Pendulum - Prague Travel Bug Hotel Traditional Geocache

„…Looking upward, I surveyed the ceiling of my prison. It was some thirty or forty feet overhead, and constructed much as the side walls. In one of its panels a very singular figure riveted my whole attention . It was the painted figure of Time as he is commonly represented, save that in lieu of a scythe he held what at a casual glance I supposed to be the pictured image of a huge pendulum, such as we see on antique clocks. There was something, however, in the appearance of this machine which caused me to regard it more attentively. While I gazed directly upward at it (for its position was immediately over my own), I fancied that I saw it in motion. In an instant afterward the fancy was confirmed. Its sweep was brief, and of course slow…

…What I then saw confounded and amazed me. The sweep of the pendulum had increased in extent by nearly a yard. As a natural consequence, its velocity was also much greater. But what mainly disturbed me was the idea that it had perceptibly DESCENDED. I now observed, with what horror it is needless to say, that its nether extremity was formed of a crescent of glittering steel, about a foot in length from horn to horn; the horns upward, and the under edge evidently as keen as that of a razor. Like a razor also it seemed massy and heavy, tapering from the edge into a solid and broad structure above. It was appended to a weighty rod of brass, and the whole HISSED as it swung through the air…

…What boots it to tell of the long, long hours of horror more than mortal, during which I counted the rushing oscillations of the steel! Inch by inch -- line by line -- with a descent only appreciable at intervals that seemed ages -- down and still down it came! Days passed -- it might have been that many days passed -- ere it swept so closely over me as to fan me with its acrid breath. The odour of the sharp steel forced itself into my nostrils. I prayed -- I wearied heaven with my prayer for its more speedy descent. I grew frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar. And then I fell suddenly calm and lay smiling at the glittering death as a child at some rare bauble.“

(The Pit and the Pendulum, Edgar Allan Poe)

The hero of the Poe´s story was finally saved from the pendulum by the French army. Thanks to this cache you will appear also under the pendulum, but do not worry, there is nothing dangerous. Instead of it you could see the superb view over the Prague panorama.

This cache also serves as a Travel Bug Hotel. The hospitable staff will do the best to offer the high quality services to our travel bugs guests.

There are no exchange rules, you should come anytime to put/retrieve TBs and help them to reach their goals. Log the TB and geocoin exchange from the back side of the logbook. Please do not trade the standard items, leave space for TBs and geocoins.

When you will look for the cache, try to be very discreet and carefull, please, since the area is usually very busy. After your find hide the cache carefully back, please AND CLOSE THE HOTEL DOORS. Do not forget to visit the above Pendulum site and enjoy the view.

Happy hunting

„Hledel jsem vzhuru a prohlížel si strop cely. Klenul se asi tricet, možná ctyricet stop nad mou hlavou a byl sestrojen podobne jako postranní steny. Na jedné desce mne silne zaujala prapodivná postava. Byla to postava Casu, tak jak se obvykle maluje, až na to, že místo kosy držela v ruce cosi, co jsem na první pohled pokládal za malovanou podobu ohromného kyvadla, jaká vídáme na starých hodinách. Ve vzhledu tohoto mechanismu mne však neco nutilo k pozornejší prohlídce. Jak jsem tak na ne vzhuru hledel (kyvadlo viselo prímo nade mnou), mel jsem dojem, že se hýbá. Vzápetí jsem shledal, že je to pravda. Kývalo se v krátkých kmitech a ovšem zvolna…

…A ted jsem spatril neco, co mne opravdu zmátlo a udivilo. Dráha kyvadla se prodloužila bezmála o yard. A jeho rychlost byla prirozene také mnohem vetší. Ale hlavne mne znepokojil dojem, že znatelne pokleslo. Nyní jsem zpozoroval - netreba dodávat s jakým desem -, že jeho spodní konec tvorí srpek trpytné oceli, dlouhý asi stopu od hrotu k hrotu, které trcí vzhuru, a že hrana srpku je zrejme ostrá jako britva. A jako britva byl patrne i bytelný a težký, nebot od ostrí vybíhal vzhuru do pevného, širokého tvaru. Byl pripevnen k mohutné mosazné tyci, a jak se houpal, svištel vzduchem…

…Proc vykládat o dlouhých, predlouhých hodinách smrtelného, ba víc než smrtelného desu, kdy jsem odpocítával svištící kmity oceli! Kyvadlo klesalo níž a níž - coul po coulu - zlomecek po zlomecku - po stupních rozpoznatelných jen v intervalech, které trvaly veky! Teprve po nekolika dnech - ano, mnoho dní možná uplynulo - zacínalo kmitat tak tesne nade mnou, že mne ovíval jeho britký dech. Do chrípí se mi tlacil pach ostré oceli. Modlil jsem se - zaprísahal jsem do omrzení nebesa, aby urychlila sestup kyvadla. Besnil jsem, šílel, vší mocí jsem se zdvíhal proti švihum strašlivého handžáru. A pak jsem se znenadání utišil a jen se usmíval na blyštivou smrt jako díte na podivnou cetku.“

(Jáma a Kyvadlo, Edgar Allan Poe)

Hrdina poviedky E.A. Poea bol nakoniec spod kyvadla zachránený francúzskou armádou. Vdaka tejto cache sa tiež ocitnete pod kyvadlom, ale nic nebezpecného Vám nehrozí. Namiesto toho sa budete moct pokochat prekrasnou panoramou Prahy.

Táto cache sluzi aj ako Travel Bug Hotel. Nas pohostinny personal sa bude snazit ubytovanym hostom poskytnut tie najkvalitnejsie sluzby.

Pre cache neexistujú pravidla na výmenu travel bugs, možete prichádzat a brat/vkladat travel bugs a pomahat im plnit ich ciele. Vymenu TB a geocoins logujte zo zadnej strany logbooku. Nevkladajte prosim ine predmety na vymenu.

Pri hladaní cache sa prosím správajte nenápadne a velmi opatrne, jedna sa o rušnú lokalitu. Po náleze a zalogovaní prosím schovajte cache nazad do skrýše a poriadne ju zamaskujte, ZATVORTE DVERE HOTELA. Nezabudnite navstivit Kyvadlo nad vami a uzite si pekny vyhlad na Prahu.

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