Year: 2023

/ Eric

Arte de Portas Abertas — Geocache of the Week

Multi-Cache
GC3D4F9
by luisftas
Difficulty:
2.5
Terrain:
1
Location:
Arquipélago da Madeira, Portugal
N 32° 38.877′ W 016° 54.036′

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

In the early 2010s, the historic downtown of Funchal on Madeira Island, Portugal, found itself with quiet streets and many abandoned buildings. To combat this decay, the city council collaborated with local artists to revitalize and beautify the street of Rua de Santa Maria by painting elaborate designs on as many doors as possible. Today, tourists flock from all over to admire the wondrous art, and the city now has a new lease on life.

Thanks to this flourishing art scene and a geocacher named luisftas, Funchal gained another priceless asset in February 2012 in the form of a beloved Multi-Cache. In its decade-long existence, our Geocache of the Week, Arte de Portas Abertas (GC3D4F9), has accumulated a whopping 688 Favorite points. Take a stroll down Rua de Santa Maria with us and see what makes this cache so special!

Continue reading →

/ Guest Writer

Accesibilidad e inclusión en el Evento The Whittlesea

El Mega The Whittlesea tuvo lugar en un inesperado fin de semana tempestuoso de noviembre. El grupo de organizadores y voluntarios, Geocaching Victoria, se las arregló con un sorprendente clima invernal con alegría, incluso rescataron la tienda de campaña de unos geocachers que había sido arrastrada por el fuerte viento y organizaron un impresionante espectáculo de fuegos artificiales a pesar de las fuertes lluvias. Si bien la organización de Mega-Eventos requiere una variedad de habilidades importantes, la capacidad de los organizadores para responder en el momento a cualquier caos inesperado (como las tormentas de viento por sorpresa) es tan importante como la preparación proactiva que se necesita para diseñar una experiencia que no solo deleite a la comunidad de geocaching sino que asegure que ningún geocacher se quede atrás, incluidos los geocachers con sensibilidades sensoriales y aquellos que son sordos y con problemas de audición. Continue reading →

/ Guest Writer

Accessibility and inclusion at The Whittlesea Event

Geocaching HQ Lackeys attend dozens of Mega and Giga-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching! AKprincesswarrior is the Learning & Development Manager at Geocaching HQ. She recently traveled to Australia to attend the Mega-Event, The Whittlesea Event 2022 (GC8EW40). Here’s her summary of the Event.

The Whittlesea Mega-Event took place over an unexpectedly blustery November weekend. The community of organizers and volunteers, Geocaching Victoria, managed the surprise winter weather with grace, even rescuing a geocacher’s tent after being blown away by fierce wind and pulling off a stunning fireworks show despite heavy rains. While organizing Mega-Events requires a variety of important skills, the ability of the organizers to respond in the moment to whatever unexpected chaos gets thrown their way (like surprise wind storms) is as important as the proactive preparation it takes to design an experience that not only delights the geocaching community but ensures no geocacher gets left behind, including geocachers with sensory sensitivities and those who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing. Continue reading →