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[GlosRFC]

Anyone else having a go at this?

http://thehunt.volvocars.net/uk/thehunt.htm

You'll need to register an email address and they send you the first clue and you'll be off and running. Some interesting puzzles to try to solve.

Oh, you'll also need to input a code so here's a few you can input:
S1L73R
1001
27072006

I've managed to get to Pulau Jong so far - just waiting for the next clue to be published in a few days time. If anyone else is playing along, I can post a few hints :wink

[bigcumba]

haven't started yet, but I certainly intend doing so! Ta muchly for the link and the codes :)

[piggy]

have you had to delete the codes for a reason glos?

[piggy]

:doh doooooh :D

[GlosRFC]

:doh doooooh :D

That was the first puzzle....and you failed :D

[piggy]

glos how the ::swear does this work iv'e thrown the dice got 6-6 tried moving the key/compass ??????? what am i meant to be doing , how do i know when ive solved something, how do i get the next clue etc etc can't seem to make any sense of this, please put me on the right track

[markwales]

Same here Piggy, gave up after 30 mins moving stuff around.

[bigcumba]

me too... :rolleyes:

[GlosRFC]

If you register you get a clue....for those that want to play along without registering, this is the clue:

Roll the dice until they're twelve
Our destiny reveals itself

So roll the dice individually until you get twelve...note the word between them? Might it not also phonetically be pronounced in the same way as another word that means reveal? That's a second clue that you enter on the Solution card...type the word in and it will take you to the next stage of the game and another clue.

On the right of the screen there are 4 cards in this order....Davey Jones, Skull, Eyes, and Solution Card. Just click the card you want, or are told to click, and drag it onto the map. If you click on the link About the Hunt at the top of the screen, you'll find another set of links...one of them, called How To Hunt, contains a quick demo of how to solve a clue (using the compass) and how to enter it onto the solution card. Once you've watched the demo, click on the Home link to go back to the map

[GlosRFC]

One more game-play hint...don't forget to record the clue words along with the lat/long co-ordinates, and bookmark the page those co-ordinates take you too :)

[scaaty]

I'm stuck in Bermuda, digging holes in the sand - only found one number so far on a bit of old china, can't find any more yet :doh

[scaaty]

One more game-play hint...don't forget to record the clue words along with the lat/long co-ordinates, and bookmark the page those co-ordinates take you too :)

Oh rats, I didn't take notes of anything - does that mean I'll have to start again ?

[GlosRFC]

If it's not in your history, yes. Or check to see if you can still see the Go To Bermuda message. Alternatively, just type in the name of the Solution Word by reloading the Island Map

And keep digging...the clue to another coordinate is there somewhere :wink

[scaaty]

Got it! This is fun, thanks for posting it :)
Off to Madeira now - if I bookmark the destinations, do I still need to note the coordinates?

[GlosRFC]

No need....although I wrote them down just in case.

Hope you did make a note of something else you might've seen once you dug up the Madeira clue :wink

[scaaty]

Yep, Madeira was easy, so was Cancer, but I'm totally stuck on St Helena!
Got the clue solved, got to the top of the ladder, found number scratched on rock, at a loss what to do now - wondering if I should have noted the numbers on the rungs ? Can't seem to cimb the ladder again tho'..... hmmm, let me think ! :doh :rolleyes:

[GlosRFC]

You can keep climbing up and down the ladder if you put your mouse in the right place to start and then drag up and down....and the numbers are significant. Remember the clue word? That's significant too.

Might be worth going back to the page to see if there's anything strange about the sequence of numbers...a pen and a large sheet of paper would be handy!

[scaaty]

You read my mind! Just been back and written down all the numbers/letters - all 93 of them!!! :yikes:
Still baffled though, just looks like a random list to me with a few NSEW thrown in ..... I can go up or down ok while I'm on the ladder but once I've reached the top can only go down to one rung with S-78 on it, clicking anywhere takes me back to the top again. Arghhh ! I'm hopeless with numbers, I need another clue - pleeeeeeease :D

[GlosRFC]

One clue for now....there are 98 rungs, not 93...not all have numbers on them! The "-" is not a minus sign either so, start at the bottom, look at the first number...then count. And you'll notice something strange about your list if you visit St Helena again.

Off to bed now so good luck...more help tomorrow perhaps :)

[scaaty]

Thanks, will carry on thinking ! :)

[scaaty]

Yaaaaay, I did it !!! :wiggle:

All fell into place when I realised there was an arrow there - I can go to bed happy now :D

[John]

Just started it. You guys seem to be doing pretty well. Difficult to make sense of the map though but the guy with 2 revealing eyes looks funky. Anyway...

The clue I got given was

The key ring round the biggest rock
Point west and catch the port we dock

No idea what that means and the dice don't really have a correlation with the phrase (but the dice must have a purpose somewhere)...

The quest continues...

[John]

OK the biggest rock is Costa's Rock; a rock off the main part of the map.

However the only place pointing West is Pirate Point. Placing the key over Pirate Point and pointing that West reaches somewhere between Hanging Bats and One Stone. But where do the dice come in? Saying the words out allowed don't reference me to any numbers or codes of any sort either.

Perplexing for my little brain to cope with!

[John]

Count Bay is right near Pirate Point but this doesn't point West. But maybe I have to count something.

[GlosRFC]

You've got it John...put the "ring" of the key around the largest rock you've named, rotate the key so it's pointing due west and read off the word you can see. That's the word you need to enter on the Solution Card.

And you should've used the dice as part of the first clue...it isn't a board game though, so you don't have to throw the dice every clue.

[markwales]

I get the Go To Bermuda screen, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere afterwards!!

Been sat staring at 'Go To Bermuda' for 15 mins now :yikes:

[markwales]

Got it :D

[GlosRFC]

Have you actually been to Bermuda yet? Try clicking on Bermuda on the map.....

If you've solved Bermuda, Madeira, and the Tropic of Cancer you need the second main clue in order to gain access to St Helena. This should arrive in your email. But if you can't wait it's:

Follow the stream from shore to source
The Skull reveals the secret course

Reload the game, solve that clue, enter the answer on the Solution Card and you wil be off and running again...alternatively open a new browser window and open the St Helena bookmark you saved. You did save it, didn't you? :D

[GlosRFC]

Yaaaaay, I did it !!! :wiggle:

All fell into place when I realised there was an arrow there - I can go to bed happy now :D

Well done. Took me a while to figure it out until I asked myself what I was supposed to be counting! Good luck solving the Isle of St Mary.

[markwales]

I got that clue Glos, solved it, but can't get out of the part where I
m searching for bits of pottery.... have put the plate together, but didn't write the coordinates down and now can't get back to the plate !!

[John]

You've got it John...put the "ring" of the key around the largest rock you've named, rotate the key so it's pointing due west and read off the word you can see. That's the word you need to enter on the Solution Card.

I can't see a word! :( That's if appears on the map or something...? I've tried to enter words like "hanging" and "bats" but they don't seem to work. I don't think I'm on the right track.

