collecting countries

[+geodarts]

Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were amazing countries to add on a month long trip. 
 

There was not that much room for caching since our travel arrangements took us to places for reasons other than this game but I am not sure whether we would have crossed into Zambia from the other side of Vic Falls if not for the sake of a country.  
 

Still our guide stopped at an additional rock art site in Zimbabwe that was not on his original list and was amused by the traditional cache there (ask for Edward at Amalinda) and literally drove through a fire set by poachers to get us to an earthcache site that I earlier expressed interest in - although we assured him that it was not necessary.  

 

 

There were a few interesting coincidences like talking to someone at a lodge near the Tsudilo Hills rock art site and learning that she created aardvark art in Muan that someone else used for a virtual that I had been unable to visit.

 

And of course we saw plenty of wildlife visiting a few other earthcaches that gave us room to explore a wide area.  

 

  

 

So later today I need to convince my wife that we really need to visit Guatemala.  I really do “need” to go there.

Edited September 23, 2023 by geodarts

[+baer2006]

On 9/18/2023 at 12:50 PM, RCH65 said:

On 9/18/2023 at 12:35 PM, baer2006 said:

Anyway, I noticed one interesting tidbit on geocaching.com: I run the site in English, and all country names describing the cache location are therefore in English ("Germany", "Greece", etc.) - with one exception: It's "Türkiye" and not "Turkey". No big deal of course, but does anyone know why Turkey is "special" in that regard?

 

The official english name of "Turkey" changed to "Türkiye" about a year ago (not only in Geocaching)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61671913

At least I wasn't the only one to miss this renaming :

 

[+terratin]

Last new country of the year ahead. Currently on Dortmund airport to fly to Armenia. I'm super curious. Also wondering about where to spend my summer vacation next year, and Sardinia might be high on my list, with still half warm weather in September, lots of EarthCaches, a super marvelous geology and interesting archaeology. Just can't decide on the right location. North or south? Not sure yet.

[+funkymunkyzone]

Finally got to do some travel to new places again, bagging Indonesia (specifically Bali), Laos and Malaysia - bringing up 86 countries.

 

Bali was pretty nice, as we totally avoided the crowded, noisy, tourist party nightmares of Kuta and Seminyak. In Laos we saw just about the most beautiful waterfall in the world, while in Malaysia we didn't see a great deal, but did buy a lot of Lego from Legoland : D

[+terratin]

Back from Amernia. What a beautiful country!  I will certainly have to return one day. Also found a few caches. Next idea: I found out there are some rather affordable flights to Azerbaijan next year. Still a bit undecided though

[+terratin]

After thinking for a few days I decided that I'll have to visit Azerbaijan. Flight is booked for spring next year

[Andronicus]

This year I added Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Bahamas, and Turks and Cacaos. Over doubled my countries list.

[+terratin]

I decided on my summer vacation. Not a new country, but a Canary Island I've not been to yet

[+Viajero Perdido]

Ooo!  I've been studying the Canaries; it would make my 20th country.

 

I am the illegitimate father of a cache on La Gomera, something which was pointed out in the form of a cool puzzle cache featuring my particular example.  I don't need much excuse for a trip.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Viajero Perdido

[+terratin]

14 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

Ooo!  I've been studying the Canaries; it would make my 20th country.

 

I am the illegitimate father of a cache on La Gomera, something which was pointed out in the form of a cool puzzle cache featuring my particular example.  I don't need much excuse for a trip.

 

Nice! Cache finds in Spain are on Number 6 position for me, and I'd hoped to spend my summer vacation on Sardinia but I just didn't find the right accommodation there within my budget. No nice ice cream and pizza then. But hey, a few more Spanish caches won't hurt.

[+baer2006]

17 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

Ooo!  I've been studying the Canaries; it would make my 20th country.

I've been on Tenerife this year, and it's definitely worth a visit. As a geocacher, it helps if you like Earth Caches (which I don't) - in some areas, it felt like there is one at every second rock .

[+Goldenwattle]

46 minutes ago, baer2006 said:

As a geocacher, it helps if you like Earth Caches (which I don't)

I have mixed feelings about Earthcaches. I like them because many bring you to fascinating places I might not have discovered otherwise. I dislike them because then many COs ruin the experience of finding something fascinating, by asking uninteresting questions.

