collecting countries

[+DreamMachine74]

I never geocached beyond a trainride from my city, so finding geocaches in Mexico and the United States was mind blowing to me. I was very grateful to go out and see these places for the first time. 

 

Next year, I intend on going back to the States to get my first webcam cache, and find caches in New York state. 

[+hzoi]

On 12/23/2022 at 12:56 AM, MNTA said:

I stated my purpose for visiting Canada upon return to the US was to get a couple of geocaches and that was suspicious enough to get my car searched.

 

I can see that happening. When explained to law enforcement, geocaching basically sounds like you're visiting a dead drop.

 

I use one word: "Tourism." You can never go wrong with this; it has the benefit of being both true and something that CBP understands.

 

I drove back and forth to Niagara Falls on this with no incidents. Same for when I drove to the Amistad dam, then rode a bike across the Mexican border and back for this one.

[+MtnGoat50]

56 minutes ago, hzoi said:

I use one word: "Tourism." You can never go wrong with this; it has the benefit of being both true and something that CBP understands.

The first time I crossed the Canadian border to go geocaching (circa 2007) I tried that. After a few of the usual questions the border guy asked if we were geocaching. Of course I admitted we were. He then asked where we were headed and made several recommendations for good caches, along with a great tip on how to approach one of them. It wasn't until he let us go that I realized I was wearing a geocaching logo hat that gave me a way.

 

At least when it comes to the border between Washington state and BC (from me experience) they all know what geocaching is and don't consider it strange or suspicious.  

[+GeoElmo6000]

As an American of Italian descent, who grew up with no Italian culture, I've been working the last year to learn the Italian language for the "someday" when I may finally be able to visit Italy.  I actually have a 9 month streak going in the Duolingo app (with no freezes, something stupid the app added to keep people falsely believing they're keeping a streak when they aren't).

 

Anyway, the "someday" arrived sooner than I expected and my family wound up spending the week of Christmas in Italy.  I was fortunate enough to claim two new countries - Italy and Vatican City.  W00t!

 

My wife and kids are not geocachers (not quite muggles either - geo-aware I guess) and know that I like to add new locations when possible, so they were happy for me to find my caches.  I generally "cache in place" when away with my family, meaning if there happens to be a cache where we're planning to visit I'll find it, but I generally don't run off and leave them to find geocaches.

 

Vatican City was one where I had to leave them to find a cache but they were happy for me to claim a new country.  We had tickets to the Vatican Museum, and I thought the entrance was in St. Peter's Square, where all the caches (for the whole country!) were.  But we realized that the museum tour was about 15 minutes away and we had about 20 minutes to get there.  So we hurried to the tour, cache-less, and enjoyed the multi-hour tour, ending in the Sistine Chapel, followed by a REALLY long walk through the Vatican musum to get outside again (that place is huge).  Afterwards we were all exhausted, so while they were recovering, I ran back to St. Peter's Square with one of my kids and completed a virtual cache in front of the Vatican.  Mission success!

 

I did find at least one cache in each of the major cities we visited, and I ended up with 8 caches in total from my trip (from four cities / two countries).

 

I was able to use my Italian while away, and could speak well, but understanding responses (risposte) to my questions (domande) was difficult if the speakers spoke a lot.  But I did have a bunch of complete successful conversations in Italian so the trip was a big success for my Italian language learning.  And I'll continue to learn for the next "someday".

[+Goldenwattle]

13 hours ago, hzoi said:

I use one word: "Tourism."

On one crossing during my visit to Canada and the USA (I crossed several times), when asked why I was going to Canada, I said there are no motels here on the US side, but plenty on the Canadian side. I need a bed for the night. That worked.

[+Gill & Tony]

Long before geocaching we lived in Bermuda for a few years.  At that time, Bermuda residents with UK passports didn't need visas to enter the US.  This was well-known by East Coast immigration officials.

 

We went to California and took a day trip into Mexico (Tijuana).  Getting into Mexico was no problem, but the West Coast immigration officials hadn't heard of Bermuda, let alone the visa arrangements.  It took a long time to get back to the USA.

[+terratin]

wow, so many nice new caching countries for all of you! Congratulations.

