Geocaching Badges, Bunny Chows and more…

Who would have thought we’d be halfway through the year already? Having been smacked with lockdown level four, I’m hoping everybody is keeping safe and healthy. Earlier in June, I had the pleasure of joining the Pretoria community at an event which I thoroughly enjoyed.
 
I had hoped to explore a bit of the Northern Cape later this month, but I believe it’s better to stay away from travel for the time being. From the perspective of the GoSA committee, we, like many of you, are gutted at the compelled cancellation of the Bay Cache Bash. Working closely with the organising committee, we had set ourselves a date of 30 June to reach the magical 300 mark to obtain mega status. Many of you would even have received personal messages alerting you to the event as well as other aspects of GoSA.
 
When 2021 started, we were feeling hopeful that COVID19 would be a thing of the past before the event. With the rise in infections, increased level of lockdown and the like, it was decided that it would be better to avoid complications and risk of infections with all indications showing that COVID19 will be a problem in South Africa for some time still.
 
I must thank and commend Jonker Fourie (FireflyAfrica) for his and his team’s tireless work and effort getting the balls rolling only for them to be ditched before the event. It’s most appreciated that we have passionate people in our community willing to dedicate their time for the greater good.
 
I’m also grateful to the contributions being made to the newsletter. We started the year trying to bring the community together and reading stories, seeing pictures, and even watching the occasional video makes me realise we’re on the right foot.
 
Be safe while caching out there and I look forward to seeing all your #GeocachingSouthAfrica photos!

There is nothing as quintessentially KZN-caching related as the BCF or Bunny Chow Friday Event Cache. There are few things that beat a tasty quarter mutton bunny, a cold beverage, and some geo-chatter to see in the weekend.
 
Did you know: The first official BCF event was held on the 11^th October 2013 and was hosted by the official “father of the BCF”, Peter (TechnoNut) Tiedt. (GC4NY9R) The event was held in the Britannia Hotel and the narrative for that cache has become the event description for most of the approximately seventy BCFs held to date:
 
The History of Bunny Chow
The bunny chow was created in Durban, home to a large community of people of Indian origin. The precise origins of the food are disputed, although its creation has been dated to the 1940s. It was also sold in Gwelo, Rhodesia, during WWII and is still sold in the nearby town of Kadoma, formerly known as Gatooma.

One story which provides an etymology for bunny chow has it that a restaurant run by people known as Banias (an Indian caste) first created the scooped-out bread and curry dish at a restaurant-cum-cafe called Kapitan's on the corner of Victoria and Albert streets in Durban. The food was a means to serve take-aways to excluded people. During the apartheid regime, Indians were not allowed in certain shops and cafes and so the shop owners found a way of serving the people through back windows, etc. This was an easy and effective way to serve the workers. The traditional Indian meal was roti and beans, however rotis tended to fall apart as a take-away item. So, they cut out the centre portion of the bread and filled it with curry and capped the filling with the portion that was cut out.

Another story of the bunny chow's origin is that, as in India, merchants who traditionally sold their wares under the 'bania' tree (also known as the banyan, or Ficus bengalensis) were called 'bania'. The use of this name is known in India going back to antiquity.

Stories of the origin of bunny chow date as far back as the migrant Indian workers arrival in South Africa. One account suggests that Indian migrant workers from India who were brought to South Africa to work the sugar cane plantations of Kwazulu-Natal (Port Natal) required a way of carrying their lunches to the field; a hollowed-out loaf of bread was a convenient way to transport their vegetarian curries. Meat based fillings came later. The use of a loaf of bread can also be ascribed to the lack of the traditional roti bread, in the absence of which a loaf of bread would be acceptable as an accompaniment to curry.
 
I recall my first bunny chow event. it was held at the “Look Out bar” in Glen Ashley – not specifically a bunny chow venue but certainly close enough for me to be able to make it there and back to the office in a reasonable time. It was back in 2014 and I had told Dom that we couldn’t possibly go to the event before finding at least 100 caches as we didn’t want the “veterans” to think that we were newbies!
 
I still recall sitting next to Beetles and Bentleys with my notebook out, making notes of peoples handles and corresponding names because a number of people exclusively made use of handles – super confusing for the newbie in awe of all these “big name” cachers with thousands of finds to their names.
 
My fears of being mocked or laughed at for our relatively low find total were soon allayed as we were welcomed into the midst of a number of likeminded, friendly strangers who shared a passion for this bizarre hobby which had taken hold of my free time (and some of my not-so-free time).
 
Pic. Post Lock-down Bunny in the Park (held 12 June 2021)

I soon learned that the only reason that one might get a bit of good old-fashioned “chirping” is if you decide to tackle your bunny with a knife and fork!

If you are in KZN and a weekend is nearby, keep an eye out for a possible “BCF” (or “BCFOS” – Bunny Chow Friday on a Saturday) near you!

Pause for a moment, think about when was the last time you experienced the thrill of an adventure? When last did your heartbeat escalate in anticipation of something new? When were you drawn into a challenge that took you out of your comfort zone, and made you forget about everything else?
 
That is the power of a geocaching adventure! Anticipation, struggle, success, unforgettable memories.

So, what is a geocaching adventure and what makes them unforgettable?
 
“Adventure” is defined in the dictionary as “an unusual and exciting or daring experience.”
 
A geocaching adventure is generally planned beforehand, with excitement building as the anticipation grows for the big day. There is also sometimes a tinge of danger, and often, things don’t go according to plan…
 
Whether you are planning to summit a mountain, wander through a forest, explore a cave, discover a hidden spot near to you, or whatever takes you outside of your comfort zone - that’s where the adventure happens. But let’s face it, not all geocaching adventures have to be dangerous, where you fear for your life. Adventure is more about attitude. It’s about having the courage to try something new, or go somewhere you haven’t gone before, or do something in a way that you haven’t done before. It’s about you, stepping out of your comfort zone and choosing to walk a different path. Adventure requires some bravery.
 
The purpose of this bimonthly article is:

Adventure is taking each experience, whether you know the ending or not, and tackling it head-on. It’s about looking at the world from a different perspective. It’s choosing to see the beauty in the mundane and finding ways to do it differently.

Some of my favourite geocaching adventures include climbing Devil’s Peak in what became a misty day, when I could just see the rock hiding the cache, and then a misty drop off into nothing.
 

Also a time when I was hanging on the end of a rope, while trying to read coordinates on the sheer rock at my feet; and finally, finding the oldest active cache in SA (Sentinel View) with my wife on our 21st wedding anniversary.
 
So, you are now officially challenged to go out there and have an adventure. If you survive, please send in your story and it could be featured in our bimonthly Geocaching Adventures article.
 
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Just a reminder that the Geocaching International Film Festival is back! Submissions open on 1 June 2021 and close on 5 August 2021. Who is going to take up the challenge and submit a South African entry?

Souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that you can earn, discover, and display on your profile page. They are associated with a particular location and may also be bound by time.