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 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 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 😬