Me, I'm currently grounded. I tried flying from a sprint, and it didn't quite work out. so... um... I'm healing a fractured bone right now. Also had to cancel my after-Christmas Baltic Sea trip due to this. Had a very local (short walk from my home) event, and that's all.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, terratin said:

so many nice new caching countries

I just checked the souvenirs and noted for the first time, ones for PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji & Hong Kong. Nouvelle Calédonie/ New Caledonia is still to appear, and then I think I will have all the countries visited since I have been a geocacher. (I visited more countries before I discovered geocaching.)

 

 

[+Michaelcycle]

2 hours ago, terratin said:

wow, so many nice new caching countries for all of you! Congratulations.

Me, I'm currently grounded. I tried flying from a sprint, and it didn't quite work out. so... um... I'm healing a fractured bone right now. Also had to cancel my after-Christmas Baltic Sea trip due to this. Had a very local (short walk from my home) event, and that's all.

I am sorry to hear that you are injured and I hope you heal fully.

Just a gentle reminder to take the time to heal and do the work if physical therapy is indicated.

Remember, getting back to normal is a marathon not a....sprint

M 

[+funkymunkyzone]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:09 AM, MtnGoat50 said:

At least when it comes to the border between Washington state and BC (from me experience) they all know what geocaching is and don't consider it strange or suspicious.  

 

My experience too.  On our trip last year for the HQ 20th anniversary event and the Abbotsford giga, we crossed over to the US from BC on the day of the giga so we could grab a webcam, and we explained that at the peace arch when crossing into the US and also at Sumas when crossing back to Canada and they all knew about geocaching and thought that was awesome.

 

Later in the trip, crossing into Alberta from Montana at Coutts, the border agent had a long conversation with us about geocaching and how interesting it was, all while there was a big queue behind us lol.  Apparently his brother in law had hidden lots of them around the place.

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by funkymunkyzone

[+funkymunkyzone]

14 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

I just checked the souvenirs and noted for the first time, ones for PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji & Hong Kong. Nouvelle Calédonie/ New Caledonia is still to appear, and then I think I will have all the countries visited since I have been a geocacher. (I visited more countries before I discovered geocaching.)

 

 

 

Some of the souvenirs for the smaller countries I've noticed are pretty boring and feel kind of cheap...

 

I give Groundspeak a "C-  Could do better, not your best work"

 

[+Gill & Tony]

2 hours ago, funkymunkyzone said:

 

Some of the souvenirs for the smaller countries I've noticed are pretty boring and feel kind of cheap...

 

I give Groundspeak a "C-  Could do better, not your best work"

 

This was mentioned a while ago.  A lackey reported that the flags were a means to getting all countries to have souvenirs and that they would be changed to more interesting souvenirs later.

 

My only complaint?  Where is the New Caledonia souvenir?

[+Goldenwattle]

2 hours ago, funkymunkyzone said:

Some of the souvenirs for the smaller countries I've noticed are pretty boring and feel kind of cheap...

 

Yes, not as nice as the older ones, but at least they are there, and can be improved later.

 

Waiting for New Caledonia.

[+CheekyBrit]

Like a lot of people here, I've been to WAY more people than I've geocached in. But I sure love collecting countries. I would have 17 now if I started a decade ago. Still nothing compared to the big time country collectors.

[+colleda]

In 2011 my wife and travelled the Trans Siberian railway aboard the Zarengold. Two weeks and three countries. As we started geocaching in 2012 it was a missed opportunity two score at least two souvenirs - Russia and Mongolia. I've since added China. It's unlikely I'll ever collect the other two.

[+Gill & Tony]

We retired in 2004.  In 2006 we did a Baltic cruise from England, including Lithuania, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Norway. 

In 2008 we did a South American cruise including Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, Uruguay and Brazil.

In 2010 we went back to the UK, including England, Wales, Eire and Northern Island.

In 2011 we started caching.  Of all the countries we missed out on, we have only been back to Germany.    

[+baer2006]

Countries, to which I have traveled between 2000 (when geocaching began) and 2008 (when I started caching), and to which I never returned to find a cache: 0

Countries, to which I have traveled before 2000, and to which I haven't returned since: 5 (Denmark, Spain, Cyprus, USA, Sri Lanka)

So I can't complain about too many "missed opportunities" .

