Is Geocaching Just a Hobby For Few?

Sometimes I do a post just for my own entertainment.  This is one of those post.  I use the maps on Geocaching.com all the time.  If I am going to be in an area, I will look at the map and see if there are any interesting caches close by.  Last night, way late, when I should have been enjoying the mattress more than the Internet, I decided to take a look at these views of the caching world.  I was entertained.  Hummm  - Guess it doesn't take much sometimes.  My thought went to something that I have occasionally hear - "I have never hear of this little hobby", or "I can't believe anybody actually does this when there is no financial gain".  Take a look at these maps and tell me that this is a 'little' hobby or that people only invest their time for 'financial gain'.

I have one question here - Can you see Japan on this map?  Maybe not.  Can't see the land for the cache marks.

 You can almost see a distinct line where the caches end.  From Sweden to Spain, Romania to The U.K., the caches rule the map.  I really appreciate the slight scattering of other caches on the map.  I bet there are some amazing stories to go with those.  I will add that to my list of research to do soon.

Any big surprise here?  The U.S. definitely has areas that are more populated but there really isn't any that are totally lacking in possible finds. 

 

The southern part of Africa is getting some action - not bad.  But what is this with Austrialia?  The western and central areas are pretty good.  But what about Queensland and New South Wales?  There's got to be a reason and I am gonna find out just what it is.  Anybody out there that can tell me? 

  

This last one is really just for fun.  I look at this and think - how many of these caches are 'underwater' ?  That's what it looks like but - there are so many small islands with caches.  Amazing.  You really can't tell, but even Hawaii looks like floating caches.  Don't know that I will ever make it to island caches but I can always hope.  

That's all for the random chaos of my mind.  Now back to researching Haunted Caches!

Big Scare In The U.K.

     This unfortunate event happened a year ago but I just saw the story and want to share it for those of you who have not seen it.

     It seems important for a few reasons.

Firstly, this is a situation that any cacher could experience.  I don't know what you all feel about it, but when I go out caching I avoid muggles.  That isn't always completely possible; every has been in that situation too.  I never look suspicious, guilty or sneaky.  If a muggle type person comes up (especially of the law enforcement type) I don't attempt to come up with some sort of evasive answer as to what I am doing.  I always figure that a muggle is just a geocacher who doesn't yet know that he is a cacher.  I am here to help with that.
Secondly, this situation is a sad reminder that our world lives with so much suspicion.  Sad but true.
And lastly - can you believe the piece of equipment that was used to check out a plastic cache container.  WOW!  NEAT!
Sorry - got a bit carried away.

     Here's what happened July of 2011 in the quiet town of Wetherby, North Yorkshire.

     A coffee shop owner named Karen Brittain called the police after she saw a man fumbling with a sealed plastic box, hiding it under a waste bin on the street, then walking away quickly with a cell phone held to his ear. She knew nothing of geocaching before that day.  Well, what would you do if you were in her shoes?

     The police took the call seriously and brought the English town to a halt after mistaking the cacher for a terrorist with a bomb.  Again - what would you have done?  They sealed off the area, evacuated the street, closed surrounding roads, and brought in robots to destroy the suspected home-made bomb.

     As far as the cacher?  The U.K. police gave him a caution and told him not to cache things in such places in the future.