Tinikling, Anyone? Multi-Cache
ohjoy!:
It is advisable to start archiving my caches as I can pull them.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This puzzle/multi cache is located in the new Decatur Woods Park, a 6.2-acre park located in West Olympia. Construction began in early 2004 and was completed by late summer. The park was designed with input from neighbors who felt that the wildlife aspect of the area should be preserved. This cache will take you on a tour of the park where you can enjoy play structures, artwork, and nature.
First, some background:
Tinikling is the most popular and best known of the Philippine dances and honored as the Philippine national dance. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird’s legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.
Considered one of the oldest dances from the Philippines, tinikling was originated in the islands of Leyte in the Visayan Islands. The people of Leyte describe the tikling bird as one of the most unique in its movements – walking around and between the tree branches and some grass stems. These creative people imitate the bird’s movements by using bamboo poles.
Stories of the Tinikling dance’s origin have been passed down through oral histories and folklore. One of these stories may be made up, a fact, or part of a legend. It says that Tinikling was started by the people working in the fields and paddies. When the Spaniards conquered the Philippines, the natives lost control of their land. They had to work all day in the fields and paddies to please the Spaniards. This exploitative system lasted from 1500 to 1898, a span of almost four hundred years.
People who worked too slowly would be sent out of the paddies for punishment. Their punishment was to stand between two bamboo poles cut from the grove. The sticks, which had thorns sticking from their segments, were then clapped to beat the native’s feet. The natives tried to escape this cruel form of punishment by jumping as the sticks were brought together. It is said that from a distance, the people who were receiving the beating looked like the tikling bird. This punishment later became the dance it is today.
When the tinikling is danced, there is music of plucked strings in Iberian-influenced staccato interspersing with tremolos and kept in time with double stepping sway balances. By practicing to escape the bamboo sticks during punishment, the Tinikling soon became a challenge, an art, and a dance.
Now that it is no longer a punishment, the sticks are smooth and the clapping is gentle. The Tinikling has truly become a dance.
Now, how do you find the cache?
1. Stage 1: the puzzle – park at the above coordinates, then find and fill in the answers for each letter below as follows:
- read the above information on tinikling to get the answer for J.
- go to the site and go to the “Welcome to Decatur Woods Park” sign to gather information for A and C.
- go to the play/service area to gather the rest of the information needed.
A = _____ = smallest number in phone number on the Welcome sign
B = _____ = number of mountains depicted on the west side of the service building
C = _____ = number of times “do not” appears on the Welcome sign
D = _____ = number of “cans” in each row in a block of twirling “cans”
E = _____ = number of panels in each sky/sunlight
F = _____ = number of hanging rings
G = _____ = number of blue roofs, both big and small
H = _____ = oldest age of children that may play in the small play area
I = _____ = number of restrooms
J = _____ = approximate hundreds of years the Spaniards exploited the people of the Philippines
Substitute the numbers you found for the letters as follows:
N 47º AB.CDE W 122º FG.HIJ
N 47º ___ ___.___ ___ ___ W 122º ___ ___.___ ___ ___
2. Stage 2: the multi – go to the coordinates you just worked out and look for the coordinates for the final stage/cache. Sit down facing north; reach down/under with your right hand.
3. Stage 3: the actual cache – please DO NOT move any moss. It is completely unnecessary.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
1. vg nyy pbhagf
2. n ornhgvshy cynpr gb fvg qbja
3. na vfynaq bs tebjgu haqre onex arkg gb gjb cnenyyry gvavxyref.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures