Post Mortem of GreatEscape2008
May 5th, 2008A Not So Brief Post Mortem…
All the participants of GreatEscape2008: The Global Scavenger Hunt are home. They arrived home after 23-days traveling around the world between the doors of their homes…and we didn’t lose anyone to the utter chaos that is the supposedly our mean, bad old world, that the news folks like to ram down our throats on a daily basis.
No one died in a terrible automobile accident. No one suffered any debilitating heart attacks, strokes or other personal health issues while traveling. No one suffered any collateral damage as a result of a terrorist attack. No one needed hospitalization due to tropical disease or any other on-the-road illnesses. No one was robbed at gun point (knife, spear or gangland style either for that matter). No one suffered anything worse really than the normal, to be expected, run-of-the-mill periodic tummy issues. To that we are thankful. And for this alone we held another successful event.
That said, this once in a lifetime around the world travel adventure was about collecting memories from experiencing the world like few every do. About seeing and doing things in places around the world that the average “tourist” does not do or see. And yes, it was about trusting strangers in strange lands.
As I think about the scores of stories shared with us over the past three weeks by our travelers and remember their smiling faces in relating those travel stories, the event again proved a success.
Personal experiences ranged far and wide. Each person on each Team saw and did their own unique things and had their own profoundly deep personal experiences; from witnessing awe-inspiring religious artifacts for most of the world’s major religions, be it Buddhist, Islam, Christian Orthodox, Hindu and Judaism. From visiting sacred houses of worship in temples, mosques, cathedrals, churches and stupas. From having up close and personal encounters with nature, be it seeing Mount Everest and her Himalayan sisters on a glorious morning. To wandering the Sahara Desert, visiting Niagara Falls or feeling the heat of a tropical rainforest.
We heard stories of up close and personal encounters of folks swimming with sharks, of riding elephants and camels. And yes, there were stories captured with a lens of being on a safari and spotting not only black rhinos, but rare wild Bengal tigers too!
Our traveler memory banks are indeed full of the sights, sounds and yes the smells, of the world. How many folks get to experience in our short lifetimes the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, having a drink in the famous Raffles Bar, walking around the great pyramids of Giza and the Acropolis of ancient Athens; along with the spiritual temples of exotic Kathmandu, or the hermit villages of Rila and Meteora, or visit the heights of Petronas and the CN towers. How many folks experience the opulence of the Mandarin Oriental and the crushing poverty of a land-locked poverty-ridden nation within 24 hours?
Indeed, how many travelers ever get to see the smiling faces of the people that they know that they impacted by doing something good for them? And to think, this was not all done in a lifetime, but during a single three week global adventure! Priceless as they say…
Most of our Teams tried to give back during their participation in The Global Scavenger Hunt. Some folks did so while we traveled, giving to those in need. Some folks helped raise some significant funds, notoriety and support for their favorite local homegrown charities. And some folks helped us in helping others by raising funds for the GreatEscape Foundation. One Team in particular went above and beyond in that regard and we want to thank Zoe and Rainey for helping us help others. In 2008 we will be adopting a village that will be granted funds to be used as long as they last for small interest free loans among those villagers to help them increase their standards of living and making their children healthier and better educated. We thank you!
…And to think that you might have not experienced all those sights and done all that good if we had canceled the event as we probably should have! As I mentioned, if we knew before we departed San Francisco what we know now, we would not have held The Global Scavenger Hunt this year!
It was an extremely hard and challenging time for my family and I to travel the world as a unit with the youngest one in tow to conduct the event. We should have reconsidered, but felt that we owed you all to follow through the best we could. Personally, we made the wrong decision, but professionally, we may have made the correct one. If there is to be a future event, this will be altered. If our traveling as a unit diminished anyone’s experience, we humbly apologize.
The competition itself was fraught with difficulties and had problems. We had a very competitive event this year and one team in particular had one goal and one goal only in mind from the minute they entered the event last year—to win at all costs. And they succeeded! Bart and Steve earned the title of The World’s Greatest Travelers™ this year because they really wanted it and did whatever they could to win it.
Despite whatever anyone thinks or feels, Bart and Steve simply worked harder than any other Team by a wide margin. They slept less. They ate less. They were out in the world doing scavenges while folks back at the hotel were eating, drinking and sleeping. This demoralized many folks. They were quickly ridiculed. They not so kindly earned the name “The Machine.” They did not worry about what other people thought about them and they just went out and tried to “do every possible scavenge” they could. And they did.
They ran away with the competition within two legs and the die was cast, for better or worse for GreatEscape2008. It was all over but the crying after a week. This killed a lot of team’s desire to participate and compete. It opened the door for way too much unnecessary talk and internal team ruminating. Everyone had one topic in common—Bart and Steve. It brought out the worse in many of our competitors. Folks spent more time ruminating about them then doing their own thing and enjoying their own adventure.
In my heart and soul this year’s event is tainted unlike any other of our past three events. It was tainted very early on as I mentioned previously on this blog. It was tainted because the spirit and intention of what we put together was not adhered to. It was tainted because human nature and competition sometimes do not mix well and for this we are extremely self-critical. The spirit of this event was tainted because:
-Teams photocopied the list of scavenges.
-Teams worked in tandem with other Teams as a group instead of as separate units.
-Teams spread malicious, ill-informed gossip and innuendo amongst themselves.
-Teams did not stop and smell the roses as requested on Day One.
