Sparking Renewed Interest in Geocaching

On Facebook, some friend of a friend asked for recommendations for interesting outings to do with visiting, elderly parents. A person, whom I don't know, suggested taking several geocaching trips.

Ah yeah! I first talked about that when I had a standalone Garmin GPS. I got that device in June of 2004. That summer I discovered the whole hobby of geocaching. I remember even finding a cache with friends in the middle of the woods in Golden Ears Provincial Park that summer. It is apparently still there and active!

I am going to get back into this. It is a perfect extra little activity that is great exercise and usually allows one to find a location that is somewhat inspiring. Perhaps I'll even get a cache of my own going again somewhere within walking distance of the apartment, so I can easily maintain it, at least during summers.

With a little effort, I successfully reactivated my former account at geocaching.com and now the hobby is super easy on a phone. I loaded the Android c:geo app, logged in, and I'm ready to go!


July 27, 2004 in Golden Ears Provincial Park. My ancient Garmin helped us locate a find on that long-ago day.

"Where are You?"

I've been rather fascinated with GPS devices since my first handheld Garmen. It must be said that I never really fooled around with a dedicated car model. Of course, since owning a smartphone I've used Google navigation a few times. Foursquare has probably been my most important reason for using the built-in GPS. That was until now.



I just discovered Glympse in the Android market. I can think of many practical ways in which this software might be helpful. Its widespread use might even lead to less of the annoying question always overheard by cell phone users on public transit.


Glympse has already made its way to my phone's home screen.

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I Used to Be a Mayor

I got a notification the other day that I'd lost my mayorship.



For those of you who don't know what foursquare is, I'll try to give you a brief lowdown. Foursquare is a location app for phones. As there's a GPS unit in all smartphones nowadays, they can show the exact location within a few meters for anywhere on the planet. This allows the phone app to display the businesses that are around one at any particular moment. When a person checks-in to a place, Foursquare keeps track and publishes the owers' whereabouts. As an incentive to continue bothering to check in, there are badges to be won. People can get hooked on games, you know!

A mayorship means that you have been at a specific location more than any other visitor. In the fall when travelling in Morocco, I became the major of the Tanger Train Station. I held that position for a few months but now someone called Aida has claimed that role. Unfortunately, I don't plan on being able to get back to that country to reclaim my post in the foreseeable future.

Where Am I? --- My Phone Knows!

I signed up on foursquare.com even before I got a smartphone. I knew that it'd be interesting to be able to report my whereabouts on a GPS-enabled device. The whole idea of being able to check-in at places far and wide seemed a natural extension of blogging and tweeting.

I never did manage to add many friends on that platform. Of course that would be where the fun could begin, as one could keep track of others. For example, if enough local acquaintances were on-board, then we might be able to extemporaneously meet up for coffee when circumstance brought us into the same area. Alas, that really wasn't in the cards as I never knew enough people who were into smartphones. I kept at it anyway. For example, I was able to check in on occasion on this fall's trip to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. It was nice that places had been saved and locations of the world were busily being mapped. I had these check-ins automatically loaded to my Facebook and Twitter accounts.


Badii Palace, Marrakech, Morocco - Taken September 26, 2010

Now Facebook, itself, has added Places for mobile devices. I am afraid that they are starting from behind in the total number of locations marked; however, they're a force to be reckoned with. I have made a few tentative tries at checking-in with the Android Facebook app. It seems to work. I cannot output to Twitter from Facebook places, but I have a much larger audience of friends in the Facebook environment. Shall I delete Foursquare from my phone?

Finding Hidden Treasure

I got my old Garmin GPS back in June of 2004. I thought it was the cat's meow for a little while. Initially, I was excited about the idea of geocaching. I probably located less than a dozen before my interest started to wane. Entering data on that old device was a real chore. It just proved too cumbersome to keep up with that hobby.

Welcome June 2010 and the arrival of my Nexus One phone! I spotted software in the Android Market entitled, c:geo. It takes all the effort out of connecting to the www.geocaching.com website. It can even automatically locate geocaches that are near to one's present location. That ease translates into my renewed interest in geocaching. Here's a little YouTube clip explaining what the idea is all about.


