Love Locks Multi-Cache
kaeru99: Seems to be gone for good. Maintenance no longer possible since I dont live there anymore.
I still recommend goint there just for the great location it is. Maybe someone can place a new cache.
Happy caching!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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If I had to recommend one place in Kobe that everybody should go
to, it'd be this one. It is close to the city and has quite a bit
to offer: A fantastic view of Kobe, a little hike, many things to
see and lots of love!
The main attraction of this place - the "love locks" which were all
over the bridge in big clumps - were removed in september 2005 (the
bridge got a new paint job) just to be replaced by a boring
monument on which people are supposed to put their locks from now
on). It is still an attractive spot for the view but definitely
lost a lot of its charme...
The course:
Length: about 1.5km (0.9miles)
Time: approximately 30-60 minutes one-way
Altitude difference: 150 meters (all uphill with a few
steeper parts)
I recommend going about an hour before sunset so that you can find
the cache in daylight and then take in the gorgeous Kobe night
skyline.
Stage 1:
The closest train station is Motomachi (JR or Hankyu) from where it
will take about 10 minutes to get to the coordinates provided. This
place is called Sorakuen, a japanese garden with a pond. Check it
out if you feel like it (entrance fee: Y300/150). How many doors
are there besides the huge entrance gate?
______ (A)
Stage 2:
Continue further up the road and there will be a love hotel (rabu
hoteru) to your left. You might want to mark this spot on your GPSr
for later reference. Whats the name of the hotel? (Don´t you just
love all those names they come up for love hotels?) Right now all
you need is the number of letters from the second word.
______ (B)
Stage3:
Go to N34 41.752 E135 10.844 and you will find a huge
playground which looks like it's never used. Find the absolutely
suicidal slides. How many are there?
______ (C)
Stage4:
Go to N34 41.732 E135 10.824. This place is called Suwayama
Park. There is a little pond and a monument. Facing the pond you
will see a signboard (1) and to your left (about 25 meters) there
will be a second one (2).
Signboard 1 consists of an upper and a lower part. Add all the
numbers that appear on the upper board: (ignore the numbers on the
lower part)
______ (D)
Similarly add all numbers from signboard 2:
______ (E)
Signboard 1 tells you how this place became to be called Venus
Bridge: In 1874 a frenchman observed the fly-by of Venus in front
of the sun with his telescope from this hill.
Stage5:
Follow the path around the right side of the pond and find another
signboard just a couple of meters further up. It warns you of
feeding the wild animals. How many wild boar are on the
picture?
______ (F)
Especially if you go at night be prepared for some of them! I have
seen some huge ones. They are not dangerous but you should keep a
distance. There might also be someone inside the little picknick
hut behind you. Don't be scared, it's just a bum who seems to have
made this his living room...
You are now ready to calculate the final coordinates of the cache.
Before you go there check out Suwa Shrine which is a really cool
and tranquil little shrine.
Cache coordinates:
N34 41.[10x(B-A)] + (100 x C) + 178
E135 10. D + E + (100 x F) + 206
Among other things the cache also contains a "love lock" for some
love bird cachers (in case you forgot yours). Please don't take it
unless you are a couple and actually intend to use it at Venus
Bridge! "Lovely" contributions to the cache contents are greatly
appreciated.
After hopefully finding the cache continue up the path to Venus
Bridge and take in the view and lots of "rabu rabu" feeling as the
Japanese say. In case the cosy atmosphere up there has an effect on
you refer to the coordinates from stage 2 which is the closest
"rabu hoteru"...
May Venus be with you!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Svir ahzoref ba fvtaobneq 1 naq sbhe ba 2.
Pybfr gb fgnvef. Fvg ba n ebpx naq ybbx nebhaq.