I need to find about 140 more Earthcaches for a challenge. Until this challenge I avoided Earthcaches, because of the questions, and didn't know what interesting places I was missing seeing. I would prefer a simple question to prove you were there, take a photograph, and then be left to explore and enjoy what you have been brought to.

[+terratin]

3 hours ago, baer2006 said:

I've been on Tenerife this year, and it's definitely worth a visit. As a geocacher, it helps if you like Earth Caches (which I don't) - in some areas, it felt like there is one at every second rock .

 True, and the topics keep on repeating, and many aren't really that great. I'm a completist and a geologist, thus I do them anyway 😬

[+terratin]

What new countries did you visit in 2023, and what are your travel plans for 2024?

I was injured for most of 2023 but still managed to travel quite a lot (could not drive car but at least could use all sorts of public transport). And hence I got a new record of new countries: Bulgaria, Northern Macedonia, Estonia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Egypt, Switzerland, Slovenia and Armenia. Now things are getting a bit more difficult in Europe for me. I think I'm still missing 11 European countries, and they are either too expensive to get to, in a conflict zone or too complicated to get to from here. I did finish the year with adding a few new municipalities in Northern Germany and Denmark though. The only new country planned for next year is Azerbaijan. The rest... we'll see.

[+Gill & Tony]

Didn't get any new ones last year and probably won't get any this year either.  I'm planning to get the last two Australian states in 2025.

[+Goldenwattle]

9 hours ago, terratin said:

What new countries did you visit in 2023, and what are your travel plans for 2024?

Not my first visit to all these countries, but my first time as a Geocacher.

Italy, Greece, France, Vatican City, Germany; plus Bayern, Hessen, Nordrhein-Weatfalen, Hungary, Austria, Slovenska, Netherlands, Isle of Man, Irish ones: Dublin, Leinster, Munster, and on the way home a surprise one; Taiwan; forced there by a typhoon.

 

Still planning 2024.

 

[+baer2006]

Unless something really bad happens, my first (and possibly only) new "caching country" in 2024 will be New Zealand. Not only a new country, but a new hemisphere - so far, I've never been to, let alone cached in, the southern half of the planet.

[+terratin]

All right, next to Azerbaijan and a Canary Island for summer I just happen to get confirmation for a flight to Budapest. No idea how that happened 🤣 Surprisingly I've never been to Hungary. It's probably the lowest-hanging fruit left in Europe for me.

Which I think only leaves Monaco, San Marino and Andorra (all a headache to get to from here), some Channel Islands and Isle of Man (even more of a headache from here), Greenland (someone want to donate to my fundraiser?) and Russia, Belarus and Ukraine (yeah).

[+FunnyNose]

Just got my 7th Continent and 80th country. 2023 was a good year.

[+Goldenwattle]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:32 PM, terratin said:

Isle of Man

This is lovely to visit. I visited it last year. I found the local bus service was good to use to get around much of the island. There are also historic electric trams, a horse drawn tram and a steam train you can use.

Edited January 7 by Goldenwattle

[+Vooruit!]

Planned for this year:

 

February: Monaco

June/July: Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan

August: Cyprus

 

And who knows? I might do a roadtrip to San Marino. 🥳🎉

[+Viajero Perdido]

28 minutes ago, Vooruit! said:

June/July: Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan

 

I think you'd really enjoy caching in "the Chinas".  Well, except maybe the weather that time of year, and I know little about mainland China.

 

Hong Kong especially.  I've been going there annually (last few years excepted of course) in winter, ideal hiking weather then, for caching my brains out (+heart+lungs+knees) on their excellent trails with so many interesting high-terrain hides.  The map is incredible, as you've probably noticed.

 

I'll be there shortly, and might walk right past this place because new caches have sprouted along the trail.  (Look closely; there's a geo-buddy at work.)

 

[+CheekyBrit]

22 hours ago, Vooruit! said:

Planned for this year:

 

February: Monaco

June/July: Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan

August: Cyprus

 

And who knows? I might do a roadtrip to San Marino. 🥳🎉

I am so jealous. I need to change careers.

[+Vooruit!]

On 1/11/2024 at 5:26 PM, Vooruit! said:

Planned for this year:

 

February: Monaco

June/July: Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan

August: Cyprus

 

And who knows? I might do a roadtrip to San Marino. 🥳🎉

 

August: Cyprus

 

August: Gibraltar and Morocco

 

Fun of course, though Gibraltar seems quite a hazzle with the parking-in-Spain-and-walking-across-the-border and stuff?

