There are some days that they are so beautiful!!! The weather is clean, the sun is shining and you can’t wait to go out for geocaching or a picnic, under the trees, in the nature…

 

You were probably making plans for this day for a long time ago and you were anxiously waiting this day to come! And… when everything looks great… some strange events makes you realize that this is definitely not your day!!! Everything goes wrong and the hits are coming like waves….

That happened to us one geocaching day too…..

 

Oh… only God knows how much we wanted to go for geocaching… the last days, were not so good, it was raining. It was windy… so when we saw that this weekend the weather was going to be fine we started making plans!!!

 

….. Oh… we will go for geocaching, we will change a cache from micro into a regular and then we were going to have a barbeque near the sea… sausages and hotdogs…. Everything was going to be perfect…. or not???

 

 

My sister and my brother in law came with their car and took us! We were holding bags etc like we were going on a cruise! 

 

Everything was so perfect! We decided to go first to find a cache in Prasonisi, which is at the end of Rhodes and change a cache from micro to a normal size (I am co owner of this cache!)! Prasonisi is a small island that is connected with Rhodes with a sand road! Of course during winter, this road is not always above water!!! Many times the island is not connected! The stream there is quite strong and in older times accidents happen there, so….

 

When we went there we saw that it was impossible to pass the road and go to Prasonisi! The sand road was under water and we were not dressed properly to pass…

So… we decided to go back to an area some kilometers back, where a cache was! We wanted to find it quickly and then to eat near the sea…

 

Our parents couldn’t follow because the place was rocky, but they had no problem at all! My mother saw that the area was clean and that she could relax, see the beautiful view, and maybe collect some snails!

Oh yes! She loves to eat snails!!! Hmm… I do not!!! 

 

It was not summer anymore, so we had to hurry! We started our way and some meters away we realized that the area was a snail paradise!!! WOW!!! Ok, we couldn’t stop geocaching for them, but we were collecting all the snails that were ok, in our way!

Of course we were following the red spots the area had, marking the way! The owners of the cache had done this to help the cachers to find the way!

 

There were some goats there guarding the area! They looked surprised to see us there!

 

My brother in law started telling us to hurry up a little… collecting snails may take more time than you can imagine!!! Anyway… we came in the area where the cache was…. But.. Where was the cache??? We started searching the caves there because the hint was saying that it was hidden in a small cave! My brother in law, walk a little farther, and he continued to see red spots…. I knew that the geocachers who placed the cache there continued their way but… I started having thoughts that we were searching the wrong place… but… the stone arch that was in the cache area was there… the GPS was saying that we were in the destination…..

 

We started searching and searching but the only thing we could see was snails! 

We climbed on rocks, we went close to the edge of the rocks (it was tall enough and the cliff ended in a rocky area in the sea!!) Unfortunately we couldn’t find it and we realized that the sun was leaving! Night was coming!!! WOW! We were away for too long!!! We started our way back disappointed for the DNF, and we were so hungry… Cold or the moisture started falling and we were talking about my parents… oh… they will be worried and hungry too!! I was saying… how we will eat now? If night falls…. Well there was some light left, so if we were in a hurry… we could eat….

 

After some time my brother in law turned to us with fear in his eyes!!!!

- Where is my mobile phone???

- Where did you have it??? Isn’t there???

 

My brother in law made a mistake! He had his mobile hanging from the belt of his banana bag (the bad we wear around our waist…)

Oh and where the mobile phone had fallen???? Why he didn’t put the phone in the bag??? Questions like that were coming in our minds but we did not expect any answers…..

 

My brother in law wanted to go back but it was late enough! He asked if we could call his number so we could hear the ring…. Then we realized some unexpected things…. My sister didn’t have her mobile phone with her, she had forgotten it at home, and my mobile phone had low battery!!!!! Well… at least did we have any flash lights??? Nope!!!!

 

We decided to go to the car and see because my brother in law said that the mobile may had forgotten inside!

 

On our way back, I found a relic of WWII! It was an iron head of a mortar shell! WOW! I picked it up for my millitaria collection! It was not something dangerous so it was ok! It was quite heavy!!!

 

When we reached the car it was almost dark! Our parents were so worried…. They asked us what happen and we told them the whole thing!

 

Nothing was in the car, so we had to see what to do!!! It was dark, it was cold and we saw that heavy clouds were coming in the area!!! Oh boy…. If it started raining…. The mobile was going to die!!! Ok, it was in a leather mobile case, but the water….

