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ENGLISH
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Wojtek is a diminutive form of Wojciech, an old Slavic name. It is combination of two words in archaic Polish: wój (warrior) and ciech (joy). So it means "he who enjoys war". This virtual cache is about one of the most peculiar "warriors" in the history of Polish Army - Wojtek the soldier bear.
He was born in 1941, somewhere in Persia. But his story is better known since the 8th of April 1942, when he was bought from a Persian boy by Polish soldiers in Hamadan (present Iran). Wojtek lost his mother during the hunt, Poles lost their country in 1939 during German and Soviet invasion. They were all orphans. So, Poles adopted, fed and tamed him. Polish 2nd Corps was officially formed in July 1943 in Iraq, then relocated further, to Palestine and to Egypt. Wojtek became a living mascot, he enjoyed wrestling with the soldiers, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer, but he wasn't a soldier yet. It was changed during the transport from Egypt to Italy. Because the British Army didn't allow to transport an animal on their ships, Wojtek had to be officially recruited as a private in 22nd Artillery Supply Company. That trick let him accompany his "brothers in arms" to the end of WW2. He had his own paybook, rank and serial number. During the Battle of Monte Casino Wojtek helped by transporting artillery ammo. He never failed. He a was kind of a celebrity, his presence was boosting the soldiers’ morale in those hard days. In recognition of the bear's popularity, the HQ approved a depiction of a bear carrying an artillery shell as the official emblem of the 22nd Company.
After the war Wojtek found a place in the Edinburgh Zoo. It was a well-deserved retirement for him. He had suffered the same fate as most of Polish veterans from UK that time - there was no place for them in the new communist reality in their homeland. He died in 1963 in Edinburgh. Sadly, he never visited Poland.
The coordinates are leading you to the statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh Princess Street Gardens. To find this cache go there and fulfill the tasks below:
TASKS
1. Try to estimate Wojtek's statue height at its highest point.
2. On the relief, find Wojtek carrying the artillery shell. Then look above him (still on the relief). There's a structure on the hill ( not Edinburgh castle) . What is that and what kind of flowers are related to that building for the Poles (you should google it easily)?
3.The easiest part is to take a picture of Wojtek with you or your GeoDevice.
Send me the answers through my profile, logs without picture and answers will be deleted.
Remember cache is available during Princes Street Gardens opening hours which you can find here.
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POLSKI
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Jeśli ktoś z polskojęzycznych keszerów nie zna jeszcze historii Wojtka żołnierza bez munduru zapraszam na WIKIPEDIĘ, a także zachęcam do obejrzenia dostępnego na serwisie YouTube filmu.
Pomnik do którego prowadzą współrzędne kesza został odsłonięty 7 listopada 2015 roku, a jego powstanie zawdzięczamy powołanej specjalnie w tym celu organizacji "Wojtek Memorial Trust"
Aby zalogować kesza musisz spełnić wszystkie poniższych warunków:
1. Określ w przybliżeniu wysokość Wojtka w jego najwyższym miejscu.
2. Odnajdź na płaskorzeźbie niedźwiedzia niosącego pocisk artyleryjski, ponad nim góruje pewna budowla. Odpowiedz co to za budynek i jaki gatunek kwiatów Ci się z nim kojarzy.
3. Dołącz do loga swoje zdjęcie z Wojtkiem.
Wyślij mi odpowiedzi poprzez mój profil na GC, logi bez odpowiedzi będą niestety kasowane.
Skrytka jest dostępna w godzinach otwarcia Princes Street Garden, detale znajdziesz tutaj.
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Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
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This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.