 

Anyway, if all goes well, I'll add Spain to my cache map this year. Last year, I added two new "caching countries" ... but they don't make any visible difference on the map at all: Vatican City State and Malta !

[+terratin]

Countries traveled to but not cached:

Before caching: China, Jersey, Bermudas, Florida
Before caching, just driving through in a bus: Andorra
No cache: Kazakhstan
Not able to leave airport, and hence no cache yet: Azerbaijan, Washington

Edited January 19, 2023 by terratin

[+Goldenwattle]

Countries I visited prior to Geocaching:

Malaysia, Macao, Brunei, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Lichtenstein

 

US States, pre Geocaching:

Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, (maybe more)

 

Many UK counties, north to south.

 

For statistics; most northern place I visited prior to geocaching (taken from a present day cache there) N71 10.269 E025 47.000.

 

My caching statistics since starting caching. Where I logged a cache.

Most northern: N 66° 08.217 W 016° 56.996

Most south: S 46° 55.701 E 168° 07.938

Most east: S 37° 41.344 E 178° 32.898

Most west: S 43° 57.763 W 176° 34.607

 

 

[+funkymunkyzone]

I just need to get back to Norfolk Island and the Philippines and I'll have all countries I've visited covered.  That is, ignoring those where I just visited an airport in transit, like Panama.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, funkymunkyzone said:

Norfolk Island

I found 56 caches there. That was all there were at the time. However there are now 15 more caches and 3 ALs there to find. Maybe I should have another visit .

[+terratin]

8 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

I found 56 caches there. That was all there were at the time. However there are now 15 more caches and 3 ALs there to find. Maybe I should have another visit .

 

You know we're enablers here. So yes, you should

If anyone hears my plea: please, please anyone place a non-military base cache in Erbil, Iraq. I really want to visit due to the history, but keep on putting it off because there's no cache there,

[+Vooruit!]

My only 'missed opportunity' is Monaco.  One day, I'll have to visit San Marino, and I'll just make sure to make a stop in Monaco on the way. No biggie.

 

As for other travel plans, next week I'll conquer Bulgaria and North Macedonia, and later this year I'll visit Greece, Turkey, Spain and Andorra.

[+MNTA]

Prior to starting geocaching missed out on: United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein,   Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Vatican City, Tunisia, Israel, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. Oh well excuse to go back

 

Current plan for this summer revisit Germany and Austria, tacking on Iceland can't wait

 

 

[+funkymunkyzone]

On 1/25/2023 at 5:17 AM, MNTA said:

New Zealand

 

Just don't miss the site of the very first geocache hidden outside of the US...

https://coord.info/GC892XR

 

[+Vooruit!]

Just checked off Bulgaria and Macedonia. Sofia was horrible for caching; if I have to believe local cache listings, there's a cache thief in town. I could hardly find any physical container.

[+pli]

Why isn´´t there a souvenir from Ireland ?

[Keystone]

7 minutes ago, pli said:

Why isn´´t there a souvenir from Ireland ?

Your question is answered in this Help Center article.  The convention on place names in Ireland, based on geography rather than politics, carries over into souvenirs (which are awarded based on the five geographic regions listed here.

[+CheekyBrit]

As far as I can tell, the only country without a geocache is North Korea. I'm going off the list of countries as per the E.U., so countries like 'Lovely' and 'Bir Tiwal' are not on the list, though Lovely does have a cache. I was surprised there's caches in Vatican City and Antarctica. 

[Keystone]

@pli, please continue the Ireland discussion in the other thread you replied to, specific to Irish souvenirs, so as not to take the "Collecting Countries" thread off-topic.  I've moved your most recent reply over from this thread to that one.  Thanks.

Edited February 9, 2023 by Keystone

[+HuggableHamster]

15 hours ago, CheekyBrit said:

As far as I can tell, the only country without a geocache is North Korea. I'm going off the list of countries as per the E.U., so countries like 'Lovely' and 'Bir Tiwal' are not on the list, though Lovely does have a cache. I was surprised there's caches in Vatican City and Antarctica. 

We did all the Vatican caches when we went to Rome (obviously events mess up the 100% occasionally).  I was surprised that no one had put an offset letterbox there!

