Remember my
December 26, 2012 blog where I was trying to decide between a trip across the United States or a trip to Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Well my readers were split on which trip I should take but the final decision is...neither. After going to the L.A. travel show I have decided on the most amazing trip. At one of the booths was a company called the "Global Scavenger Hunt." After hearing all about the trip, and reading all about it online, Maria and I put in our application.
So what all is involved? We are going to travel to 10 countries over a period of 23 days. But here's the catch. I don't know what 10 countries I am going to and I won't know each country until 4 hours before I depart to a country. This trip has been described as a "blind date with the world."
The Global Scavenger Hunt is a contest where two teams will be given a list of things to do that earn points. Below are some examples with the answers provided.
Item One: (25 points) Ride a four-legged beast around one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Pyramids) wearing a traditional Arab galabyia and headdress purchased in Khan al-Khalili. (Cairo's Grand Bazaar)
Item Two: (10 points) Find the early morning market that sells so-called "Blue Gold," taste it. (Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo sells Bluefin sushi tuna at dawn)
Item Three: (25 points) Visit the "Temple of Love" and find a nearby soothsayer who uses an unusual friend to assist him and have your fortunes told. (Near the Taj Mahal Toothy Malya uses a 60-year old monkey as his celestial assistant)
Item Four: (25 points) While in the 'City of Waters' learn the local dance from an instructor inside the "World's Largest Shopping Center". (In Kapali Carsi - the Covered Bazaar, you'll find a belly dancing studio...take a class!)
Item Five: (25 points) Locate a place where you can swim with a bull shark. One Teammate must do it! (Answer: Singapore's Underwater World)
Item Six: (15 points) Attend an Orthodox Easter Midnight Mass in Greece. (Visit an Athens cathedral for the once a year ceremony.)
Item Seven: (20 points) Singing "Born to be Wild" in a Ginza-district karaoke bar with at least three new friends. Prove it. (Must go to Tokyo, Japan and take a video.)
Item Eight: (50 points...and a lot of karma points too!) Choose from one of the following four humanitarian organizations and donate a half-day of your time assisting the people of a Tibetan refugee camp. (While in Nepal, doing good and having fun too!)
Item Nine: (25 points) Learn the Cyrillic alphabet over a pint of beer with a new friend in Sofia, Bulgaria. (Okay, it takes two pints!)
Item Ten: (20 points) Play a round at the Dubai's Royal golf course. (Visit Dubai and play some golf at a special course.)
Item Eleven: (25 points) Ride an Icelandic pony across a glacier. (Watch out for volcanoes too!)
Item Twelve: (50 points) Take an elephant safari a spot a Royal Bengal tiger in Rajasthan.
What made my mind up was when I was told that there was the opportunity to do charity work, (for example, read item eight above). Trusting strangers in strange lands is the unofficial motto of the scavenger hunt, and helping strangers in strange lands is the goal of the Great Escape Foundation. The GreatEscape Foundation was created in 2000 as an IRS-approved tax-exempt 501(c)(3) California-based non-profit organization, designed to promote charitable giving and other noble causes associated with the annual The Global Scavenger Hunt™ events.
In 2010-2011 the Great Escape Foundation funded the building of five coed elementary schools in Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, India and Kenya, along with a secondary girls school Kenya. They are also completing the funding and building of a 2-year school building project in Niger.
If you would be interested in making a tax deductible donation please contact me at travelforless@earthlink.net.