[+terratin]

Keeping things simple-ish and combining visiting a concert elsewhere with a trip to Jersey and Sark in summer. If this doesn't make sense: no, it doesn't, other than being near an airport that gets to me to Jersey cheaply

Edited February 12 by terratin

[+Smitherington]

I was recently on my first cruise and it was a Western Caribbean cruise to Mexico, Belize, & Honduras. I found caches in each of those countries. Whoopee!

[+baer2006]

On 1/2/2024 at 8:27 PM, baer2006 said:

Unless something really bad happens, my first (and possibly only) new "caching country" in 2024 will be New Zealand. Not only a new country, but a new hemisphere - so far, I've never been to, let alone cached in, the southern half of the planet.

I actually got two new GC countries out of the New Zealand trip. It turned out, that Changi Airport in Singapore has 2 caches in its transit area. I didn't know that this was even possible, because you can access these caches only if you are actually traveling by air from/to SIN.

 

In NZ, caching was only a side activity, but I could fill 7 out of 14 gaps in my Jasmer grid (I have never cached in the USA, didn't go there since 1999) without going too much out of my way.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, baer2006 said:

Changi Airport in Singapore has 2 caches in its transit area. I didn't know that this was even possible, because you can access these caches only if you are actually traveling by air from/to SIN.

Next time I go to Singapore I must remember that. We have a virtual cache inside the airport past security here in Canberra, but anyone can go in. I found the cache and I wasn't travelling. You just need to go through security; have you bag x-rayed, go through the metal detector, run the risk of an explosive check, etc. So don't bring your tweezers. Maybe it's the same in Singapore.

I had a few hours wait once between planes in Copenhagen, Denmark, so I left the airport building and found three caches, and then went back in through security, and still had an hour's wait for my plane. Ticked off Denmark.

[+Mermaid.Man]

I went through Singapore airport last year.

I seem to remember that the virtual at the Rain Vortex was available to all, but the trad in the butterfly house was definitely on the other side of Security and (I guess) you would have to have a boarding pass to get there.

[+Goldenwattle]

50 minutes ago, Mermaid.Man said:

the trad in the butterfly house was definitely on the other side of Security and (I guess) you would have to have a boarding pass to get there.

Be interesting to know if you need a boarding pass, because I didn't need a boarding pass to enter the Canberra airport and go though security. It's rated as an international airport, although for an international airport it's small.

[+Goldenwattle]

Have added Argentina to my list. Nine cache finds so far. Unfortunately ten DNFs. Some DNFs it might just be me, but as many have a string of DNFs I don't think they are all me. I have managed to change one DNF to a find. No mobile internet for my phone, and my GPS doesn't show spoiler photographs, so that's why the one I later (after seeing the spoiler photograph back at the hotel via wi-fi) was able to find. The hint, something like, in front of the building, mislead me. The spoiler photograph revealed a hide across the road and several buildings along, so NOT in front of the building. Difficult to get data for Argentina that also includes other countries, and seemingly impossible to get a phone number. It was easier for other South American countries.

[+Goldenwattle]

Today added Antarctica. Bonus was a shared FTF. 

Edited April 6 by Goldenwattle

[+Smitherington]

Antarctica!  Can you see the green?  I am a bit jealous.  But I am glad some are able to get that southernmost continent.  Congrats.

[+Goldenwattle]

10 hours ago, Smitherington said:

 Can you see the green?

Not yet fortunately.

[+colleda]

Finally have a chance to add another. Booked a trip to Sth Korea for late September.

[+Viajero Perdido]

12 hours ago, colleda said:

Booked a trip to Sth Korea for late September

 

I love love love caching in Korea!  I'll happy settle into a cool neighborhood in Seoul (Insadong so far) for a couple+ weeks at a time, then take the brilliant metro to a new trailhead every day.  Hiking is the national pastime, so the trails are excellent, and well-studded with caches.

 

 

Keep an eye out for the monthly meet-and-greet event at a geocaching-themed pub.  It's the de-facto hangout.  

 

Edited March 23 by Viajero Perdido

[+hzoi]

On 1/18/2024 at 3:59 AM, Vooruit! said:

August: Cyprus

 

Sorry your trip fell through, though your alternate plans for Gibraltar and Morocco sound fun.

