|
We know that you'll want to know a little bit more about our Global Scavenger Hunt idea and what we're all about. Here's a combination of our travelers ethic and where the GreatEscape2001 idea originally came from. Your comments are welcomed! Our Responsible Travelers Creed Founder's Letter Minimize your impact. Pack it in, pack it out. Leave nothing in your wake, take only pictures and good memories with you! Be patient with folks you encounter. They're not from the Big City and it may take a few moments for them to adjust to your language. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so don't be an imperialist. Encourage sustainable old ways and be respectful of local customs. Stay on designated paths and within designated areas. When visiting sacred or historic sites, take only photographs. Please adhere to "no photos" and "no flash" rules. Pack this mind-set for your travels: make friends and listen. Ask permission from the people you wish to photograph up close. If you're in doubt, ask first before your shoot! Do not remove or disturb architectural fragments, natural habitats, stones or foliage. Don't buy artifacts or works of art that may be taken from historic or sacred sites, or purchase objects from endangered species. Do some research. Attempt to educate yourself about the language (Learn a few useful phrases like Hello, Please and Thank You!), customs, art, history and geography of a destination before you go. Remember that many historic and sacred sites are still real, functioning places for local inhabitants and not just for tourists. Support local artists and craftspeople. Remember the Golden Rule...And no, not the one about the man who owns the gold rules either!  
Dear Friends:
Thank you for coming to our website. You are welcome to browse around and we welcome your comments. That said... Growing up across from a farm in my front yard and another country in my backyard, you could say that I've always had an international perspective. Okay, so I was only looking across Lake Saint Claire to the United States, but it was really another country, as all us fellow Canadians know! From there I went on to saving stamps and coins. Where the heck is that postcard from and who is that guy with the funny hat on that coin? In school I loved to learn about famous explorers from the Age of Discovery. My favorite movies were all travel-related from The Sheltering Sky, Out of Africa and The Man Who Would Be King to the Indiana Jones series. It has never stopped for me, and I've been traveling the globe ever since -- captivated and fascinated by all I've been blessed to see. My own personal Big Book of Life (list of things to see and do) instead of getting shorter, keeps getting longer the more I travel!? I consider myself a North American, being neither Canadian, Mexican or United Statesian. For a period of time all my friends worked for airlines, Pan Am especially, because they had so-called Buddy Passes on which I could circle the globe for a nominal price. And, having the good fortune of being educated in three countries: Canada, United States and England, I really consider myself a global citizen. I have great difficulty applying for a passport for the Global Village though. Mother Earth, it seems, doesn't have any bureaucrats. In 1989, I was involved in a travel adventure like no other. It was a mad, mad wacky race around-the-world. To make a long story short, my partner and I won that race, traveling 40,000 miles in 17 days! I have always wanted to participate in that type of contest again, but alas, no one has been able to pull it together. Until now! GreatEscape2001: The Global Scavenger Hunt idea came to me in 1999 while I was trekking in Nepal. It seemed so obvious when that little light bulb went off in my head. And indeed, it is oh so obvious that I should be doing this for you. What we want to deliver to all the contestants of our annual GreatEscape Global Scavenger Hunts, is literally, to take you on "A Blind Date With The World" to spots in the world that are truly sacred, unique and wonderful. We want to give you an opportunity to interact with people from different cultures and histories. You will not only have more fun than you thought possible on a travel adventure, you will also learn things about the world and yourself that you never imagined. We will help you refill your memory banks and replenish your soul. With sunrises, sunsets, markets, natural beauty and engaging people. It is our hope that when you're done you will understand how connected we all are, how much alike we are all and how beautiful this world really is. As a GreatEscape2001 contestant, you will do and learn things not by passively reading a book, perusing a travel magazine or being an armchair traveler watching TV. You will experience these things up close and personal. The experience we are planning for you and will be putting you through, will be forever etched on your memory. You'll be able to relive these memories with your children, grand-children, family and friends. You may even become "The Worlds Greatest Travelers"! First and foremost, we will take care of you and offer you the most hassle free, care free, worry free First Class adventure-of-a-lifetime. For three weeks your life will change and take on an entirely different dimension. You will be a safe and happy fish-out-of-water from your daily routine. We promise that you will never, ever, travel the same way again! Of course we feel that we ought to give something back to the world for allowing us the privilege of experiencing such wonderful, beautiful and fascinating sights. And so, aside from taking you on this great adventure of a lifetime, we want to help raise both consciousnesses and significant sums for our GreatEscape Foundation's noble causes. We trust you will share in this enthusiasm. So come and join us! Our inaugural GreatEscape2001: The Global Scavenger Hunt promises to become an annual international phenomenon, but we will always keep our promises to you and to our most basic and cherished philosophies. Thank you for your time. As always, I welcome your comments. Write me at: WDC@GreatEscape2001.com. Sincerely, 
President & Founder GreatEscape Adventures, Inc. |
|
Copyright 2000 GreatEscape Adventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |