"TELL ME, O MUSE, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy." So begins The Odyssey.
You are Odysseus, wily master of landways and seaways, king of the island state of Ithaca, husband of Penelope and father of your son Telemachus who has never met you.
10 long years ago, you sailed with twelve ships to fight in the long Trojan Wars on the sands before the walls of the City of Troy. And finally it was you, O wily Odysseus, who masterminded the fall of Troy with the clever ruse of the Gift of the Trojan Horse and led the final successful assault!
Now you set sail for Ithaca. But the Greek gods and goddesses have other plans for you, and before you return to the arms of Penelope, you must survive many more adventures.
O clever Odysseus, will you ever return to your kingdom?
Only the Fates know for sure.
And the Fates are not telling!
Circe
After leaving the island of Aeolus, Keeper of the Winds, your fleet of twelve ships next comes to the land of the giant cannibals, the Laestrygonians, giants who attack your fleet and who destroy all of your ships and crews save you and your own ship.
And then, O brave Odysseus, you come to the island of the witch-goddess Circe who magically transfigures half of your crew into beasts. Circe will do the same to you and the rest of your crew if you are not careful.
You and your men are doomed to remain on Circe's island as beasts unless you can somehow escape her magic.
O brave Odysseus, favorite of Athena, how will you escape this beastly doom?
This cache contains one of the clues needed to find the puzzle cache Tales of Odysseus: The Return of the King. Look at the back of the logbook for the clue. In the Tales of Odysseus series this cache follows Aeolus, Keeper of the Winds and precedes Into the Underworld.
The story of this encounter with Circe is told in Book X of The Odyssey.
Enjoy! And happy caching!
O wily 50sumtin!
And now, the tale's end ...
O Odysseus, as you walk a trail that leads to the house of Circe, who should you meet but the god Hermes who sought you, he who was sent by Zeus at the urging of Athena to aid you. Hermes warns you of the ways of Circe, gives you advice and also gives you an antidote to thwart the effects of the potion that Circe will surely give you to drink.
Armed with the antidote and foreknowledge, you are able to thwart Circe's spell! With your aword at her throat, you force her to turn your men back to their original human forms.
Cache owner's note:
For some months I have toyed with the idea of placing a series of caches along the scenic Pacific coast north of Santa Cruz, each of which would be in a scenic location near the ocean and would also contain a clue for an overall connecting puzzle cache. And while walking the coast at Wilder Ranch one day and taking in the breath-taking scenic views, the Muses inspired me to make the connecting theme for the series the adventures of Odysseus as told in The Odyssey, as so much if not all of his homeward voyage adventures occurred along coastal settings.
As of April 15, 2007, all of the caches associated with the Tales of Odysseus series (including the puzzle cache) have been placed.
I hope that you will find the series entertaining and enjoyable, but if not at least scenic.
This particular cache will treat you to scenic views of Bonny Doon Beach from lands recently deeded to the California State Parks. While there are cliffs nearby, the cache is sufficiently away from them as to pose little danger while seeking in good visibility. Still, I do not recommend seeking this cache during periods of dense coastal fog.
You may park at the beach parking for Bonny Doon Beach and make your way up to the cache. Seek the trailhead that heads up and out from parking. The cache sets just along the bluff trail.
And with luck you may see whales!