Geocaching in Faro, Portugal

The first part of my adventuring alone was looking for geocaches in Faro. We want to geocache all over Europe if we can. Each vacation outside of England we'll try to find at least one geocache. It's a great way to explore an area too. Often caches are hidden in unique sites that have some history in or significance to the area.

The first cache I found in Portugal was Aboim Ascencao. The hide is what's called a microcache. The container is very small (usually a 35 mm film canister (if people even know what that is anymore) or smaller) and only has a log book for finders to sign. No room is available to swap items. I found the hiding spot relatively quickly though I thought the design was quite clever.

View of the Refugio from the cache

The Refugio Aboim Ascencao was started in 1933 but underwent massive reorganization in 1988, when its focus on "emergencia infantil" made it a model for infant and young child care. Read more about it at their web site.

Across the street was an optometrist. It made me nervous because I kept seeing this guy out of the corner of my eye and thought he was watching me. Part of geocaching is being stealthy so non-geocachers (called "muggles") don't stumble across caches accidentally or, worse yet, report your suspicious-looking activity to the local authorities ("I swear he was hiding a small box under that bridge, officer!"). The guy in question turned out to be entirely trustworthy.

They have eyes but they do not see...

I finished logging our visit and then moved on to the next cache, Posto No 23.

This cache was nearby an old police traffic enforcement station. Apparently farmers and other shippers of goods might have to give "a gift" in order to pass the gate into town if something was amiss. Now it is just an abandoned building in the middle of a traffic  circle.

View from the cache, the booth looks terribly small

Pic from the geocache page

I also discovered some interesting art and architecture as I was wandering around looking for these caches.

Pretty yet run down second story facade

This restaurant in the middle of town has a great view overlooking the port!

We will be sure to geocache more in future countries. After these two successes, I went to see some churches. Read about them in the next blog!