The coordinates above do not lead you to the cache but to a place where you can park your car.
Pano Panagia, home to around 600 souls, is a sleepy mountain village about 38 km north of Paphos. It nestles in the folds of the Mountain Of The Prophets in the Troodos range. The houses are mostly in the traditional style, some with climbing vines in front of the entrance doors. Flowers growing out of pitharis in all shapes and sizes decorate courtyards and balconies. There are also a number of very old oak-trees, some are said to date back to the time of Alexander the Great, but I would take that claim with a “pinch of salt”.
Close to the school you will see the large, restored three-aisled church of Agios Georgios, which houses some very old portable icons. About 1 km outside the village is the beautiful Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery on the slope of mount Rogia. The monastery was founded in 1152 A.D. by the monk Ignatios who found the miraculous icon of Panagia, believed to have been painted by St Luke, (he was a busy man, that one!). In front of the entrance there is a café with an extensive and majestic view.
That’s enough culture for today. On with the search!
Drive up to Pano Panagia, walk around the village to collect the various clues, all the while enjoying the fine views and the peace and quiet of the place.
You will have noticed the Sudoku grid at the bottom of the page. The idea is for you to add the digits from your answers to the grid, and after that to solve the resulting Sudoku puzzle. The final task is to extract certain digits to place in the cache coordinates.
The cache holds a round plastic container with logbook and pencils, a travel bug, small bull and a lottery ticket, which I hope will give the first one to find it a fortune!
Proceed to the coordinates:
N34° 55.154
E032° 37.815
And answer these questions:
A man, who later attained an elevated position, was born here. What number was attached to his name?
Enter your answer at D8 in the Sudoku.
What is the number shown on the house where he was born?
Enter your answer at C2 in the Sudoku.
Proceed to coordinates:
N34° 55.179
E032° 37.779
How many portraits are there on the commemorative stone?
Take that number and deduct 1. (Thanks to China Thimbles for info about the one added portrait.)
Enter your answer at F6 in the Sudoku.
Continue to coordinates:
N34° 55.181
E032° 37.755
What year was the drinking fountain built?
Enter the third digit at I1 in the Sudoku.
Next, go to coordinates:
N34° 55.239
E032° 37.687
Admire the view, look up and down the street and count the benches.
Enter your answer at E9 in the Sudoku.
Proceed to coordinates:
N34° 55.221
E032° 37.750
How many letters are there in the name of the hotel?
Enter your answer at H8 in the Sudoku.
On the way to your final coordinates you may pass the most crowded bird-accommodation I have ever seen north of Africa. They seem to have built their high-rise from the top down. It is especially interesting during April/May when they’re rearing their young. Your last question will be at coordinates:
N34° 55.139
E032° 37.913
How many lanterns are there on the wall to the left of the gate? (A pity some of them are in such a bad state.)
Enter your answer at G4 in the Sudoku.
REMEMBER THAT IF YOU DON’T ENTER ALL THE DIGITS REQUIRED, THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION POSSIBLE, IN WHICH CASE THE CACHE COORDINATES WILL BE WRONG.
The cache is placed somewhere on the Vouni Trail, which is a pleasant walk round the mountain through vinyards old and new, peopled with friendly farmers who, when we were there during harvest time, fed us grapes all along the road. It is possible to drive to the cache, a 4x4 is to be preferred, and donkey would be excellent, but we have driven the Ford Focus there on a dry day without major problems. Now, go to the viewpoint at the following coordinates:
N34° 54.456
E032° 38.061
Sit yourself down on the bench, admire the view and solve the Sudoku to complete the following coordinates, which will lead you (finally!) a short walk to the cache.
N34° 5 (B4). (G9)(E3) (C2)
E032° 3 (E7). 0 (D4) (H7)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.
Points of interest:
N34° 54.583 This is the Vouni fire look-out station.
E032° 38.200 Breathtaking views all around.
N34° 54.241 The church of Profitis Ilias.
E032° 37.975
N34° 54.607 Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery.
E032° 37.177 There is a small taverna here where you can quench your thirst and feast your eyes on the countryside below.
Congratulations and FTF Honours to Brandi Sour on this their 100th find in Cyprus.