Still not sure where these dice are meant to come in either... :Doh

[markwales]

Which country/level are you at John?

[markwales]

I can't see a word! :( That's if appears on the map or something...? I've tried to enter words like "hanging" and "bats" but they don't seem to work. I don't think I'm on the right track.



I've not had to enter this, but try 'count' :wink

[John]

The very first bit Mark, the opening one.

[John]

Thanks! That was odd though, because Count Point was the name of the rock adjacent to Pirate Point, which didn't point West. Anyway...

OK this next bit is tricky. "Use this solution on the corresponding location somewhere on the Seven Seas." So I presume Count Bay has relevance again... just got to work out where the Seven Seas are!

[John]

Done it...

Got to the GO TO BERMUDA screen... but can't actually click on the words GO TO BERBUDA.

[John]

Laughing at my own intelligence here :laugh

OK I'm in Bermuda! :D

[John]

In Madeira now... love this game. :D

[scaaty]

I woke up with a splitting headache this morning after staring at the screen till 3am ! You know those glasses you gave me in the Wally game Glos ? I think I might need them soon gosh :yikes:
Found eight numbers on St Mary, just have to work out what to do with the symbols to arrange them as coordinates - I think.
I haven't had to solve a second clue yet though, I take it you don't need to if you've bookmarked the location ?
Have to go and do boring stuff now, but I'll be back to carry on later this evening :)

[John]

Any chance of a Madeira clue before you go? I've listened to what that guy says a thousand times. Taken note of the numbers... tried them with different combos... nothing! :(

[scaaty]

Hope you did make a note of something else you might've seen once you dug up the Madeira clue :wink

Maybe this will help ? You may have to go back and check that Madeira cue again ! :D

[John]

Hmmmm... so it was something I dug up in Bermuda?

I found the wine bottle with the year it was made on it, and revealeed the coordinates by splashing the wine that spilt out into the box on to the label.

Hmm......... perplexing once again!

Stopping for a break now though, I'll come back to it later.

Thanks.

[GlosRFC]

I got that clue Glos, solved it, but can't get out of the part where I
m searching for bits of pottery.... have put the plate together, but didn't write the coordinates down and now can't get back to the plate !!

You'll have to start from Bermuda again :anger

[GlosRFC]

John, I don't know why you were getting Bats or Hanging as they're not exactly west of Costa's Rock. If you place the circular ring of the key around the rock and then point the key directly west (i.e. towards Scar Mountain) you should see a word appear between the two bars of the key. You will need this clue when you've got past Madeira and the Tropic of Cancer.

Talking of Madeira, you say you've listened to what the old pirate guy says and taken a note of the numbers? Are you sure because he tells you what the next coordinates are!

[markwales]

Stuck on the ladder at St Helena and giving up!!..... spent too many hours trying to work it out already.

[GlosRFC]

Yeah, that puzzle is tricky.

But note the first rung says --> 35? So, using the main clue for this level, count up to the 35th rung. The number there is 1-64...the 1 is the first letter of the next coordinate and should be written down while 64 is the next rung to move to. Go to the 64th rung, write down the first number/letter and move to the rung indicated by the second number. Keep following this pattern until you have the full coordinate.

[scaaty]

Any hints for St Mary ? Didn't look too bad at first, but now I've got 10 numbers, 9 with symbols and one without :doh
Symbols look like they might have something to do with the moon ???

[GlosRFC]

For St Mary's you need to find 11 numbers/letters - best advice is to write down the symbols and you can then spot the pattern to determine the right order in which to put the numbers/letters. Another hint is that you know the N must be in position 5 and the E in position 11 so that it fits the standard coordinate format.

[MarcusMel]

Got to the barrels but no clue what to do with them unless the bottle's label was a clue and I only found one bit of plate. Only just started but writing down loads of numbers is not my idea of fun.

[scaaty]

For St Mary's you need to find 11 numbers/letters - best advice is to write down the symbols and you can then spot the pattern to determine the right order in which to put the numbers/letters. Another hint is that you know the N must be in position 5 and the E in position 11 so that it fits the standard coordinate format.

I take it the extra number with no symbols (far left of first screen) is a red herring then .... have the symbols written down but not seeing the pattern yet. Not had much time to study it today though so I'll try later once I get some peace!

[GlosRFC]

Got to the barrels but no clue what to do with them unless the bottle's label was a clue and I only found one bit of plate. Only just started but writing down loads of numbers is not my idea of fun.

As well as using the wine to reveal the location of Madeira, there was also a date on the bottle. When you're in Madeira, check out the dates on the barrels and see if you can spot a match to the date on the bottle. Click that barrel and the next part of the puzzle will be revealed to you. Solve that puzzle and you can move to the Tropic of Cancer to collect the rest of the plate.

[John]

John, I don't know why you were getting Bats or Hanging as they're not exactly west of Costa's Rock.

True, but on the map, North, South and East are not exactly in their correct positions as you look at them, so I thought that West must be somewhere in the bottom left hand corner of the map! The word "Count" gets revealed though as you pointed out, with the key around Costa's Rock pointing "proper" West.


Talking of Madeira, you say you've listened to what the old pirate guy says and taken a note of the numbers? Are you sure because he tells you what the next coordinates are!

He sort of does, but there's other numbers in there to confuse you.

Will be continuing with this tomorrow night anyhow.

[markwales]

He sort of does, but there's other numbers in there to confuse you.

Will be continuing with this tomorrow night anyhow.

There ars no other numbers John, the guy tells you the map reference....

[GlosRFC]

True, but on the map, North, South and East are not exactly in their correct positions as you look at them, so I thought that West must be somewhere in the bottom left hand corner of the map! The word "Count" gets revealed though as you pointed out, with the key around Costa's Rock pointing "proper" West.

How do you figure that out? On any map, North is always at the top, West is directly to the left, South at the bottom, and East points right. You might be referring to North, East, and South Capes...but these names only indicate their relative proximity to the true compass directions.

And try writing down the numbers and directions that the old pirate guy tells you :wink

[scaaty]

For St Mary's you need to find 11 numbers/letters - best advice is to write down the symbols and you can then spot the pattern to determine the right order in which to put the numbers/letters. Another hint is that you know the N must be in position 5 and the E in position 11 so that it fits the standard coordinate format.

Nope, this one's got me beat! Been fidding with these symbols for hours, I'm going to be dreaming about big yellow three-quarter circles chasing me like giant pacmen ! And I still can't see any pattern, no idea where to start :doh
The coordinates are 8 numbers and two letters which leaves one left over .... a comma maybe ?

[GlosRFC]

Yes, it's a toughie but quite simple once you've worked it out. Remember that coordinates can be 0-90 degrees, and 0-59 minutes for latitude but 0-180 degrees, 0-59 minutes for longitude. So any coordinate will be either xxxxL xxxxL or xxxxL xxxxxL where x = a number and L = N, E, W, or S.

