I reflect upon the halcyon days of summer, when I sat in my garden with a cool glass of wine contemplating the meaning of life. My mind turned to the problems of Geocaching in my area of France, Western Loire. It’s not a region full of plastic boxes- we only have about 12 caches or so within a 100 mile radius. It’s not a region full of plastic boxes- we only have about 12 caches or so within a 100 mile radius.We don’t have the problems of being attacked by wild animals or snake bites, and the necessity of packing a rucksack full of emergency equipment, since all of these caches are no more than a mile from a car park. So why is Geocaching so inactive?

I consider with envy the 3,000 caches I left unfound in the United Kingdom when I decided to move to France, and the 65,000 or so available to my caching colleagues over in the USA. Then I look at about 400 available throughout France, of which about 380 will require an overnight stop, so what is the problem?

The region is steeped in history, traditions and customs. It is a place where, between the hours of mid-day and 2:00pm, phone and door bells go unanswered, shops close, and roads are clear of traffic. It’s lunch time, and life stands still. Weekends are traditionally for visiting friends and relatives, or, during the summer, attending one of the many village fetes available- again more a social event than fund raising. An early morning visit to the shops are not for those who are in hurry, since standing around chatting is expected and happens every 100 yards or so.

Walking in the country is usually reserved for groups; again, more social than serious trekking.

So how do you introduce the pastime of Geocaching to a culture such as this? Computers are few and far between with “Broad Band” still being thought about. Down-loading speed reflects the way of life, since nobody does “hurry” unless it’s to eat or drink, even then it’s more of a quick stroll. Outside the major cities, computer shops are like gold dust, and the possibility of finding a shop stocking GPS units is still a dream; and if found, at what price? And of course, there is the problem of language.

Even though Geocaching is in its embryonic stage, it is nevertheless still enjoyable. No doubt outside the region, Paris for instance, things are vastly different. Caches in the Western Loire are either on the coastal walks, near the Nantes to Brest Canal towpath, or close to places of historical interest. This gives holidaying Geocachers the opportunity to indulge. The scenery is interesting, varying from sand dunes and steep cliffs, to long meandering canal banks full of wildlife; all which add to the excitement of a find. Caches themselves do not hold anything of value and are rarely maintained, indicating to me that it is the hunt and the finding, and what is in a cache is of little consequence.

It would appear that any activity which interferes with tradition or custom will be difficult. There is only a handful of Cachers in the region so a FTF is not difficult- usually a few weeks after a visiting holiday maker has placed and registered their cache and departed for home; maybe to return next year or maybe not, as I said we don’t do “hurry."

Envious as I am of those I read about, who can knock off a couple a caches at lunch time, or a dozen a day, I still think I’m lucky when I consider other areas of the world worse off than me. My daughter in Kuwait, for instance, has 2 caches, and both can be done before breakfast.

I have faith in the fantastic pastime of Geocaching, and I am sure that some day in the not too distant future, we in the Western Loire will be a Geocaching force to be reckoned with. In the meantime it’s back to a cool glass of wine and contemplating the meaning of life and perhaps a few virtuals.