"TELL ME, O MUSE, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy." So begins The Odyssey.
You are Odysseus, wily master of landways and seaways, king of the island state of Ithaca, husband of Penelope and father of your son Telemachus who has never met you.
10 long years ago, you sailed with twelve ships to fight in the long Trojan Wars on the sands before the walls of the City of Troy. And finally it was you, O wily Odysseus, who masterminded the fall of Troy with the clever ruse of the Gift of the Trojan Horse!
Now you set sail for Ithaca. But the Greek gods and goddesses have other plans for you, and before you return to the arms of Penelope, you must survive many more adventures.
O clever Odysseus, will you ever return to your kingdom?
Only the Fates know for sure.
And the Fates are not telling!
Calypso
O Odysseus, your ship has been destroyed by a thunderbolt hurled by Zeus from high above on Mount Olympus. All of your crew has drowned and you alone have survived the lightning blast and the wreck of your ship.
Worse than almost drowning, you are also further cursed by the gods: as the blind shade Tiresius had foretold, your wife will now be besieged by suitors who will overcome your household as they wait for Penelope to choose one from among them to be her next husband.
Hanging to a piece of your ship's wreckage, you drift about upon the wide and empty sea at the mercy of the winds and the currents. And so you drift back to the narrow straits guarded by Scylla and Charybdis!
As you drift helplessly towards Charybdis and the monster swallows the waters you float upon, you are able to grab onto an olive tree growing in the rocks that form the strait. O strong Odysseus, your strong arms hold on for dear life as the waters recede below you as they are swallowed into the mouth of the monster below. But your strong arms do not fail you and you hang on, dangling above the mouth of the monster Charybdis! And as Charybdis returns the swallowed water to the seas, you return to the waters and drift on.
Next you drift below the hungry six-headed monster Scylla! But a fog shields you from the monsters twelve ever-vigilant eyes and you drift away safely.
And then Odysseus, the favorite of grey-eyed Athena, you wash ashore on the sandy beaches of the island of Ogygia where dwells the beautiful sea nymph Calypso.
Calypso falls in love with you. And for many long years she sings her songs of enchantments that bewitch your mind's eye to turn away from the images of your faithful and patient wife Penelope, your true love.
O Odysseus, how many years will you remain bewitched by the sea nymph Calypso?
This cache contains one of the clues needed to find the puzzle cache Tales of Odysseus: The Return of the King. The clue is at the back of the logbook. In the series this cache follows Helios, Bringer of the Sun and precedes The Suitors and Penelope's Test.
The story of how Odysseus came to stay with Calypso is told in Book XII of The Odyssey. The release of Odysseus by Calypso is told in Book V.
Enjoy! And happy caching!
O wily 50sumtin
And now the tale's end.
One morning after Dawn put forth her fingertips of rose, Athena convinces Zeus that 7 years has been long enough for Odysseus to be with Calypso and Zeus dispatches Hermes with a message for Calypso to release Odysseus. And Calypso obeys and she ceases to sing her songs of enchantment.
As the image of Penelope, your wife and true love, returns to your mind's eye, you build a small craft that will carry you away from the island of Ogygia. With provisions given you by the disappointed Calypso, you set sail and sail away bound for Ithaca once more.
Cache owner's note:
For some months I have toyed with the idea of placing a series of caches along the scenic Pacific coast north of Santa Cruz, each of which would be in a scenic location near the ocean and would also contain a clue for an overall connecting puzzle cache. And while walking the coast at Wilder Ranch one day and taking in the breath-taking scenic views, the Muses inspired me to make the connecting theme for the series the adventures of Odysseus as told in The Odyssey, as so much if not all of his homeward voyage adventures occurred along coastal settings.
As of April 15, 2007, all of the caches associated with the Tales of Odysseus series (including the puzzle cache) have been placed.
I hope that you will find the series entertaining and enjoyable, but if not, at least scenic.
This particular cache will treat you to scenic views of nearby Three Mile Beach along the Wilder State Park coast. While there are cliffs nearby, the cache is sufficiently away from them as to pose little danger while seeking in good visibility. Still, I do not recommend seeking this cache during periods of dense coastal fog.
You may park at the beach parking for Wilder Ranch and make your way out to the cache. Or seek the trailhead for Three Mile Beach or Four Mile Beach along Highway One.
And may you see whales!