Background
"Tourists destroy what they are looking for by finding it." Hans
Magnus Enzensberger
"Varadero serves
as a proof." Geocacher Kottan
In 1910 there were only 5 houses in Varadero.
In 1920 the
Josone park was created.
In 1940 the first
hotel (Dos Mares) was built.
In 1950 the
second hotel (Pullman) was built.
In 1960 Hotel
International was built, still showing a typical flair of the
region.
The further
development can be clearly seen in any travel catalog.
:(
Cache design
Originally the park extended ovder the whole peninsula, from the
southern beach to the northern beach. Nowadays only the southern
part is designated as park area. The northern part serves a
different purpose but can also be visited free of charge. Since
most people, like myself, do not like complex calculations while
being on holiday and due to the special situation in Cuba I've
designed this cache as a rather easy Traditional. Within the park
there are lots of security forces, so I decided to place the cache
outside of the park area, nevertheless at an absolutely important
spot. Entering the park is not a must to find the cache but believe
me, you sure would miss a great sensation if you only go for the
statistics point and disregard the park!
Note: If you like
to place another cache inside the park you're most welcome to do
so. I could even propose a hideout. I just didn't have the
appropriate material and I was unable to find it there. As
mentioned before a cache within the park could eventually be at
risk due to many security guards around.
How to go there
In Varadero there
is a sightseeing bus connecting all of the peninsula. Riding it
amounts to 5 CUC for a whole day (as per Feb. 2009). You can get on
or off the bus as often as you like, so you can go hunting for some
other caches as well. ;)
You won't have to
spend much money for a cab ride either.
The southern part of Josone park
Inside the historical buildings in the park you'll find several
restaurants, bars and a shop. There are also a mini golf course,
pheasants, roosters, ostriches, flamingos and a mini train for the
children.
In the northern part of the park there is a
diving centre. This area was formerly part of the park and is still
freely accessible today. The parts are still connected with a
tunnel, unfortunately, it is closed. Near the diving centre you can
see more buildings from the early days of tourism. On the beach
there is a restaurant that you can easily pass by. Then turn left
on the beach, i.e. towards the west, and you'll find the
museum.
The museum
Formerly this was the residence of the park
owners who derived its name from the first three letters of their
respective first names, Josef and Onelia.
Nowadays, this building is well worth seeing and gives home to the
museum of Varadero. You can learn where, when and what has happened
there, see part of the old furniture of the building and also get
to know a little bit about the flora and fauna on the peninsula.
You can even visit the veranda on the first floor where can still
feel the old times and get an idea of how lovely it has been
there.
Admission to the museum costs only 1 CUC
(as per Feb. 2009) which is very moderate. The guided tour is
included in the price.
If you leave the museum through the white gate you'll almost find
yourself right in front of the cache.
The cache
If you like to skip the diving centre or even want to go directly
to the cache then just go through the gate with the overhead
signpost saying "Museum" in big letters. Formerly, this was a
private property, today it's shown on the map as a public way
called "Calle 57". Go to the position shown on the picture below on
the right. When standing there you can already see the box.