 

 

[+terratin]

If someone just like this ticks off Bulgaria and North Macedonia I feel obliged to do the same. Booked a very spontaneous trip to Sofia at the end of March for three nights, then will take the evening bus to Skopje and spend 4 more nights there. Rubbish caches in Sofia? Oh well, then it'll be virtuals and ECs only. Plus I'm considering a hike, and maybe cache options will be better. Besides, I like to visit places, do sightseeing, eat interesting food, and caches are a plus.

Edited March 2, 2023 by terratin

[ChrisA33]

If you enjoy hiking I'd recommend the rila seven lakes. Found a few caches there as well and it's a nice daytrip from Sofia and a beautiful area.

Edited March 5, 2023 by ChrisA33

[+terratin]

1 hour ago, ChrisA33 said:

If you enjoy hiking I'd recommend the rila seven lakes. Found a few caches there as well and it's a nice daytrip from Sofia and a beautiful area.

 

Oh yes, totally! I was considering it to be honest but I've managed to get seriously injured (involving jogging and a cyclist) and a proper hike might be a bit too much. I'll certainly be doing a day trip to Rila Monastery and the UNESCO enlisted church outside of Sofia. And i have a hotel next to a spa

Um.. I also might have booked a flight to Kutaisi in Georgia. I'll likely hire a driver for a day for cultural sites and canyons, take a minibus to another town with gondolas as public transport, and spend two nights in Tbilisi.

[+colleda]

On 3/2/2023 at 10:07 PM, terratin said:

If someone just like this ticks off Bulgaria and North Macedonia I feel obliged to do the same. Booked a very spontaneous trip to Sofia at the end of March for three nights, then will take the evening bus to Skopje and spend 4 more nights there. Rubbish caches in Sofia? Oh well, then it'll be virtuals and ECs only. Plus I'm considering a hike, and maybe cache options will be better. Besides, I like to visit places, do sightseeing, eat interesting food, and caches are a plus.

I'm more than a little envious that you can do these short trips to visit and collect countries. Not possible where I am. Good luck to you.

[+Goldenwattle]

13 hours ago, colleda said:

I'm more than a little envious that you can do these short trips to visit and collect countries. Not possible where I am.

Same for me. I am concentrating on 'counties'. I have had a couple of trips to Victoria and now have found almost all council areas. This is the same distance, or more, than people would travel in Europe to log new countries. I also log them in other states, and last year drove over 17,000kms in one trip.

[+colleda]

12 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

Same for me. I am concentrating on 'counties'. I have had a couple of trips to Victoria and now have found almost all council areas. This is the same distance, or more, than people would travel in Europe to log new countries. I also log them in other states, and last year drove over 17,000kms in one trip.

My last two country souvenirs was a return trip of over 22,000 miles or 36,000klms! Fortunately, finding the caches was a bonus not the sole reason for the trip.

[+Goldenwattle]

52 minutes ago, colleda said:

country souvenir

My last country souvenir, was PNG, found on a cruise, just as Covid arrived in Australia.

[+barefootjeff]

7 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

My last country souvenir, was PNG, found on a cruise, just as Covid arrived in Australia.

 

My last country souvenir was for New Zealand, when I was Best Man at a mate's wedding and took him caching just before the service. While I'm half-planning another visit there, I don't expect to get to any other countries now except perhaps Norfolk Island if that still counts as a separate country. I still only have two Australian states (NSW and Queensland) which I really do need to remedy sooner rather than later.

[+Goldenwattle]

2 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

New Zealand

I have one more county to get a cache in in NZ. Somehow I never found a cache in the Nelson area of NZ (South Island), with several visits there.

[+terratin]

On 3/5/2023 at 11:50 PM, colleda said:

I'm more than a little envious that you can do these short trips to visit and collect countries. Not possible where I am. Good luck to you.

 

Thank you. I love Europe as a continent and love living in Europe. I just don''t understand why some people want to end freedom of movement and take their country out of the EU. Ok, this is getting a bit political now, but still. It's just so easy to travel around and visit lots of countries, eat lots of yummy food and explore other cultures and histories.

[+colleda]

11 hours ago, terratin said:

 

Thank you. I love Europe as a continent and love living in Europe. I just don''t understand why some people want to end freedom of movement and take their country out of the EU. Ok, this is getting a bit political now, but still. It's just so easy to travel around and visit lots of countries, eat lots of yummy food and explore other cultures and histories.