Watch the clip directly on YouTube.

I Was Told Where to Go!

Today I didn't accomplish much of anything. I had the day off but will be teaching during the whole next two consecutive weeks, including Fridays. The weather started out rather poorly but now it's sunny and supposedly it's going to reach 25C tomorrow! That will be the first taste of summer, we've felt in 2010. (I guess there were several warm days at the beginning of May when we were away.) To drive the point home, I just turned the gas fireplace off. It has been on low for weeks and weeks.

I did manage to drive to Walmart as they sell cheap hydrogen peroxide. I use a capful as mouthwash every day now. During my last checkup, the dental hygienist was impressed with the condition of my mouth. So, I am going to continue with that regimen. While on the way there I listened to turn-by-turn directions on my new phone. Just this week Google finally switched on navigation for Canada and a bunch of European countries. Of course the device was just on the seat but I wonder what the trip would've looked like in Street View.



I once had a love affair with my Garmin GPS. It was five years ago that I got it and became interested in geocaching. That unit is not nearly as sensitive as my new Nexus One seems to be. I do have to explore whether geocaching is still a thing. Perhaps there's an app for that, to steal a phrase from those other smartphone people. No, I didn't mean the Blackberry crowd.

Twenty Minutes Each Way

My pedometer says I've been 9,117 steps so far today. That's means I will easily hit my goal. Speaking of measurements, I found that the sun was so bright and sky so clear I just couldn't keep my old Garmin in the drawer. Once, I was all excited about GPS technology. It was about five years ago that I bought the hand-held device but for the last several it has not even been switched on.

For a change, I decided to throw the GPS into the truck today. I have never paid that much attention to stats on my commute to the campus. Here are some facts on the round trip. I travelled the usual route and didn't encounter any unusual circumstances:

Trip Odometer 21.4 km

Maximum Speed 80.9 km

Moving Average 38.4 kph

Overall Average 32.0 kph

Moving time 33:20 min

Stopped 6:43 min

Finding a Needle

As a kid, I loved maps. I'm a bit surprised that I seldom open Google Earth. I didn't even know V4 was in beta. Earth is really an amazing example of what can happen when you marry online data, the means manipulate it, and a screen on which to show it.

We're planning a return trip to Sri Lanka in the fall; therefore, I effortlessly zoomed over to the other side of the earth with my mouse. I wanted to see if I could spot Jay's home. I located Minuwangoda fairly easily by knowing where it is located in relation to other landmarks. Yet trying to get to the Yatiyana Junction proved difficult as the resolution in the area isn't excellent.

I was about to give up when I suddenly realized I had the GPS coordinates. When there in 2004, I ran around with my Garmin. It had been loads of fun measuring speed and distances when renting 3-wheel tuktuks. I also kept accurate tabs on country-wide places of interest. So yesterday, I just typed in the waypoint of the house and I immediately flew into the right neighbourhood.



The area in the circle contains the red, tile roof of the house. The white area is his brother's house that's under construction. You can also see the bend in the road right by the house. It seemed somehow fitting that satellite technology let me save the location within a few metres and I could later type in a math string and end up with a satellite image of that far-away spot.

Forget Carmen Sandiego!

Where in the world am I? Any web page can include information about it's geographic location in the form of an ICBM code meta tag. Since the beginning of this blog, I've included the following in my blog template:

"meta name="ICBM" content="49.205, -122.906"
"meta name="DC.title" content="my eJournal and images"

It's just the longititude and lattitude and an associated name. Now, with the wide spread use of GPS equipment, I'd think the practice would be more widespread. The information can be used in various ways, for example GeoUrl provides easy access to sites near 'my eJournal and images'. Additionally, I found this interesting map and notation which combines site location information with GoogleMaps:

Knowing Where You Stand

Last July, I first showed the ability to connect my old Compaq iPaq to my Garmin GPS. Believe it or not, I don't think we've ventured on any sort of 'road trip' since then. We have had vacations, including several months in Sri Lanka, but no times where I've driven over 100 kilometers away from this apartment!