 

So… everyone decided to go back home, take jackets, mobile phones, flashlights etc, and come back! There was no time to eat now! Even if we were starving, we had to rescue the mobile phone first! After all… it was a very expensive one!!!!!

 

We reached home and we started our preparations! We left my mother at home at least to cook something for later, and we left to go back! Me, my brother in law, my sister, and my father who brought a strong flashlight and his mobile phone too!

 

On our way it started raining!!! What a heavy rain!!!!

My brother in law was desperate! He was saying to go back and forget the mobile phone, but we insisted!!! We brought the car as close as possible, from another road, and we were waiting for the rain to pass! The area was very dangerous to go at night, so it was extremely dangerous to go with or after a rain!!!! When we reached the area we had left the car the first time, it was raining cats and dogs! We couldn’t see clearly, so we decided to wait until the rain stops!

While we were waiting in the car, we made our plan…. Me and my brother in law were going to search for the mobile phone, and.. My sister and my father would stay in the car and my sister would call my brother in law's phone number so we can hear it if we were close! Since the mobile was dark colored and…in black leather case…..

There was a little problem with that….

Ok, my brother’s in law mobile battery was full, but…. With all that rain…. The mobile phone might not work anymore….

 

Well. We didn’t have any other choice… did we?

 

After about half an hour, the rain stopped! It was time to move…time to go and find this mobile phone!

 

We put our jackets (it was cold after the rain), we opened our flash lights and left the car! WOW! During night, the area looked so different!!! Because of the rain it was very slippery too! One wrong step on the rocks…

 

My sister was calling the number all the time and we were trying to hear the mobile ringing! I hoped that it was somewhere close!

Snails were everywhere now! Everything was wet, there was no sunlight, so it was the best time for them to come out and eat! We couldn’t avoid all of them when we were walking… I still remember the sound of their shell breaking because we stepped on them!

We took a path but after a while we realized that it was a wrong one! Instead of going to the arch, we were going up on a mountain! So, we went back and started again, and this time we were on the right path!

 

We passed a wire fence and after some time we had to climb down a little… there, I slipped on a rock! I didn’t fell but from that time my anklebone was hurting me….

 

Where we started seeing the arch we heard a strange noise… a song!!! Oh boy!!! It was the ring tone of the mobile phone!!! We went quickly to the area we were hearing the song louder and YES!!!! The mobile phone was about 30 meters away from the place we first heard the ring tone! It was close to a rock, and that actually saved it!!!

 

There were only 2 – 3 drops of water on the case!!! WOW!!! We were lucky!!!

My brother in law was so happy! He took it in his hands and thanked God!!! He saw that the battery was running low! After so many calls from my sister (counted more than 100!!!) the battery had only one line….

At that time the phone started ringing again! My sister didn’t know that we found it so she was still trying…. 

My brother in law answered it but he changed his voice! My sister didn’t recognize him and when she asked who was answering the call, my brother in law told her….. “It’s me… the goat from the mountain!”!!! My sister was a little shocked but after some seconds of silence, she started laughing! We were all so happy!!!!

 

Now we could go and eat!!!! 

 

On our way back, I had once again a small accident! Jesus… Why all these things happen to me????

 

The area was full of wire fences, but one of them was so strange… it was tall like it was not there to keep animals out, but humans!!! I didn’t see it in the night and I fell on it! The wire with the iron thorns was on my throat but didn’t hurt me… thank God!!!

 

We were close to the car when we realized that the sky was clean!!!! Clean??? So it rained only to make things harder???? Hmmmmm……

 

In our home, my mother prepared food to eat! My sister called her from the car and told her the whole story! Yammies!!!! Plates with spaghetti were waiting us on the table!!!! We ate so quickly!!! We were starving….

 

I took a shower and then I opened my PC to se if I had any emails and to log the DNF! We were not feeling ok with that and we agreed to go back the next Sunday! This time we were going earlier to find the cache!!! 

 

The owners saw my log and helped a little with the hint photo! We were waiting the days to pass and Sunday came! This time nothing was going to stop us!!! We went in the area and we found the cache quickly!!! ….Yes!!! We collected some snails again!!! 

This time things were different! We had time to eat and relax after geocaching, in the area near the sea…! 

 

Now that all these passed, we remember them and laugh…. WOW!! What a day!!! Hey… we went there at night?? …does this considered to be night caching??? 

This game is so fascinating and all you can have adventures all the time….but… isn’t that the salt of life??  After all… everything that is valuable…hurts and is difficult….

 

By Nikos Stamoulis

Nikos is from the Island of Rhodes in Greece. He is the Author of the Column "GATOULIS Caching Stories"

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