian Embassy in DC. It is properly listed as being found in the District. The embassy property is part of the host nation's territory. although the host nation's jurisdiction ends at the embassy.

 

Then you have areas like the Cook memorial in Hawaii. The land is England's, but I would not expect a cache placed there to be listed as being in the UK.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

The virtual at the Canadian embassy in interesting. Does anyone know of any other virts or traditional caches on Embassy property?

 

The first time I geocached in Rome I didn't realize that the one cache at the Vatican had a different country designation as others in the city. The next time I was there I found the two caches located at the Vatican. I also walked almost the entire perimeter of the Vatican.

[+secondgunman]

The first time I geocached in Rome I didn't realize that the one cache at the Vatican had a different country designation as others in the city. The next time I was there I found the two caches located at the Vatican. I also walked almost the entire perimeter of the Vatican.

 

Of course it has a different country designation, it's a different "country". Vatican City is a sovereign city-state existing in a well-defined area that just happens to be completely within the confines of the city of Rome. I suppose the best way to look at it would be to say that it's not IN Rome, it's WITHIN Rome. In my humble opinion, the proper way to log a cache found there would be to list it as being in Vatican City in the "country" of The Vatican......but I haven't stopped to look up how it's actually logged.

 

Along that same line, how would you log a cache found in Washington, D.C.?? Technically, it's a city that exists as a part of a country but not as a part of any state, which throws off the logging system. Purely for information's sake, this makes it a federally administered city and not a city-state like Vatican City since it is a part of a country and not its own free-standing entity.

 

On Topic..... I think any cache found on the property of a foreign embassy should count as being found in the country where the Lat/Long fall. While the property in the German Embassy counts as German land for legal reasons, it's a purely legal distinction. The coordinates put it inside the US, so that's where the log goes. It's an interesting idea though!

[+addisonbr]

Along that same line, how would you log a cache found in Washington, D.C.?? Technically, it's a city that exists as a part of a country but not as a part of any state, which throws off the logging system.

It shows up as Washington, D.C.

 

Similar to Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.

[+JeremyR]

The virtual at the Canadian embassy in interesting. Does anyone know of any other virts or traditional caches on Embassy property?

I suppose it depends on the host and foreign countries concerned but the only embassy I've been inside (US Embassy in London) involved probably the tightest security I've ever experienced. Invitation required to enter, several layers of security screening, armed guards (in military uniform and doubtless plenty of plain-clothed, too). Bottom line is, aside from the documents and forms I needed for my immigrant visa interview, I was simply not allowed to take anything inside - not even a pen! You leave your wallet, keys, watch, money, mobile phone, etc, at the security checkpoint for reclaim later. There is absolutely no way a geocacher could either enter and leave a cache (with permission from on-high or not, security wouldn't let it inside) or get in to casually find the cache without written permission and invitation in advance.

 

Other countries and other locations may vary of course, but I highly doubt in this day and age of security paranoia that any country would give permission for a geocache in it's embassies. A virtual is a little bit different, of course, but a physical cache? If it happens, I'll eat my hat

 

[edit for stupid typo]

Edited October 14, 2010 by JeremyR

[+dfx]

Of course it has a different country designation, it's a different "country". Vatican City is a sovereign city-state existing in a well-defined area that just happens to be completely within the confines of the city of Rome. I suppose the best way to look at it would be to say that it's not IN Rome, it's WITHIN Rome. In my humble opinion, the proper way to log a cache found there would be to list it as being in Vatican City in the "country" of The Vatican......but I haven't stopped to look up how it's actually logged.

i haven't been to any of them, but it sure looks like that all caches listed as being in vatican city (there's an overwhelming amount of them) aren't actually in vatican city. they seem to be just outside the walls.

Edited October 14, 2010 by dfx

[+ZeLonewolf]

i haven't been to any of them, but it sure looks like that all caches listed as being in vatican city (there's an overwhelming amount of them) aren't actually in vatican city. they seem to be just outside the walls.

 

Oh boy. These seem like real "gems":

 

WARNING! THe area is under the strict surveillance by the Italian and Vatican Security. Videocameras are pointed to the walls and undercover agents patrol the border. Act as a Secret Agent! You are in a mission in Vatican! And.. believe me.. to be considered a possible terrorist is not a nice experience! The policemen of the intelligence are not so friendly..

Do you think the hider got permission from the Big Guy?

Edited October 14, 2010 by ZeLonewolf

[+John in Valley Forge]

There are some consulates not far from here in Philly.

 

I'll go down there with some green cans and place them, then you guys find and log em and we'll see what happens.

 

[+John in Valley Forge]

i haven't been to any of them, but it sure looks like that all caches listed as being in vatican city (there's an overwhelming amount of them) aren't actually in vatican city. they seem to be just outside the walls.

 

Around here you have to build walls and fences a certain distance in from your actual property line. Maybe they have the same zoning rules there.

[+geodarts]

i haven't been to any of them, but it sure looks like that all caches listed as being in vatican city (there's an overwhelming amount of them) aren't actually in vatican city. they seem to be just outside the walls.

 

Around here you have to build walls and fences a certain distance in from your actual property line. Maybe they have the same zoning rules there.

 

It would be less of a zoning issue and more of where the political boundary might be. There was only one Vatican City cache when we were there a few years ago. I was not going to quibble about the walls as long as Groundspeak put it within the city-state.

[+ihorn]

Is an Embassy public property or would anyone allow it? LOL

 

I recently completed a virtual at the Canadian Embassy in DC. It is properly listed as being found in the District. The embassy property is part of the host nation's territory. although the host nation's jurisdiction ends at the embassy.

 

Then you have areas like the Cook memorial in Hawaii. The land is England's, but I would not expect a cache placed there to be listed as being in the UK.

 

Actually if I remember right a Countries Embassies, and Naval Vessel are their sovereign territory. It is not the territory of the hosting Country. So technically Your Canadian Embassy virtual should get you a Canada souvenir because you did it in another country.

[+dfx]

It would be less of a zoning issue and more of where the political boundary might be. There was only one Vatican City cache when we were there a few years ago. I was not going to quibble about the walls as long as Groundspeak put it within the city-state.

only that it's not Groundspeak assigning the country/state categories, it's the cache owners.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Of course it has a different country designation, it's a different "country". Vatican City is a sovereign city-state existing in a well-defined area that just happens to be completely within the confines of the city of Rome. I suppose the best way to look at it would be to say that it's not IN Rome, it's WITHIN Rome. In my humble opinion, the proper way to log a cache found there would be to list it as being in Vatican City in the "country" of The Vatican......but I haven't stopped to look up how it's actually logged.

 

I used example of the Vatican because it seemed most like an Embassy in terms of the size of the area (it's certainly much smaller than Washington D.C.) and that as far I can tell there is essentially only one land manager for the entire area. For the two caches in my find list is shows they're listed as "Vatican City State"

 

i haven't been to any of them, but it sure looks like that all caches listed as being in vatican city (there's an overwhelming amount of them) aren't actually in vatican city. they seem to be just outside the walls.

 

I only see two caches listed under "Vatican City State" when doing a country search. I've found both of them and they're actually "in the walls" (on the outside of the wall) and were fairly easy to find without any sort of official muggle intervention. I think that "in the wall" qualifies for being within the boundaries of the Vatican City State.