So I am looking forward to our trip down to see Lynne and Joel next week. I've loaded a set of three files converted from Microsoft Streets and Maps into my pocket version. Now with the GPS on the dashboard, my iPaq will show exactly where we are along our journey. Imagine being able to accurate know one's location within three metres as one flies down the highway at 120 kph!

Even more amazing is the fact I could exit into any town and watch our progress on named streets in the unknown location. I can also toggle on or off 'Points of Interest' at will. These include places like rest stops, restaurants, and even hospitals. A quick connection with the web site downloaded all current highway construction information. We're ready to head out on Tuesday although I would've known where to go without any of the technology.


Out in the 'boonies' there's not much detailed information.

More Digital Blue

The days have been quite extraordinary weather-wise. My usual idea of 'getting out' means to pull up a chair on the balcony but yesterday afternoon was much too fine to do only that.

Do click on this little picture to get a larger view of New Westminster from a bit down-river. It was taken near the Annacis Channel.

I went to locate GCMTEM: Lulu's Tailbone. My GPS showed a reading of only 1.63 kilometers from the apartment; however, that would've been how the crow flies. Actually, to be more accurate, it would have been how the salmon swims. So, I drove to get across the Queensborough Bridge and onto Lulu island. The cache find was quick and rewarding and gave me enough time to walk aimlessly around both Wal-mart and Best Buy before the return home.

Satellites Still Orbiting

Yesterday, I blogged some waypoints and this act prompted me to blow the dust off my GPS unit. Moreover, my teaching was curtailed again due to the support workers strike at BCIT. Finally, the sun was so warm I found myself running around outside in a short-sleeved t-shirt (and pants).

Those factors prompted me to go searching for GCM5B0 - Delusions of Grandeur on Friday. Had it not been to find the geocache, I would have never stepped into the cute little neighbourhood park.


It was 1:30 pm and completely deserted except for a squirrel.

GPS Waypoints in Sri Lanka

Some Sri Lankans must still be sorting out their lives after the tsunami. None of Jay's relatives were affected by the devastation. All that news coverage has made our trip there seem like an eternity ago.

I carried my trusty Garmin eTrex Legend when travelling around Sri Lanka last autumn. Blog entries and large-format photos are available in my eJournal and images from September and October of 2004. (Check the label tags near the bottom of the left column to see travel entries from various trips to Sri Lanka.)

VIEW BLOGGED TRIP TEXT & PICS: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09.

Having a GPS was a fantastic way to measure distances when going by tuk-tuk and it provided access to interesting facts such as a trip's average speed. Furthermore, having the device during a walk meant we'd always be able to find our way back to our hotel.

I had been meaning to post some waypoints of Sri Lankan landmarks and towns. After all, it is data that others could find useful. If only the town's name is listed then the location is generally within sight of the municipal clock tower.


