This hotel is designed to be a travel bug portal to the Algarve, to
meet the needs of any bugs travelling into or trying to leave the
Algarve. Located literally a stone throw away from the Faro airport
runway, this should be a good location for any travel bug to catch
a ride with an air-travelling geocacher to far away countries, to
help it reach it's travel goals.
This being a travel bug hotel, we ask you to please take a
moment to read the following guest rules. They are designed to
ensure smooth operation of the hotel and to ensure the comfort and
convenience of all our travel bug guests:
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GUEST RULES
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- If you pick up a travel bug, please drop one off as well. If
you pick up multiple, please drop off (at least) as many as you are
picking up.
- Please make sure that there is always at least one bug left in
the hotel. Nobody likes empty hotels (remember the movie “The
Shining”???)
- If you don’t have a travel bug to drop off, but you would
still like to pick one up, you may do so as an exception, as long
as you are not picking up the last bug from the hotel. But please
only do this if you can really help this bug to achieve its
goal.
- If you drop off a travel bug, please label it to show the
current goal. This helps other cachers to see if they can help this
bug on its journey. You can use one of the sheets from the back of
the logbook if you don’t have anything else to write on. You can
attach the paper to the bug’s chain.
- Before you pick up a bug, please check its current goal and
make sure that you can help to achieve it.
- If you don’t want to pick up or drop off a bug, you can just
exchange any other item, just like at a regular geocache.
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The hotel is located amidst the salt flats of the Ria Formosa,
and as such is a great location to watch the wide variety of birds
that can be found here in great numbers. Flocks of flamingoes can
be found quite regularly in this location (hence our name).
At the same time, to provide convenient access for travelers,
the hotel is literally accessible by car, being located immediately
next to a well packed dirt road leading around the airport
perimeter fence. There is no walking required at all, unless of
course you choose to explore the area by foot.
Even birdwatching can be done from the car if you prefer, a
large variety of unusual birds can be spotted year round. If you
prefer the "metal" type of birds (Boeings, Airbus and the like),
these can also be readily observed, as you will literally be
driving along within metres of Faro International Airport's main
runway, just outside the airport perimeter fence.
The hotel consists of a fairly large, white paint bucket which
should provide ample space for all our travel bug visitors, as well
as any number of regular geocaching items.
To start off with, the hotel will be stocked with a couple of
travel bugs, as well as the usual hotel accessories (shampoo,
conditioner, soap, toothbrush, etc.) to make the bug's stay a
comfortable one.
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A word of warning: This being the Ria Formosa (i.e. a wetlands
area), A LOT OF TICKS are to be found amongst the low growing
plants around here. So if you choose to explore on foot, you would
be best advised to stay to the packed dirt tracks and NOT walk
through the plants, unless you are prepared to deal with A LOT of
ticks. This applies also to any pets (e.g. dogs) you may bring
along. BEWARE OF THE TICKS! Just stick to the paths and you will be
fine, or stay in the car if you prefer, you really don't have to
walk at all to access this cache.
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