So you should be looking to find an extra number to go along with the 8 you already have. And you know where the two letters go in the xxxxL xxxxxL sequence. You should also be able to figure out that the first digit in the second coordinate must be a 1.

The other clue is for the symbols. It's pretty much the same as the St Helena puzzle but it uses symbols instead of numbers to indicate the sequence. Basically, the top symbol indicates where it connects to the previous digit, while the bottom symbol indicates where it connects to the next digit in the sequence. What you have to do is to align the symbols so that they make complete circles.

So if you have a D as the top symbol, that must be aligned to a mirror image on a bottom symbol...you therefore know that the number/letter associated with the D comes after the other semicircle. A O symbol indicates that the associated number/letter is at the start or the end of the sequence.

Working backwards, you know that the E must be the last /number letter in the sequence and this is confirmed by the bottom symbol which is a O. The top symbol is a doughnut shape so you should be looking for a number that has a small o that can fill the inside of the doughnut to make a complete circle again. Just keep repeating that for all the symbols and the coordinates for Pulau Jong will be revealed.

[scaaty]

Yes, it's a toughie but quite simple once you've worked it out. Remember that coordinates can be 0-90 degrees, and 0-59 minutes for latitude but 0-180 degrees, 0-59 minutes for longitude. So any coordinate will be either xxxxL xxxxL or xxxxL xxxxxL where x = a number and L = N, E, W, or S.

So you should be looking to find an extra number to go along with the 8 you already have. And you know where the two letters go in the xxxxL xxxxxL sequence. You should also be able to figure out that the first digit in the second coordinate must be a 1.

The other clue is for the symbols. It's pretty much the same as the St Helena puzzle but it uses symbols instead of numbers to indicate the sequence. Basically, the top symbol indicates where it connects to the previous digit, while the bottom symbol indicates where it connects to the next digit in the sequence. What you have to do is to align the symbols so that they make complete circles.

So if you have a D as the top symbol, that must be aligned to a mirror image on a bottom symbol...you therefore know that the number/letter associated with the D comes after the other semicircle. A O symbol indicates that the associated number/letter is at the start or the end of the sequence.

Working backwards, you know that the E must be the last /number letter in the sequence and this is confirmed by the bottom symbol which is a O. The top symbol is a doughnut shape so you should be looking for a number that has a small o that can fill the inside of the doughnut to make a complete circle again. Just keep repeating that for all the symbols and the coordinates for Pulau Jong will be revealed.

Whew, right, let me get my head round that lot! I've got the 9 numbers, and I'd got as far as trying to make complete circles - where I came unstuck was not thinking of 180 degrees latitude and not knowing where the sequence started. I think I should be able to do it now - your help is much appreciated :)

[scaaty]

Done it! Had it more or less done already, was just stymied by the 'extra' number - can't believe I didn't think of the 180 degrees ! Many thanks again - got to wait till Wed for another email now :)

[GlosRFC]

Done it! Had it more or less done already, was just stymied by the 'extra' number - can't believe I didn't think of the 180 degrees ! Many thanks again - got to wait till Wed for another email now :)

Yeah, the Next Destination link is a tad misleading when it says the coordinates are always 1234N5678W :wink

[scaaty]

Lost me there - next destination link ? :doh

[MarcusMel]

In the help Scaaty it says the next destination link is always of the form....

So at first you 'think' the Latitude(North pole to south pole) numbers is always followed by an 'N' and the longy bit by a 'W' this is disproved a little later in one of the puzzles. (the put the broken plate together puzzle I think)

[GlosRFC]

Lost me there - next destination link ? :doh

At the top of each puzzle is a New Destination link...it's the one you click to bring up the screen where you can input the coordinates you've just found.

Got another clue today which, although late in the day, confirms that the Isle of St Mary puzzle was solved correctly:

Four corners framed in all that's blue
At tentacles' ends, do glue both two

[MarcusMel]

Stuck trying to sort the moons and numbers out now!

Shouldn't really be doing it at all as I have other things to be doing.

[GlosRFC]

Big clue in that post of mine just above yours Marcus :D

Four corners framed in all that's blue
At tentacles' ends, do glue both two

Find a card with tentacles, then line up all four corners to any blue references on the map. It's also a good idea to make sure the key symbol on the card is aligned in the same direction as the key. While you're holding the mouse down on the card, the tentacles should point to two locations on the map - these two words should tell you what you need to do with the "moons". These words should be "glued" together to form a word you can enter on your Solution Card, moving you one stage further around the island map.

Alternatively, look back a further couple of posts to find the more explicit spoiler I gave to Scaaty.

[scaaty]

In the help Scaaty it says the next destination link is always of the form....

Cheers Marcus and Glos - thought it might be an obscure clue I was missing !

[MarcusMel]

Gloss I drew all 10 of the symbols and numbers on a bit of paper cut it up into individual pieces. The two symbols don't seem to make any sequential sense to me. You have quarter circles mixed in with traditional Gibus and sickel symbols and diagonal half circles that dont relate.

[scaaty]

Gloss I drew all 10 of the symbols and numbers on a bit of paper cut it up into individual pieces. The two symbols don't seem to make any sequential sense to me. You have quarter circles mixed in with traditional Gibus and sickel symbols and diagonal half circles that dont relate.

I've been trying to think how to explain it but don't think I could do any better than Glos - I've drawn the first five ( only got Paint on this laptop so it's not exactly brilliant draughtsmanship! ) and if you want I can email it to you if you PM me your address - or I could post it here if it isn't going to spoil it for anyone. Let me know if you want it.

What is a Gibus ? Never heard of it so I googled but the only definition I can find is an opera hat!

Oh, and there are 11 sets of numbers/letters plus symbols in total :)

[GlosRFC]

Gibbous moon perhaps? Sounds to me Marcus like you've missed one of the trees. And a good tip on that puzzle is to turn the brightness up on your monitor - that way you can see all the numbers and symbols more clearly. Some of them are quite difficult to spot so it pays to change your angle of view and they'll suddenly start to glow just as the rhyme says: "your destiny glows".
You'll then see that they are all round circles or sections of circles, either pie segments or doughnut shapes which you've gleaned from the two clues - the Tentacle Card clue and also the spoken rhyme: "circling this infested forest". They might not always look circular but that's because they've been roughly carved and you're viewing the tree-trunks from different angles...that's what makes the puzzle seem so difficult at first.

There are only 3 screens with 11 trees to find. So if you were to start again, move forward once and you'll see the following:

In the foreground, look for a tree with an 'E' at the base.
Just to the left of this, is another tree with a '0' on it in the middle of the screen.
Now move to the right until you can't go any further. On the left, there's a large tree with an 'N' about 1/3rd of the way up the trunk.

Click to the next screen and you'll see:

A tree with a wide trunk. Just above the ground is a '1'.
Just left of this is a thinner tree in the foreground which has a '7' just above the ground.
Now move just to the right of the wide tree and there are a pair of trees. Only the right-hand one has a '0' on it.
Now keep moving to the right to another wide tree with a '4.'