GPS WGS-84 Degree Decimals

ANARADHAPURA ISURUMUNIYA
N8.334644 - E80.390191

ANARADHAPURA MILANO REST
N8.325069 - E80.416882

ANARADHAPURA MIRISAWETIYA
N8.344647 - E80.389109

ANARADHAPURA OLD BUS STAND
N8.322793 - E80.402801

ANARADHAPURA SACRED BO TREE
N8.344879 - E80.397189

ARUGAM BAY ALOHA CABANAS
N6.845226 - E81.831648

BATTICALOA
N7.714217 - E81.697649

CHILAW
N7.578397 - E79.794457

COLOMBO CLOCKTOWER
N6.936882 - E79.849199

COLOMBO FORT
N6.933611 - E79.850277

COLOMBO PETTA BUS
N6.937658 - E79.855347

DAMBULLA
N7.874215 - E80.651047

DAMBULLA ROCK TEMPLE
N7.856444 - E80.648583

HABARANA JUNCTION
N8.039939 - E80.755352

JA ELA
N7.081045 - E79.890935

JAFFNA BUS STAND
N9.666846 - E80.011721

JAFFNA KOVIL
N9.674477 - E80.029744

JAFFNA NAGADEEPA
N9.612507 - E79.774415

JAFFNA TELLIPPALAI
N9.775081 - E80.030137

JAFFNA YARRA CITY VILLAS
N9.665941 - E80.010728

KADURUWELA
N7.932015 - E81.031836

KANDY TEMPLE OF TOOTH (BY LAKE)
N7.292992 - E80.641127

MAHIYANGANA
N7.339841 - E80.992902

MAHIYANGANA SORABORAWEVA VILLAGE INN
N7.346142 - E80.996470

MAHIYANGANA VEDDHA VILLAGE
N7.417270 - E81.104253

MANNAR
N8.977004 - E79.913796

MEDIRGIRYA
N8.156171 - E80.996157

MIHINTALE
N8.351206 - E80.517786

MINUWANGODA
N7.168577 - E79.947159

MINUWANGODA JAY'S HOUSE
N7.179281 - E79.936866

MINUWANGODA YATIYANA JUNCTION
N7.172511 - E79.936551

MONARAGALA
N6.872113 - E81.352144

MONARAGALA VICTORY INN
N6.868328 - E81.347858

NEGOMBO
N7.208611 - E79.835833

NITTAMBUWA
N7.142252 - E80.096333

NUGEGODA
N6.873509 - E79.891061

NUGEGODA LAL'S HOME
N6.872903 - E79.901716

POLONNRUWA
N7.940648 - E80.998765

PUTTALAM
N8.028525 - E79.833726

RATNAPURA
N6.682679 - E80.402363

RATNAPURA OLD REST HOUSE
N6.682878 - E80.404378

RITIGALA
N8.118091 - E80.660367

RUWANVALI
N8.350087 - E80.396894

SIGIRIYA (ON TOP OF THE ROCK)
N7.957361 - E80.760218

SIGIRIYA LION'S PAW
N7.957883 - E80.760130

TANTIRMLAI
N8.572301 - E80.255381

TRINCOMALEE
N8.577417 - E81.234517

TRINCOMALEE FRENCH BEACH REST
N8.610594 - E81.219089

TRINCOMALEE HOT WATER SPRINGS
N8.604507 - E81.171240

TRINCOMALEE SWAMI ROCK
N8.582705 - E81.245586

VAVUNIYA
N8.753517 - E80.498074

VAVUNIYA VANNI INN
N8.751021 - E80.498543

VEYANGODA
N7.154103 - E80.057723

If you are interested in receiving a .gpx or .loc file of this data, please request by email.

The Neighbourhood

They're at it again -- making food that is! Jay's making a fuitcake. His sisters are preparing pickles, and a type of sweet dessert. This time the preparation is for tomorrow's dinner and Thursday's lunch. The one-year memorial for Jay's mother will take place here. There was a similar 3-month occasion that was very elaborate. This one will be smaller with just family members and a few neighbours.

Tomorrow, in preparation, a monk will come in the evening for a sermon. Then on Thursday's lunch, seven monks will come for a big almsgiving. I don't feel out-of-place here but these days promise to be a new experience. I hadn't seen Jay's mom since my 1991 visit.

On a completely different note: I walked 5.7 kilometers around the neighbourhood here. Without my GPS, I'd have been royally lost. We're only about ten miles from the international airport but the roads and paths to home are pure jungle! Once I was only 570 meters from the house but walked a way which was impossible to traverse. I had to reverse back to another road. I saw, among other things: rice paddies, a swimming hole, a temple, and a school where little kids were anxious to try out their English lessons. The shouted, "What's your name?"

Ferry to Nagadeepa

The water from the tap is salty here and, even after a shower, I need lots of baby powder so as to not feel sticky. Today, we went by local bus and ferry to visit an outer island. First, we travelled over a causeway which was in rather poor condition.

A Buddhist temple, Nagadeepa, was the first stop on the Buddha's second visit to Sri Lanka. When we were there, my GPS showed us in the middle of water. (The internal map contains information primarily for North America, and the rest of the world is made of polygons.) It was a very interesting journey that ended as we returned to the hotel at 2:00 pm.