-Teams tried to do all the scavenges (to get points) instead of enjoying the ones they did.
-Teams proved jealous and harbored ill-will towards other Teams because they were “more competitive.”
-Teams insisted that they did things and saw things that they did not in fact see or do.
-Teams used lifelines back home and online to obtain a competitive advantage.
-Teams exceeded their use and abuse of concierges.
-Teams traveled outside the, albeit, vaguely expressed methods desired.
-Teams didn’t sleep as much as they should have.
-Teams did not eat as much as they should have.
-Teams ran when I had specifically expressed the notion that “he who runs cannot walk with dignity.”
-Teams flew when it was expressedly disallowed.
-Teams used their spending to obtain a competitive advantage.
-Teams tried to be a little to creative in actually fulfilling scavenges and felt that if more than one Team did it, it must be okay to do.
-Teams spent inordinate amounts of time obsessing other Teams instead of just doing their own thing.
-Teams lied.
-Teams made alliances and then broke those friendships.
Yes, we alone are at fault for Teams not abiding by the “expressed rules” of the travel adventure competition, and that will be addressed if there is to be a future event. But folks, it was from Day One a travel adventure competition and everyone entered wanted to win this competition. They wanted to obtain along each and every leg of the event, maximum points. We cannot insist in folks getting 8 hours of sleep a day. We cannot insist on making sure each traveler eats his or her 2,000 calories and takes his or her vitamins a day. We cannot monitor what folks do on their own phones and laptops or in the privacy of their own rooms. We cannot control what is in the heart and soul of each competitor, their intentions, motivations, goals and actions. We cannot control the fact that reality TV seems to have infected too many folks these days and creating the addictive need for drama in their lives and the illusion of excessive self-importance.
And so GreatEscape2008 is tainted for all the above reasons. And we wholly accept that responsibility.
In all, there were well-over 500 unique scavenges to be competed in 11 countries that book ended us between our San Francisco departure and our Toronto return. It was the intent while setting up The Global Scavenger Hunt™ that no Team could do all the scavenges and indeed, no Team did, again! Although some tried.
That was one of the hardest aspects of the GreatEscape2008 competition for some — the fact that they could not do everything! Their minds and bodies were willing, but time and reality weren’t cooperating! But that was the point. Letting go and strategizing what you could do. Figuring out the logistics involved, being travel savvy, figuring out what interested you, using your well-honed travel experience, figuring out sound communications strategies, using keen negotiating skills and problem solving tools, and yes, learning when to just stop and smell the roses in the places that awed you. Wisdom too was important for success.
Most of the competitors were great to meet and travel with. A pleasure to get to know you all over our short 23-days together. But some travelers complained about the competition being too competitive? Sorry, but that’s what it was, is and always will - an annual around-the-world travel adventure competition! Some travelers complained that they didn’t have enough time to spend extra days in destination that we knew they’d fall in love with — like Nepal, Singapore (?), Alexandria and Amsterdam, among others. Sorry, but as all the participants were informed, The Global Scavenger Hunt™ was not a vacation and going around-the-world in 23-days is like global cultural grazing. Indeed, we hope that you do return to those fascinating destinations that we exposed you to on another extended trip some other time–we hope that we whetted your appetite for future travels. If so, mission accomplished.
A minority of you complained that Teams weren’t able to bond with other Teams as much as they would have liked. Why not we ask? Why didn’t you? But again, we’re sorry, but GreatEscape2008 was a competition for independent-minded travelers in a competitive atmosphere–not a social event. That said, let’s see, out of the 23-days of travel we collectively took together: Teams ate 3 feasts together; saw and enjoyed each other’s company at 14 check ins and check outs…took/endured 8 flights together (terminal time both coming and going) and participated in over a dozen GreatEscape2008 meetings and drinking binges. Personally, we think that’s a lot of time together (some would claim too much with some, not enough with others!), but then again, some folks are used to travel agent fam trips, Club Med breaks and cruises! Sorry again, but The Global Scavenger Hunt™ isn’t any of those types of travel experience if you know what I mean! No one complained about the great hotels we stayed at (In fact, some hotels may have been too nice and welcoming and they actually competed for the time–pool, restaurants, rooms and beauty–of our travelers versus actually participating in The Global Scavenger Hunt™ itself!)
We want to thank High Sierra (thanks Stella!) for some great gear—we did try to wear it out too! I want to thank Emired for his always professional assistance in helping arrange our flights around the world. And Andy for coming to our aid for a couple of weeks when we panicked about what we were about to do with child in tow. And thank you Tom for re-entering my life after too long an absence.
And so, after 13 countries across 4 continents over the last 22-days, GreatEscape2008 officially comes to a close with the winners–and everyone’s a winner by going on this truly once-in-a-lifetime around-the-world travel adventure competition–being congratulated by all, and the losers consoled by all. Special moments of friendship and genuine camaraderie where shared by all…thank you all!
We’re off to mow the lawn, catch some trout and play soccer with the young ones.
Maybe we’ll see you all down the road someplace, somewhere…
Thank you all for paying attention to our little labor of love and please stay tuned for the next scheduled event’s announcement!
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the GreatEscape Foundation, please either visit the Foundation page on this website, call us at 310.281.7809 or mail your tax-deductible check to:
GreatEscape Foundation
1112 Montana Ave., Ste 384
Santa Monica, California 90403 - USA
(Federal Tax ID # 95-4831064)
…to be continued… maybe, or maybe not!