Click on to the final screen and you'll see:

A tree with a '3' on it right in the centre of the screen.
Just to the right of this tree is another obscured by leaves. In the leaves you should see the number '2'
Slightly to the right of this tree (where the foreground leaves stop) is a thinner tree with a '1' at the base.
Now comes the tricky part. Move back to the left so the first tree with the '3' can be seen again. Make sure you move your mouse towards the top of this tree and you should see a large bright-green palm frond on the left. Just to the left of this palm frond is a large black triangle which is actually the trunk of another tree. The number is carved on the left-hand side, about halfway up, the trunk providing your mouse is still at the top of the screen. This is also a '1'. The symbols here are VERY difficult to see so fiddle with your brightness/contrast or try looking at your screen from a different angle - sideways on or from the top/bottom. Squinting works well too!


Have a go at that first but if you're still stuck, a spoiler follows below:




























This is what the matching symbols should look like:
http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/symbols.gif
Putting them into the right order should be easy enough though...I found it easiest to work backwards because you know the E must be the last letter in the coordinate.And if you're still stuck, and given that the next clue is going to be posted in 24 hours and some people will probably be racing to catch up, here's the solution so look away now:


































The arrows show how the symbols link together.
http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/solution.gif

[MarcusMel]

Odd - I really should have been able to see the solution to that puzzle. My IQ seems to be deteroating :rolleyes:

I admit the small circle below the threequarter circle seem really out of place. I was trying to pair up similar types but for some reason never 'saw' the completing the circle :doh

[John]

What is your IQ Marcus? And what's yours Glos? :D

I've no idea where you all are... you're so far ahead and I'm still stuck in bloody Madeira! Hopefully this thread'll come in handy once I get up to speed with you guys. Time is short right now though.

Glos, how did you insert those images into the thread above without making them as image attachments?

[GlosRFC]

I used my IQ of 390, grabbed a Pritt Stick, and stuck 'em up there!


The real answer is that I used the insert url name here tags. Oh, and then I had to use the insert whichever vb tag here to explain the img tags to you so that it didn't really try to insert an image

[MarcusMel]

Mederia: Get to the Barrels with an 8 on its side (infinity symbol) one 'step' past this and the mouse on the barrels should then become active.

The man then gives the clue.

Aye on this island a story is told
A spanish armada of 20 ships
sailed 42 days north
Just 2 nights of the whitiest storms
for only 8 to reach this port
40 days the ignorant thought
Their western gold got out uncaught
Where, my friend did they come from
Now you know.

[MarcusMel]

John your a Mod you can edit Gloss post and see how he did it.

As for my IQ depends on which bit of IQ your looking at but overall the last IQ test I did had me as 110 :( I have been on some tests as high as 130. My dyslexia has a part to play as my reading comprehension of what I am looking at takes me about 3 time longer than most. However :D in another test I did they said I have a balanced brain. I use both sides equally.

[GlosRFC]

Alternatively, don't bother looking for the ∞ symbol - just head straight for the barrel on the left that has the same Georgian date as the Roman date on the Madeira bottle.

You did make a note of that date, didn't you?

If not, here's a spoiler:
MDXVIII = 1518

Waiting for a mod to explain how I got the infinity sign in there now :D

[GlosRFC]

Oh, I've heard a whisper what the next clue might be to unlock Pulau Jong. Doubt that anyone here would be interested though....:giggle

[MarcusMel]

I couldn't make that number out properly I had it as MI or ML -XXVIII ;fire

[GlosRFC]

Where equally the winds collide
The needle is our only guide

[MarcusMel]

The Skull card reveals hidden red letters as you move him over the map!!!

[MarcusMel]

How did you get that clue Gloss?

[GlosRFC]

A pal emailed it to me...found it squirrelled away among the site files.

And yes, there are lots more letters...words...X's...and O's that the skull reveals. Expect to use that card in the next few clues

[MarcusMel]

That needle is the most unclear pointer.

It points at Bats Pirate Shallows to name a couple.

Later perhaps.

[GlosRFC]

I don't think it can point at more than one location - maybe you need to think more about what the first line of the clue is really saying?

[MarcusMel]

Probably simpler than I'm thinking. Studied the Map and bascilly picked up on the thought that there is a North wind etc so started placing the compass around those words. If you then join them up you come to the temple and get Bats or hanging bats is wrong, but then previously we have had the merging of more than one word. Curiosly if you put the top of the Compass over North,East,South the Compass does point at something.

From this there is a solution because your already through it :rolleyes:
As I said, my ability to see these things has gone.

[GlosRFC]

Yeah, I figure it's a lot simpler. There are four winds and four Capes on the map. If you drew a line between North-South and East-Fog Capes, the point they intersect would be the place the winds collide. Place the sighting ring of the compass directly over that point and the needle points to only one location. In fact, if you move the compass vertically between that point and the next location you arrive at on the map, the needle always swings round to the same location...move the compass anywhere else and the needle points anywhere too.

That's what I'm thinking, at any rate.

[MarcusMel]

Typed nearly every word on the map now and they are all wrong! Is there a time lock on this? In which case the solution will have to wait.

[John]

I did go into his post Marcus but there were no tags or anything that represented the image, it was literally empty space as though there were nothing there. Thanks for the suggestion anyway though.

And cheers Glos, handy way of posting images using the old HTML image tags... didn't know you could do them on here but then again I've never tried!

Hats off to the both of you, you're miles ahead.

Will play more later. Watching England game at present, but I do have 3 days off work :D so lots of time available!

[GlosRFC]

Okay, the Solution Card clue to Pulau Jong I posted earlier appears to be right and Marcus has already provided the answer :)

The Island clue is going to be something like:
Safely passed Malacca Straights
Once a ship an island awaits
Two circling Serpents entwined so tight
Match both to wake eternal night

Good luck if you're playing along

[GlosRFC]

'kay...got an island that you have to circle before you can move in. Then a puzzle involving a pair of vases. Looks like it could tax the grey matter for a bit.

[MarcusMel]

I can't go anywhere till the I recieve the email I go to the screen and it says you will have to wait- How come your in?

[MarcusMel]

did you change your computer time?

[GlosRFC]

Nope....I took a trip to the land of Sushi :)
You should be able to access the site from 7am.

Just having another look at this puzzle - the code is written on it and I'm pretty sure it's a matter of working out identical mirror images. So I've got 4 numbers and 2 letters. Now it's a case of deciding what order they go in.

[scaaty]

Only 4 numbers and two letters ? :yikes: I've got 11 pairs altogether, 9 numbers and two letter/number! Can't spend any more time at the moment but I'll be back later.

[scaaty]

Just after I posted that I reaised I'd got it ! :wiggle: You do need 11 pairs altogether and once you've got them it's fairly obvious which order to put them in. Now I really am off till later ..... but I might just have a quick look at the next puzzle first, it's something to do with stars.

[MarcusMel]

I got two posibilities, The number pairs written in the exact same body bits of the serpents OR as you turn the jars pairs of number light up but you have to make sure the jars are in exact reflection.