 

If it helps, the weather in Cyprus is quite seasonable into the fall. We visited at the end of November 2019, and although it was no longer officially tourist season, it was still nice enough to be out at the beach.

 

(Also, cats! So many cats. Apparently there are 1.1 million cats and only 1 million Cypriots, so they have plenty to spare.)

[+hzoi]

On 7/29/2023 at 11:03 AM, JakeDot said:

On 7/28/2023 at 3:56 AM, terratin said:

So that leaves 12 caching country in Europe I've not been to.

I could have added Montenegro and Bosnia in January, was in the adjacent areas of Croatia, but finding (FTF) my girlfriend there and taking her home to Austria was more important 😂

 

This is a VERY late reply, but if you find yourself in the Dubrovnik area again, be aware that the border crossings for Bosnia and Montenegro can be unpredictable. I did some digging a while back, because I wanted to see if it was worth renting a car and trying it. Sometimes one can cross the border with a short delay; sometimes it takes hours. All apparently at the whim of the guards. We were on a trip with a muggle couple, so I decide to pass.

 

Relevant tripadvisor forum thread

 

And, congrats on the FTF! 

[+Goldenwattle]

Today added Falkland Islands with nine finds. The winds were horrendous (gusts at one stage up to 60 knots the ship's captain informed us), but I plunged on, walking about 9kms to find the caches. I was not impressed by those winds, but although awful, most of it was not up to 60 knots, but it was strong. I grabbed something at one spot to steady myself and I had to chase a log which blew out of my hands. The ship was apparently lucky to be able to get into the harbour. A 50/50 thing the captain said. It was too rough to land at our next spot, but the captain found a sheltered place to park the ship for the night.

 

Edited April 6 by Goldenwattle

[+Goldenwattle]

I took a day trip by ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia in Uruguay. Very photogenic little town. I found my First Uruguay caches. I had not seen so many mosquitos since a visit to the Arctic decades ago. I was covered in swarms of them. I was wearing insect repellant, but that didn't keep the hazy swarms away. They had me on the run at times. However, so far I have only found one bite. Added; make that maybe two bites. Only tiny reactions, so it's likely I swatted the mosquitoes before they had time for a proper suck.

 

Edited April 6 by Goldenwattle

[+Viajero Perdido]

Uruguay's been on my list for so long ... but it's such a long flight.  (I just like to say Montevideo.  Montevideo Montevideo Monte-vi-DAY-O!  Daylight come...)

 

In the so long department, I've been stuck at 19 geo-countries for an eternity, because I keep returning to my favorites within that 19.  But this summer, finally, I return to Europe for the first time since punts, pounds, and francs, yep three new countries.  (It can't have gotten more expensive, can it?  Rhetorical, I know the answer.)

[+Goldenwattle]

5 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

19 geo-countries

That made me check how many for me. It says 32 countries. I have visited some other countries as well, but that was pre geocaching.

[+Goldenwattle]

Last new country for this trip; Chile.

[+Goldenwattle]

On 4/6/2024 at 5:12 PM, Viajero Perdido said:

Uruguay's been on my list for so long

Bring lots of mosquito repellant. LOTS!!! Shower in it! I visited Colonia, a ferry ride from Buenos Aires. When I commented to someone at my hotel back at Buenos Aires, they said that Colonia was build on a swamp. Colonia is definitely worth a visit though, after you have showered in insect repellant. I had not seen so many mosquitoes since visiting the Arctic decades ago in peak mosquito season. It was a haze of mosquitos and they would travel with me. I thought the insect repellant was therefore not working, but it must have been, as I only got maybe two bites at most and they weren't bad. Therefore I think I must have brushed those mosquitoes away before they did too much.

(I'm sure not all of Uruguay is this 'hazy'.)

Edited April 10 by Goldenwattle

[+terratin]

Added Azerbaijan to my geomap (19th Asian country) today after a slightly odd night in Baku. Arrived late in the evening and ended up in the apparently very common for Baku 'your hotel room got flooded' or 'burned down' scam. "We'll bring you to our sister hotel".  Yeah. Great. I already had the feeling this might happen. Had a look, found out it was the hotel I would have booked had I not booked the one from the crooked manager. Room was... odd.. with a huge illuminated heart on the wall and a living room of sorts. And not very clean. But I got a proper hotelroom today. Still a bit odd overall, but a good room. And now on to explore Azerbaijan more.

Edited April 20 by terratin