My battery charger is used for the GPS and my camera batteries. Unfortunately, I think I burnt it out with the 240 to 120 adapter. It did used to get quite hot! The electronics shop did not carry a 500Ma transformer here. It looks like I'll have to conserve battery power on the rest of this journey. We'll have been on the road for two weeks come tomorrow …

Trinco Travels

Last night the window was open to the ocean breezes and I slept soundly. I like beach-front property, I guess. Breakfast here was quick (by their standards) and we took the 3-wheel that was waiting. He brought is to:

Swami Rock and Thirukoneswarm Kovil

Kanniyai Hot Wells

For an interesting overview of these places, visit Trincomalee in Legend and History. They were interesting. We were gone over two hours and about 25 kilometers.

Upon returning, we walked up our beach to a river. It blocked our further progress, so we turned around. It's very hard to distinguish distance when walking on a long beach, but the GPS comes in handy at these times. All meals end up being at the hotel as it's convenient and reasonably priced. I took another nap. Quite the life, eh?

To the East for a Day

This was our last breakfast near the canal. We checked out of the hotel although my MasterCard didn't work. I think the receptionist did something wrong when trying to verify it. We then talked to the local bus station (up and around the corner) and grabbed a local bus to Kaduwalla's larger bus stand. We have decided to stray from the triangle and go to the eastern town of Batticaloa. This area was strictly off the visitor's path during the war years.

It was a long-distance bus, so we ended up sitting around for 45 mintues before it started to move. On the trip, I used my GPS, so I know we traveled 90 kilometers. Yet lest you think it was an hour's journey; I have to inform that it was more than two and a half. The road, you see, hasn't been maintained since the ethnic troubles started in the early 80's.



Upon arrival, a 3-wheel took us to the Lake View Inn. It was a short walk across a bridge which we'll walk for tomorrow's bus. We walked around town and saw that the Dutch Fort although unknown by name to the locals . . . is where many government offices still function. A second walk confirmed that this is definitely a stray puppy city. I shaved off my hair and I sort of miss my tail. As my sandals lost a strap, I thew them away for a pair of new Battas.

Back and Forth

We returned to Minuwangoda this morning. Bobbie, Lal's youngest sister came too. We travelled again by van and happened, by chance, to see another of Lal's sisters and friend and dropped them off in Borella. There were 17 children in his family! Lal is lavish and bought string hoppers for dinner; I think he ordered 400!

The GPS worked well as a means of measurement on the highway. It was exactly 42K from house to house. The fast speed we managed on the major highway was about 50 KPH. I had copied over some old analog tapes of previous visits to Sri Lanka on my new digital camcorder. It was fun for everyone to watch how different we looked in 1991. Jay's dad likes to tip one back and was waiting for Lal and I to arrive!

We were again promptly in bed at 10:00 so we'll be able to get an early start on our departure to Kandy tomorrow morning.

Being Local Tourists

We ran around yesterday afternoon during the break in the weather to capture a little of the area on digital video tape as it will interest Jay's family in Sri Lanka. We went to the end of the SkyTrain line and then hopped on the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. At first it feels embarrassing to take video of your own city until you realize that people will just assume you're a tourist.

There were four cruise ships in port. Three were docked at Canada Place and they were about to leave because most 7-day Alaskan cruises start on Sunday evenings. I'd forgotten just how enormous those babies are! Some carry over 2500 passengers plus crew. Yesterday, I took the GPS, so I can include several (WGS84 datum) waypoints:

Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver, BC

N49 18.577
W123 04.971

Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

N49 17.292
W123 06.814

Granville SkyTrain Entrance, the Hudson Bay Co., Vancouver, BC

N49 16.979
W123 07.036

GCJQVV Tannery Park Geocache

Now, my geocache hidden across the river has been discovered twenty-seven times. Actually, my friend Joel found it a few weeks back with my help and GPS, but he is not yet a member on the www.geocaching.com website.) By scrolling down the linked page, you can read the most recent of the 26 comments found there.


Click here ---> GCJQVV Tannery Park