[MarcusMel]

or I'm complcating things again :yikes: no time now got visitor at 4 to prepare for.

[MarcusMel]

and the puzzle is time locked ;fire

[scaaty]

I got two posibilities, The number pairs written in the exact same body bits of the serpents OR as you turn the jars pairs of number light up but you have to make sure the jars are in exact reflection.

Second possibiity is how I did it Marcus - Didn't realise it was timelocked though, I seemed to be playing around with it for a long time ! The next one has a time limit too, if you don't finish it in time you have to start again ;fire

[GlosRFC]

I can't believe I'd got the 11 pairs of numbers/letters within a minute for the jars...but then spent 3 hours trying to come up with some complicated way of devising coords before I glanced at the numbers I'd written down!

The numbers I was referring to were ones that had an exact "mirror image" alignment...it's that which made me go off on such a tangent.

[scaaty]

These stars are doing my head in !!! I've got various numbers and I think a couple of letters but dawn keeps coming too quickly :anger

[GlosRFC]

Yeah....most frustrating puzzle so far, I'd say. A good idea and visually attractive but very annoying. Still, you've 5 days to get them all though as the next island is locked...for now :wink

[MarcusMel]

Hint for locking the picture Ctrl + shift + PrtScr then paste into word or paint and you can look at it for as long as you want :D

Not got there myself - have to restart puzzling the jars but thanks for reducing the posibilities Scaaty. I would give you rep but I still need to pass arount a bit more and I don't give rep away easily.

[scaaty]

Hint for locking the picture Ctrl + shift + PrtScr then paste into word or paint and you can look at it for as long as you want :D

Already done that thanks, got four partially completed ones saved now but still missing a couple of numbers ! No rush though, if the next one's still locked I can take it easy for a while. Good luck with the jars, once you've got the pairs it's pretty straightforward :)

[GlosRFC]

These stars are doing my head in !!! I've got various numbers and I think a couple of letters but dawn keeps coming too quickly :anger

A quick hint - you don't have to get them all at once. Just write down the ones you think you've got and don't waste time on them afterwards. Just explore other parts of the sky to find the missing letters/numbers. You will need to remember the order they're in though if you want to get the right coords!

[GlosRFC]

Marcus,

What I did to start was to orientate the left jar until the image was identical to the right jar. Then I turned them both inwards one notch at a time, writing down the numbers/letters in two columns. A glance at the right column should tell you which order the coords should be put into!

Although I'd already done this, I fell into the trap of investigating the first possibility you mentioned. So I wasted a couple of hours capturing pictures of them all and studying them in detail. It wasn't until I revisited my two lists that the answer jumped out at me.

[MarcusMel]

Done it - the jars that is.

anyone want to pool info on the stars?

There are two/three stars that are really annoying.
One or two appear at dawn and want matching to another star and one disapears off the top of the screen.

To the right top rught of screen I've got "The Whale" underneath which I get 49W
an arm of "the twins" starts between the 4 and the 9. Underneath the W is a thin square/diamond with attached tail.

This part of the sky is then divided by a line going down the screen.

To the left of this is a set of stars that I think of as the big dipper formation but as you conect these up you end up with a dog shape. Just off the back legs of "The Dog" you get the linked shape of 78. To the right and below the 8 of the joined 78 is "The Mouse" or alternately "The Swan" to the right of the mouse is the "Fly Swat" but I can't cmplete that set of stars.

At the end of the tail of "The Dog" you get a mirror reflected Z which could be S for South which to the left of this is an 8 above this is another line corner shape which seems to divide the sky above which is a "Tadpole"

If you try to connect a few start at the top left of the screen you can find 33
Down a bit and to the right of this 33 is a big shape of many starts which I have named "The Fisherman" and seems to be dangling a 3 just behand the 8.

I its in the area of the Top left above the 33 to the right there is a star that conects twice but I can only find one star to conect it to.

Going back down to the bottom of the screen below the "8" of the "8S" is a music stand shape and to the left of that is a cluster of stars that make a U shape.

[scaaty]

Just finished this with the help of Paint - I ended up saving a screen grab of the empty starry sky first, then saving a screen grab every time I connected a bit, and drawing it onto the saved starry sky - eventually I had all the numbers and letters. From what you've posted above, you've already got all the info you need Marcus. You just need to take the numbers you've got reading from left to right and those are the coordinates.
Another wait now till the next email :rolleyes:

[GlosRFC]

Hint hint :)

http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Diomede.gif

[MarcusMel]

I tried those Co-ords once already :doh must have done something stupid like put north instead of south :yikes: ;fire

[vegyjones]

How did you get the inifnity sign there! That's not an image insert as far as |I can see :doh

[MarcusMel]

Gloss wins his bet :mover ∞ Edit

[MarcusMel]

Ha - I can do it too though :D

[vegyjones]

Hmm ◘ I can get a box! :D

[MarcusMel]

♂

[vegyjones]

Hmm, it's something to do with the alternative symblols you can get on a keyboard isn't it.
Not quite sure what buttons you have to press to get them though? :doh

[GlosRFC]

Θ
Ω شعخڰڳګ ﺚ
♣♠♦♥ ☺
۞ ۩ ฿ ۝ ҉ Ѿ
␀ ␙ ␝ ␡ ␔ ♪ ♫ ◭ ◪

[GlosRFC]

Got an email hint for the stars:

With first of eight fixed firmly on three
Turn all eyes 'till all sights see

Not much use as we've solved the main puzzle but I've figured out what you're supposed to do with this clue :D

[vegyjones]

I've been going round and round that Pulau Jong island and it won't let me approach it. Just does nothing but go around one way, stop and the round the other way? :doh

[MarcusMel]

Try going slowly with the mouse on the dark bits of the island.

To: Gloss - Well done could not do it myself - stuck the corner of one of the eight eyes on a 3 and spun it round but couldn't see anything.

[GlosRFC]

I've been going round and round that Pulau Jong island and it won't let me approach it. Just does nothing but go around one way, stop and the round the other way? :doh

As Marcus said...move slowly around the island...you're looking for a cave.

[GlosRFC]

Try going slowly with the mouse on the dark bits of the island.

To: Gloss - Well done could not do it myself - stuck the corner of one of the eight eyes on a 3 and spun it round but couldn't see anything.

If you move the "eye" card around so the first eye on the left is over the 3, and the top eye on the right is over the = sign, it should read:

3 = 4 lines

which is how you'd make up the 3 by joining the lines on the star map.

[MarcusMel]

Excelent observation - just looked like a mess to me which is why I missed it. Still I'm not in it to win but to experience it.

[vegyjones]

What is so obvious about the pairs of numbers on the vases??

[MarcusMel]

There are 11 of them!

[vegyjones]

But how do you work out which omes make up the co-ordinates!

[MarcusMel]

What is the number paired with N and what is the number paired with E?

[vegyjones]

There was a N5 and a W11

[vegyjones]

But surey the aplha character goes at the end, There shouldn't be anything after them??

