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Harold the Viking Mystery Cache

Hidden : 11/17/2010
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


The above coordinates mark the spot where the ship went aground, they don't lead to the cache.


Harold the Viking

Harold the Viking had heard there were rich pickings on the other side of the big water, so he loaded up his ship "Gwendolyn" and made for Scotland like so many before him.

Harold was not a nice Viking. He had a quick temper and settled arguments with his fists more often than not. He was also a lousy sailor and an even worse navigator, so brought along Magnus the Star Gazer to keep him on the right path. Soon they hit bad weather and drifted off course. Magnus yelled insistently:
- Right, right, steer more to the right!
- No, left you oaf! roared Harold. Have you been at the mushrooms again? and gave him an uppercut that sent him flying over the railing, and Magnus was lost in the stormy waves.

The mighty ship was tossed hither and dither for an eternity. More crewmembers were lost to the angry sea. When the storm finally abated and they sighted land, new trials and tribulations were awaiting; there were some ugly reefs and craggy cliffs ahead that put paid to what was left of the once so proud "Gwendolyn" and her few remaining crew. Harold, apart from his other merits, was also exceedingly fond of his mead. He run to save the last barrel and that in turn saved him.

He found himself on a stony beach being ogled by some goats and their herdsman, none of who understood him when he spoke to them in Swedish. The herdsman being a kindly soul took pity on the stranger and led him to his village. Did I mention that Harold also had a very suspicious mind? Before setting out with the goats, he quickly hid the treasure that he had managed to rescue from his sinking ship. While the goatherd wasn't looking, of course. In the village he found and fell in love with the beautiful Koulla. They married and lived happily ever after.

But what about the treasure, I hear you cry. Well, Harold scratched the location on a stone the only way he knew how to when he first landed on these shores. Life with Koulla was full and demanding and he never had a chance to retrieve his cache before he died. As nobody else could decipher the stone (there was no Google translator in those days) it was soon forgotten. It has now reappeared and whoever can read it will find Harold's treasure.




You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.



A note of caution: Please be careful at the cache location, keep an eye on children and pets, and remember that you are not required to climb up or down or do anything that can be remotely dangerous.

Original contents of the cache are: Harold's treasure chest containing certificate and scratch card lottery ticket for the FTF, logbook and pencil and various other "valuables".

The FTS (first to solve the puzzle) will be rewarded with a commemorative Cyprus Heritage coin and a scratch card lottery ticket upon emailing the correct answer.

Please replace the cache carefully, exactly as you found it.

The cache is part of


The cache is also part of #22 Karlovy Vary


free counters

Congratulations to constantino5 for being First to Solve the puzzle at 10.04, 17/11/2010!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur erznvaqre bs Tjraqbyla

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)