Sammy & Samantha Mystery Cache
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Sammy and Samantha are weary travelers who are looking forward to some rest together. They weren't always together, though. Their love story has been a fascinating one, with many twists and turns all over the globe. This puzzle requires you to retrace the journeys of Sammy and Samantha. Have fun.
On August 22, 2012, Sammy embarked on the first stage of his journey. He took a romantic canoe ride across Lake Ontario with his one true love, Samantha. They said farewell, and Samantha watched as Sammy left her and hid to await the beginning of his journey. Who knew what places he would go, things he would see? Samantha was excited for his trip, even though she would miss him. A few days later, a brave adventurer came by, and discovered Sammy in his hiding spot. He promptly retrieved him, and brought him to the airport so he could start his journey.
Question A: Who was the first to pick up Sammy? (one word).
Meanwhile, Samantha embarked on adventures of her own. She picked strawberries and raspberries, hiked near the Rouge Creek, and took a trip up north to Thunder Bay.
Question B: On what date did Samantha visit a remote island? (You may find two answers for this - use the later one) (Day, month, and year)
Question C: On that very same day, what country did Sammy suddenly find himself in?
A few months later, on March 1, 2013, after traveling for such a short time, Sammy had finally almost made it to his first goal - Portugal! Wow, what a fast traveler! It is rare that goals of this kind are met so quickly.
Question D: What is the name of the city in Portugal that Sammy first visited? Use the true name, not the English version of it.
Meanwhile, Samantha is having many Ontario adventures! She goes on fall hikes, builds snowmen, and visits the Cheltenham Badlands and Terra Cotta Conservation area. On April 14, 2013, calamity strikes - Sammy is reported missing. Samantha is beside herself with sadness, and goes into hiding.
Question E: Where does she hide? 5 letters.
On May 5, 2013, she realizes that life must go on, and she must be brave. Sammy will surely reappear one day soon. She finally comes out of hiding, and takes a trip down to the United States.
Question F: One of the states Samantha visits starts with "New". What is the second part of that state's name?
On May 28, 2013, Samantha's friends all rally around her and encourage her to keep traveling, so she goes to Ohio. Before she goes, she takes a group photo with many of her friends, including a pony!
Question G: What colour is the pony's body?
The summer of 2013 is a busy one - Samantha takes many trips in and around Ontario. She sees tall ships, and makes a pilgrimage to where she and Sammy last said goodbye. She decides to take the next step, and make a travel page of her own.
Question H: Samantha's first trip on her new page, accompanied by a fellow named "matt", was to which city overseas?
She spent many, many months in Europe, but lost all contact with the outside world. Who knows what sorts of adventures she had on her own? Sometimes we just need to find ourselves before we can return to the world intact. But Samantha did eventually return to Toronto.
Question I: On which date in 2014 did Samantha return home? Use the day, month, and year.
Samantha is ready to take that big trip and search for Sammy once and for all. On August 31, 2014, she embarks on a plane to Portugal. She searches castles and monasteries in Leiria, small rural villages, and remote beaches... Finally, after years of wandering, searching, sadness, hoping... Sammy is found!!! Samantha uncovered him in a dark cave, on a secluded beach. Oh joy! Oh wonder! They embrace, they weep, they hold each other tight. Who would have thought that such a day would come? They spend a romantic day on the beach together, holding hands, watching the mist from the waves. Not a soul in sight. It's a perfect, magical day. Overjoyed by finally finding each other, the two lovers realize they are invincible. While Sammy is a weary traveler and would like to finally return home, Samantha has caught the travel bug and decides to stay on and do some traveling around the world herself, instead of just roaming looking for Sammy. The two again say goodbye - this time it is Samantha who remains behind.
Question J: What is the name of the beach where they have their reunion and then say goodbye?
Question K: On what date were the photos of their reunion and farewell finally posted?
Shortly after Samantha was left in Portugal, she again lost contact with the outside world. Sammy, however, was not worried - he was certain that if Samantha could find him after all those years, then certainly he could find her again one day, too. In the mean time, he was content to stick close to home for a while, visiting many local spots, not really venturing too far. By spring of 2015, though, the travel bug had got him again.
This time, a mysterious soccer player took him with her back to two of the countries he had visited during his first trip abroad, before he first went missing. He really enjoyed seeing these two places again.
Question L: On what date did he visit the second of these two countries? (Day, month, year).
Sammy returned to Ontario full of life and adventure! He couldn't stop exploring. He went everywhere, taking it all in so he could tell Samantha of his adventures when they were one day reunited. He even revisited the remote island near Thunder Bay that he had visited so long ago!
Question M:On what date did Sammy revisit the remote island?
In September of 2015, Sammy was off again! This time, to New Zealand! He visited amazing places like Lake Pukaki, the Moeraki Boulders, and even did a half day hike up to the Key Summit in Milford Sound. What an incredible view of the mountains that was! He couldn’t help but look for Samantha a little on his journey, though. He hoped he might run into her on another secluded beach – however, it was not to be at this time.
Question N: What is the name of the beach that Sammy visited on September 14, 2015? (Use only the first word)
After New Zealand, he took a brief stop in Fiji and played in a gorgeous waterfall, and then finally headed back home. It was not long before he was on another adventure again though, and a year later he was off on a trip to Africa! He visited Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana... but he took a friend this time!
Question O: What is the kind of animal that accompanied Sammy in Africa?
After traveling around the globe, Sammy is finally ready to return to Portugal and visit the place where he said goodbye to Samantha, all those years ago. He misses her very much - perhaps, just perhaps, will he find her there again? He makes the long journey back down the cliffs to the remote beach, looks in the caves, not a soul around... then suddenly he hears a voice behind him... Samantha!!! The two embrace, completely overjoyed. They always knew they would find each other again. And, Samantha has a surprise for Sammy...
Question P: What is the name of Samantha's surprise?
N 43 40.(A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H)(20)
W 079 17.(I+J+K+L+M+N+O+P)(15) + 33
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Vs lbh unir zrg Fnzzl naq Fnznagun orsber, gur jnl gb svaq gur fbyhgvba fubhyq or rnfvyl nccnerag. Vs lbh unir arire zrg gurz, bar bs gur yvaxf ba guvf cntr jvyy riraghnyyl yrnq lbh gb gur evtug cynpr gb fgneg. Nf gvzr cnffrf, gur fgnegvat cbvag jvyy orpbzr uneqre gb svaq, fb frvmr gur zbzrag. Uvag sbe gur svany vf ybpngrq va gur trbpurpxre. Nggragvba gb qrgnvy vf n zhfg! Hfr gur shyy qngrf (r.t. Wnahnel 19, 1999).
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