[MarcusMel]

Got it now?

[vegyjones]

No. I seem to be missing something that is clearly obvious!!

[MarcusMel]

Try reordering your numbers :rolleyes:

[vegyjones]

But altogether there are 22 digits and 2 letters!
Far too many to put in an 11 digit co-ordinate!

[MarcusMel]

Just the righthand column!

[vegyjones]

So the right vase is insignificant?

[MarcusMel]

I gather from your reply you have not reordered the righthand column.

[MarcusMel]

1,2,3,....11

[vegyjones]

Dur.

Thanks Marcus :D

[MarcusMel]

How many 1's are there in the rh col?
How many 2's are there in the rh col?
How many 3's are there in the rh col?
....
How many 11's are there in the rh col?

You must be either very tired or drunk :rolleyes:

[vegyjones]

or very stupid :D

[GlosRFC]

First thing a cryptoanalyst looks for is....serial numbers such as the ones in the right-hand column

[MarcusMel]

Have some fun witht the stars and they use Gloss's Hint and skip to the end!

[MarcusMel]

Shall we delete this discussion?

[John]

No. It may come in handy to "some people". :D

[GlosRFC]

On your own, You're not alone...
On your own, You're not alone...

[GlosRFC]

When the eyes of the skull see X and O
they mark the place of where to go.

Off to Cape Horn now :)

[MarcusMel]

You solved it :yikes:

[MarcusMel]

Only got as far 5 4 S and 6 W

[scaaty]

I've got absolutely nowhere so far ! A few rocks fall from the sky, I can't find anywhere to click anything - what am I missing ??? :doh

[scaaty]

- what am I missing ??? :doh

Apart from several million brain cells ! :D

[MarcusMel]

The numbers are hidden in the piles of debris look at the shapes and try to see numbers.

[scaaty]

Thanks Marcus - I can find a definite 5 and 4 in the debris, but that's all at the moment ..... there's a roman numeral on one of the tree trunks, and could the footprints in the sand be one of the numbers ? 3 of the fallen rocks have a W on them .... lines on a piece of driftwood far right .... I'm starting to see numbers everywhere, too many possibilities!
Daughter home from school soon so got to go till later ...... Glos has it solved already ??? :yikes: D'you reckon he could be the one setting these puzzles or is he just a genius ? :D

[MarcusMel]

Just does a lot of puzzle solving so trained up to see and do these things:( would not have got anywhere without his hints :rolleyes:

[GlosRFC]

Remember the clue - on your own, you're not alone. So start on the left and look for things that are out of place or unnatural. When you find something, count it.

And they're not rocks, they're coconuts :)

[vegyjones]

I've got a luverly nunch of coconuts :D
Large ones, small ones, some as big as yer head :wink

[MarcusMel]

There is a picture? drawn on the rockface to the right hand side does that mean anything? I can't make it mean anything!

[GlosRFC]

Yes, it's a chinese symbol that was also in the cave on Pulau Jong. There's only the one symbol and it's the chinese for one...so the answer you're looking for might possibly be....?

[MarcusMel]

Ok so everthing has a double meaning :rolleyes: the VI written on the tree also has V shaped tree and I of the VI tree to go with it. 9 coconuts fall in the shape of a 9. Hence the clue.

However I can't double meaning the sticks in the shape of an S (as per stars) and the rope W at the end.:doh

[GlosRFC]

They don't have a double-meaning...they're the compass coords you need.

You need to decipher the numbers:
footprints; rockpile; sticks; nuts; S symbol; roman numeral; steps; chinese symbol; notches; W symbol.

[MarcusMel]

So you did not see the numbers written on the trees or the 5 in the grass behind the sticks doubling up the things you talk about :mover

[scaaty]

Done it, but only because I read your chinese symbol hint ! Managed the rest ok but that one had me stumped - how did you know it was chinese for one ? Is there no end to your talents ??!! :)

[scaaty]

So you did not see the numbers written on the trees or the 5 in the grass behind the sticks doubling up the things you talk about :mover

It was very confusing - I found a 4 and a 5 in the sticks, an 8 on the rockface, and any number of possible numbers everywhere really, the more I looked the more numbers I found. Only started to get somewhere when I stopped looking for numbers and concentrated on counting things instead. As I just said though I only finished it when I came here and read Glos's chinese symbol hint, would never have got that one on my own!

[GlosRFC]

The grass/sand could be a 5...then again, it could also be a 3 or even a B. Like Scaaty says, if you look for numbers you'll start to see them everywhere.

[MarcusMel]

Footprints count 5
Pile of white rocks 5
Sticks in a row 5
Coconuts 9
S
Roman numeral 6
Steps count 7
Symbol on rocks 1
notches 6
W

Doesn't work for me :rolleyes:

Although I would never have counted the steps so I feel I ought to admit defeat and not carry on.

[scaaty]

Strange, those are the coordinates I used and they worked fine :doh

Can't see any reason why you shouldn't carry on - I'd never have got the chinese symbol without the help from Glos, but I'm just playing for fun and really enjoying it, I'm going to carry on as far as I can ... anyway, with all the other numbers/letters in place we'd have got there eventually by a process of elimination ..... maybe! :D

[GlosRFC]

Yup...there are only 42,244 possible coordinates after all :D

Those are definitely the right coords though Marcus...maybe you put them in the wrong order?

[scaaty]

Got the email for Cape Horn this morning -


Direct your desire from every cape
Where destinies cross it takes a shape

Solved the riddle ok but it's stil locked - says the email would be sent June 30th, so I suppose it'll stay locked until then. Very frustrating !

[MarcusMel]

Its not for Cape Horn - it the extra bit to help you solve the Mas a Tierra.

Took a screen shot of the map bunged in in paint drew a few doz lines between them ???? did not seem to cross anything. Seemed no point in going further.

[scaaty]

Ah, of course, that makes sense - was getting a bit ahead of myself there !

I used the compass on each Cape and guesstimated where the lines the needle pointed to would cross.

[MarcusMel]

Oh - I was looking for a shape as the answer :rolleyes: Triangle circle square..... :yikes: spotted the solution in an earlier exercise. Placing the tenticles card all over the place produced some interesting results. Two of the hidden words that are seen with the pirates eyes are Life and Collect and there is an X after the word One.

[scaaty]

Two of the hidden words that are seen with the pirates eyes are Life and Collect and there is an X after the word One.

There's the word Search as well

[GlosRFC]

Looks like you two are going to great ...lengths...to solve these clues :wink

[GlosRFC]

Ahhh...any morse code experts out there?

Off to Cozumel now....:)

[scaaty]

Ahhh...any morse code experts out there?

Off to Cozumel now....:)

Insider info ??? :wink

Or have you got the email already ?

