Exploring Bali is probably my favourite thing to do here. With a motorbike and some time, I can always find new and interesting places to eat, hike and photograph. My GPS unit comes in handy, allowing me to see, via a line of dots, exactly where I’ve been. There is a pastime called Geo caching, which uses GPS’s, to explore.
Sunday morning I logged onto Geocaching.com, the top Geo caching site online and signed up. Geo caching is basically a high tech easter egg hunt. In for a penny, in for a pound, as we say in England. I had never followed a cache hunt before, but thought it would be more fun to place one for someone else (different levels of participation etc. lowest level thinking about it, next level watching…highest level creating an event), I wanted to create something for other people, from the get go.
Checking out the Indonesia listings for Geo cache hunts, I saw there were a few in Bali. Thinking through the process, I figured the way to plant a Geo cache, would be to go to a good location, and work backwards, marking way points and taking clues. That wasn’t the way it actualy worked out. Not wanting to do as much hiking as I did last week, I decided to go for a scenic ride, auto-marking my route, and finishing up at the cache location.
My cache was a large Tim Tam jar, with a log book inside. My route was from Seminyak, through Sempidi and Mambal to Ubud. From there I took a circular scenic ride north from Jl. Raya Ubud, arriving back at the same street. The final section was up Jl. Raya Campuhan, over to Campuhan Ridge, where I easily convinced a Balinese lady, Nyoman, owner of a painting shop, that possession of the Tim Tam jar, would be a magical experience. By simply rubbing it occassionally, tourists would appear like genie’s, eager to view the jar and perhaps, buy one of her paintings. This symbiotic relationship, was formed in about 2 minutes, and hopefully will be fruitfull.
Right now, part of my geo cache is in the system, awaiting approval. Its a very scenic drive and anyone visiting Bali, should be well pleased to take this ride. My one hurdle, is after converting the Auto Track to a Route, which has about 40 way points, I have yet to figure out how to get the coords for each way point. Its a technical detail, and as soon as that’s fixed, Geo caching we go!
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Hi, just loved your story about traveling from Seminyak, then Sempidi, Mambal, then Campuhan Main road. My husband and I live up above Campuhan Main Road above Ngurah KK Gallery on the main road and my sister-in-law lives in Mambal. I imagined myself on your journey and it brought back sweet memories. Thanks so much for your story. We live in Bellevue, Wa a suburb of Seattle until are return home.
Judy,
Yes the route is very nice, particularly the circle round from Jl. Raya Ubud, heading north along narrow locals streets, through rice field areas and back again.
The trail ends at a painter’s gallery on Campuhan ridge. Will be nice for someone to follow, when I figure out how to get the coords for the route.
Nick,
I would like to swap some emails with you regarding geo caching. I am a part time Bali resident.
I cant seen to find your email addy.
Try me ay larry@citybuddha.com
hope you you have some time
Larry