Food. It's the one thing can we all enjoy. When travelling I'll try foods of different cultures - within reason. Street bratwurst in Germany, lamb terrine in Morocco, chilli crickets in Mexico. Some things can be a little odd like the best Yorkshire pudding I ever tasted was in Scotland and a  goulash in Italy.

Sorry about the OT. I do discuss politics with people I meet in other countries to learn and hear their views - without criticism. It helps me to better understand their way of life, again, without criticism.

[+terratin]

Cache country 58 is a fact with finding a cache in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. I don't think I'll actually get a lot of caches here as most seem to be missing, but it's not about the numbers. 1.5 more days here and then I'll hop onto a bus to North Macedonia.

[+MNTA]

Well it's not a new country for me but today got my first International FTF! Now have FTFs in four states/provinces and 18 counties. On a road trip up to Whistler, British Columbia on The Sea to Sky Highway. Cache was a  beautiful little walk along the Squamish river.

[+geodarts]

Our first long trip later this year will be to the Yukon, not quite a new country but close enough. It’s the first international trip in a while — we had to cancel Pitcairn Island after I had a serious accident and then Covid hit.  We are driving, camping, and taking things slowly so my noncaching spouse might be willing to stop here and there.   
 

The last time we crossed into Canada the border crossing took quite a while because the Canadian official could not understand why we were planning to go to Writing on Stone park to see rock art.  Perhaps they will better understand Gertie’s Can Can revue in Dawson City.  

 

A week or so after we get back we will be leaving for Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  We had intended to return to Thula Thula in South Africa but somehow ended up elsewhere. Rock art and animals are our main goals.  But there are earthcaches at some of the rock art sites so I should have some new countries.  

 

 

[+colleda]

On 3/29/2023 at 5:36 PM, geodarts said:

Our first long trip later this year will be to the Yukon, not quite a new country but close enough. It’s the first international trip in a while — we had to cancel Pitcairn Island after I had a serious accident and then Covid hit.  We are driving, camping, and taking things slowly so my noncaching spouse might be willing to stop here and there.   
 

The last time we crossed into Canada the border crossing took quite a while because the Canadian official could not understand why we were planning to go to Writing on Stone park to see rock art.  Perhaps they will better understand Gertie’s Can Can revue in Dawson City.  

 

A week or so after we get back we will be leaving for Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  We had intended to return to Thula Thula in South Africa but somehow ended up elsewhere. Rock art and animals are our main goals.  But there are earthcaches at some of the rock art sites so I should have some new countries.  

 

 

Would this one add another country for you?

Sandstone Caves EarthCache

GC646XX

[+Goldenwattle]

3 hours ago, colleda said:

Sandstone Caves EarthCache

GC646XX

I visited that last year. Worth a visit for anyone passing by.

[+colleda]

26 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

I visited that last year. Worth a visit for anyone passing by.

I visited it before it became an EC. I took lots of photos intending to do an EC but was beaten to it. My eldest son lives a few minutes down the road and works at Siding Springs observatory.

There is so much ancient art work in Oz going back of thousands of years.

 

[+terratin]

Also got North Macedonia on my cache map. I will certainly come back because this seems to be a very beautiful country with still a lot of things to see that i didn't have time for. Maybe summer vacation next year. I think I found 14 caches and walked probably close to 50km in these 3 days. First day was fine, second totally sore and could not really get up a single step. Third day: same. Yeah. Still had a lot of fun and saw lots of marvelous nature, and a huge collection of brutalist architecture buildings.

[+mrcanoehead224]

On 1/9/2023 at 11:09 AM, MtnGoat50 said:

The first time I crossed the Canadian border to go geocaching (circa 2007) I tried that. After a few of the usual questions the border guy asked if we were geocaching. Of course I admitted we were. He then asked where we were headed and made several recommendations for good caches, along with a great tip on how to approach one of them. It wasn't until he let us go that I realized I was wearing a geocaching logo hat that gave me a way.

 

At least when it comes to the border between Washington state and BC (from me experience) they all know what geocaching is and don't consider it strange or suspicious.  

It helps that there is a prolific cacher who does/used to work at one of the crossings. They all seem to know each other so word would spread easily I think.