[GlosRFC]

Hi Scaats....no, not insider....just taken a quick trip to Japan

hint hint http://thehunt.volvocars.net/jp/5559s6716w

Damn good puzzle though, with a twist too

[scaaty]

....just taken a quick trip to Japan

Ahhhh, now I understand ! Okaeri nasai :D

[GlosRFC]

Oyasumi nasai...and gokouun o inorimasu

[scaaty]

Oyasumi nasai...and gokouun o inorimasu

Arigato :)

[GlosRFC]

Already told you what the key word is for Cape Horn, but here's the official clue:

One arm embraces a Pirates grave, another tells you what you crave!

Davy Jones might help out here :)

And the clue to solving the ingenious puzzle:

The horned cape sharp as white shark teeth
Restless crests cover the dark beneath
A void to go back to, infinity in front
Pity the haunted persisting their hunt
A beacon of fire on top of the sea
Follow the flames and follow me

--. --- --- -..
.-.. ..- -.-. -.-

[MarcusMel]

So far I have
....- = 4
.---- = 1
--... = 7
---.. = 8
..- = U ????
----. = 9
----. = 9
-.... = 6
----. = 9
--.. =Z ??

I think there are a couple more codes after this but will have to get back to it later.

[MarcusMel]

Oh and thanks Gloss - I think I will need it :rolleyes: (In answer to morse message)

[MarcusMel]

Method - restart the sequence after you have noted the first number and check its right this also prepares you for the next five dashes and dots.(unless its a letter) Continue restarting each time to get the next symbol in the sequecne. When there is a long pause the sequence restarts.

[GlosRFC]

Good technique to use - wish I'd thought of it as it would've saved me a bit of time.

And it looks like luck isn't required as you're spot-on with the codes you've got so far. The bad news is that you're just under halfway - you're looking for a symbol then another set of numbers/letters to match against the ones you've already got. Only then does the sneaky bit begin!

[GlosRFC]

Just out of interest...who else is still playing along? Scaaty and Marcus but John, BigC and Mark were also giving it a go - we might need your help/talents with later puzzles.

[scaaty]

I've got the same as Marcus so far, and I used the same method. When I got to the Z I realised it wasn't as straightforward as it looked at first - couldn't be that easy ! :rolleyes: - so I gave up and went to bed.
School holidays begin today up here so my daughter is at home all day - will have to wait till she's in bed before I can carry on with it :(

[vegyjones]

4178 U 9969 Z 62161 G 1211 C :doh

[vegyjones]

Hmm, managed to see my mistakes, but it does get annoying only letting you do 1 level a every few days! :mad:

[scaaty]

Hmm, managed to see my mistakes,

I wish I could see mine :doh

I've got 4178U,9969Z then a symbol then 2161G,1311C .... so far the answer I've got is 2017N 8658W but it isn't right :(

Back to the drawing board !

[MarcusMel]

Is the symbol Dash dot dot dot Dash ?

[scaaty]

no, it's dash dot dot dot dot dash ...means minus I think

[GlosRFC]

I've got 4178U,9969Z then a symbol then 2161G,1311C .... so far the answer I've got is 2017N 8658W but it isn't right

It's not? Sure you've typed it in correctly?

[scaaty]

It's not? Sure you've typed it in correctly?

Yes, tried it several times, doesn't work :(

[GlosRFC]

Are you including the space?

4178U9969Z -
2161G1311C
___________
2017N8658W

[scaaty]

Yes, tried it several times, doesn't work :(

Huh ??? :doh Just decided to give it one more try and this time it's worked !

I just wasted ages trying all sorts of complicated stuff .... computers - grrrrrrrr !!! ;fire

[scaaty]

No, wasn't including the space - just one of those inexplicable gitches I guess :rolleyes:

[scaaty]

Still, looking on the bright side, I now know a lot more than I did about difference of latitude :D

[GlosRFC]

Okay. Hope you weren't...scarred...by the experience!

[scaaty]

Okay. Hope you weren't...scarred...by the experience!

If that's another hint, it's gone way over my head !

[GlosRFC]

It's a clue to the next destination

[GlosRFC]

A fun dice puzzle to start...score a 7 in the water and note which two words are obscured to gain entry into Cozumel

Inside the serpent
Winding across the headed wall
Writing that has hexed us all
We're closing in...

[scaaty]

:yikes: This looks a tough one - just had a quick look so far but I suspect I'm going to need the odd hint again :D

[GlosRFC]

Yes, it IS tough to get started...took me an hour or so to see what all the clues meant.

Onwards and upwards now though - Isla Culebra is the next stop!

[scaaty]

Getting nowhere fast here ! :doh

Is the hexed bit in the clue anything to do with hexadecimal or am I on the wrong lines completely ?

Not helped by that awful flickering light - makes me feel quite queasy :yikes:

[GlosRFC]

Wrong lines...have you ever played Hex?

[scaaty]

Wrong lines...have you ever played Hex?

Oh dear-yes,I was rubbish at it !

[GlosRFC]

Well it took me a while to think of that. My big mistake was seeing that W in the middle of the wall because this made me start looking for other numbers and letters. After drawing a blank there, I looked at snakes yet the reference to Hex was still bouncing around my head. I know the Mayans used a vegisimal counting system so I figured any references to our erstwhile forum companion could be excluded at this stage and therefore so could any reference to a hexadecimal system.
But then I remembered the Hex game with the objective of getting from one side of the board to the other, i.e. snaking across the wall. The large images helped as there are only certain places left to squeeze past on the board so I scanned around them for similarly grouped symbols and lo and behold, I found plenty of them. Then it was just a case of working out what the code was- that turned out to be really easy.

[scaaty]

Cheers Glos - going to give up for tonight before I end up with a monster headache. I'll try tomorrow on the main PC, bigger screen and hopefully less flicker !

[vegyjones]

Glad you got in.

I can see what words the dice roll on to make 7

I know they are both sea-monsters,
but typing that and the 2 names doesn't get me in! Ooo

[vegyjones]

Doh, didn't try them together :bnk :D

[GlosRFC]

Crikey Veg...your problems are only just beginning :D

[vegyjones]

That one was easy! :D

Gotta wait another poxy 3 days now :mad:

[GlosRFC]

Another good puzzle - although I suspect it's waaaaaaay too easy for Vegy! Still, it kept me entertained for another hour....onwards and upward to Port Royal now :D

[MarcusMel]

Now this is really depressing. I havn't done it. Looked at the symbols got really irritatated with all the scrolling about and candlelight. Why can't I have a nice sold picture I can study and see clearly? Some look as though they might be the same but at the same time look different.

[GlosRFC]

Are PMs turned off? I can't seem to find them so I can't send you a pic of the wall.

Oh, I also seem to be an advanced user now...?

Okay...here's a link to it.

http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/new%20stuff/cozumel1.jpg

And you're on the right track - some symbols ARE the same...what you've gotta do is group them together in order to "snake" your way across the wall. That will reveal the coordinates for Isla Culebra. Let me know if you want to see the version with the solution and I'll email it to you.

[markwales]

Advanced users can post HTML in their posts. The facility has been given to those that Keith feels may require the need to post HTML in their threads.

It was done in order to maximise the stability of the forum and site due to the recent hack, and to plug any security gaps which have been found when HTML is globally switched on in other forums of this type.

[MarcusMel]

Thanks Gloss thats a great help.

[GlosRFC]

Good, if you've saved the pic, I can take it off then?

[GlosRFC]

For those that need it...the riddle to gain access to Isla Culebra:

Pick two pin's ends on top of the peak
The red stone south is the first we seek
Then turn your key into a clock
Add second letters of every rock

[MarcusMel]

Ok saved it now.

BTW I've got to upgrade to MYSQL (yep off topic:doh) any ideas which I should download I should use?

[GlosRFC]

Strange...I haven't needed MySql to solve any part of this puzzle!

Version 5 is the stable one if that's what you're looking for though?
http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/

[vegyjones]

When you put the circle bit of the key on the central peak
and swing the pointer round from red rock

It goes past 3 other rocks,

Curl
Costas
andf the one to the east!

The second letters make something like EUOA

That obviously don't work?! :doh

[MarcusMel]

http://dev.mysql.com/get/Downloads/MySQL-5.0/mysql-5.0.22-win32.zip/from/pick

Was what I was after :D thanks for posting. Now I got to find out how to use it with Delphi :( Never have understood the ODBC interface very well.

[MarcusMel]

I think the pins on on the rock and you use the words the circle bit highlights but havn't tried it.

[GlosRFC]

No, Vegy has the right idea. Put the circular part of the key onto the central peak with the prongs pointing down at Red Rock. Then rotate the key slowly clockwise...and you're not just looking for places with Rock in the title....but places/pictures that might be rocky!

So the first stop is going to be Short Peak followed by Curl Rock and so on. If you've put the key in the right place, the rocky pictures will appear between the pins, alongside the shorter of the two.

[scaaty]

Are PMs turned off? I can't seem to find them so I can't send you a pic of the wall.

Oh, I also seem to be an advanced user now...?

Okay...here's a link to it.

http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/new%20stuff/cozumel1.jpg

And you're on the right track - some symbols ARE the same...what you've gotta do is group them together in order to "snake" your way across the wall. That will reveal the coordinates for Isla Culebra. Let me know if you want to see the version with the solution and I'll email it to you.


Not looked at this for a couple of days because of visitors, but been trying all this evening and I'm still well stuck even with the pic to help - got blocks of 16,14,6,8 and 20 I think, or maybe 21. Not sure at all about any of them though, I find the same as Marcus, that some of them look almost the same but not exactly and I don't know whether to count them or not .... can't make them join up properly into a path either :doh
If you still have the solution, could I have it before I go nuts please ?!! I'll PM you my email address and keep my fingers crossed :)

[GlosRFC]

Solution sent :)

Don't let the two groups of longer numbers throw you off - think logically about them (and their position in the sequence) and it will all become clear.

[scaaty]

Many thanks Glos, done it no problem with your help :)
Can't believe how thick I was being - you know I said I couldn't make a proper path ? Well, that was because I was looking for blocks of numbers and I completely overlooked the fact that one was a number !!! :headbange
Anyway, onward and hopefully upward - got screencaps of all the lightning flashes and now just got to figure out what to do with them .... think I have an inkling but not put it to the test yet.

[John]

Just out of interest...who else is still playing along? Scaaty and Marcus but John, BigC and Mark were also giving it a go - we might need your help/talents with later puzzles.

Talents? :doh What are they? :D

I haven't looked at this for over a week. Just had too much else to do. Looks like you guys are well ahead anyway!

[GlosRFC]

Want to share your inkling, Scaaty? The screen captures will definitely prove useful.

Still time to catch up John. The semi-final, i.e. last online puzzle, isn't due to take place until Wednesday with the final email clue coming out on Tuesday.

[scaaty]

Having been playing around with this for the last hour or so, I'm not convinced that my inkling is any use .... assumed it must be something to do with the number of forks ( forked tongue ?) possibly combined with the number of flashes, but getting nowhere yet. Been concentrating mainly on the 5th and 10th pics so far as I guess they're most likely to be the letters .... not sure where the 8th fits in as it's sheet not fork lightning .... maybe a zero ?
Are you any further forward ? Don't give me any hints yet if you are, I'm still enjoying trying to figure it out :)

[GlosRFC]

Further forward? Yup, I've been sitting at the next island since just after the puzzle was published :)

[scaaty]

Further forward? Yup, I've been sitting at the next island since just after the puzzle was published :)

Thought you might be !

This is a bit out of my league to be honest, I was much more at home with the Monkey Island games - combining a metronome and a banana was a doddle compared to these :D

Ok, I need a small hint to start with - are the 5th and 10th flashes the letters ? If I know that for sure I might be able to get somewhere ... but then again I might not ! :rolleyes:

[GlosRFC]

Yes, they are letters and you're right about the number of forks. However, the order in which they're displayed is not correct - you have to figure out what order to put them in.

[MarcusMel]

Sorry - I have to drop out of this - esentially have to concentrate on other work for a while.

[GlosRFC]

Nearly dropped out myself - I forgot that today was the final day!!

The revisit to Port Royal was exactly that - a trip around the world visiting all of the previous locations (hence the need to keep them all bookmarked) to confirm all the extra letters/numbers hidden along the way and, sneaky move or what, but some of the locations had new clues.

Anyway I'm past Port Royal and mooching around what I suspect is the final mysterious island of Somewhere....

[GlosRFC]

Right, I think I've solved the mystery of Somewhere but this bit I'm absolutely hopeless at.

If I'm right, I need to make squares with the pieces in each of these eight vertical columns with one piece left over - the answer is the number of the row each extra piece appears in. Make sense?

http://www.pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/final2uk.jpg

But I can't do tangrams to save my life. I've made some squares and ended up with two pieces over...grrrr! Any experts out there?

[John]

I thought YOU were the expert, Glos!

I'll have a look at it for you soon.

[GlosRFC]

I got there in the end, John, although I had to resort to cutting out paper shapes and trying to shuffle them into position. I submitted my answer a couple of hours after the site went live so I don't for one minute imagine I'm even close to being selected but it was a fun competition over the past month.

The last puzzle threw me as I'd tried a sneak preview but then Volvo went and changed them all. Took me a while to figure out the relationship between the contents of the box and the markings on the lid (thanks to Oldham with pointing out the obvious connection there) and the email clue made sense too...."All eight but one will see the same, for you to find that final name"

It's certainly been a popular thread with more than 1300 views so I hope that every one who looked in enjoyed playing along.

[scaaty]

Well done and hope you're in with a chance of the prize ! Just sent you mail as I'd managed the first two columns and found an easy way to do it - and have now realised I sent the pic as a bmp instead of a jpg so it'll be a huge file - sorry ! No need for you to download it now though. I've certainly enjoyed playing along even tho' I didn't get any further than the stars :)

[John]

Well done to the both of you!

Yes, it sure was enjoyable, even for the very little amount I played. :)

[TheOldhamWhisper]

Well done Glos - hope you are one of the ones they send (go buy a big shovel, just in case) :laugh.