The Great Scavenger Hunt

The Great Scavenger Hunt
15 April 2013

Have you ever been to a scavenger hunt party?  Because if you haven’t, you’re seriously missing out.

So exactly what is a scavenger hunt party?  Well, let me explain.

What happens is that someone sets a series of tasks for you.  Completely and utterly unrelated random things that have to collected within a certain space of time.  Things that are nearly impossible to get.

A few years ago, we had quite a few of them.  I think in total I went to about four.  And I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one.  My first one was arranged by the wife of an old school friend of Grant’s, many years ago.  It was such fun and made such a huge impression on me, that I told my Twisteds about it.  It didn’t take long for us Sista’s and partners to do a scavenger hunt party too.  In fact, we did a few of them.

We had one friend, who loved organising and arranging.  In fact, she loved it so much, that she got more enjoyment from the actual planning and arranging bit of the party.  Which is just as well, because the person who arranges the party, can’t actually take part in the end.

Her job was to set us a series of tasks.  All of us met at her house at a designated time.  We were divided into teams of four or five, given a task sheet as well as one hour to collect all of the items on our list.  Though some things on our list, were rather cryptic and involved quite a bit of lateral thinking, figuring the clues out.  There were even some trivia questions included.

And what with me being a scavenger hunt veteran, I can offer this advice.  Arrange to have a few people outside of the scavenger hunt party to be on alert so that they can help you.  Husbands and wives are always split up.  In this team divide, ensure that you are the one in possession of your house keys, because chances are that you might have some of the items on your list at your very own home.  Ensure that your cell phone is charged so that you can make calls to this same set of people on standby, getting them to collect goodies for you. 

However, at times, these preventative measures were foiled.  Occasionally, we were asked to hand in our house keys and cell phones as well.  And on every occasion that I did a scavenger hunt party, we were never allowed to take money along.  These tasks may not involve money changing hands.  Beg, borrow and steal?  Apparently yes.  Paying for stuff?  Definitely not.

And I would like to share with you examples of some of the things I have had to collect over the years:

• A t-bone steak bone – went to all the steak houses, and restaurants and had to go    through their bins for the scraps – charming!
• A fish knife – I am still in possession of one from the Strand Spur – sorry!
• A For Sale sign board – take note, that an On Show sign board will simply not do - quite a few teams, missed this little nuance difference and lost valuable points in the process
• A car hubcap
• A piece of knitting, comprising twenty rows of twenty stitches (they counted these meticulously at the end)
• Swimming a length of the Beaumont pool ( I.  Nearly.  Died.  Swimming is not my forte, furthermore, it was freezing cold, and I could obviously not wear my glasses.  I didn’t know where I was, or where I was going and managed to get water up my nose, ears, mouth, etc.  Too terrible for words!)
• A shopping trolley race (I was pushed along a length of the parking lot at the Mall by a fellow team mate – we won!!!)
• A red pair of panties
• A white rose
• A used golf score card
• An unused Lotto ticket, for that particular date – remember, no money, so you have to beg a random stranger to buy one for you
• A 2l cool drink bottle filled with sea water, including a piece of floating seaweed – they test whether it is fresh or not, so you simply can’t fill up from your tap at home
• On one occasion, each team had to compose and perform a rap song, using the words, “A chicken is a chicken, but a chicken is a man” – there are no words to describe this one
• A raunchy movie – one friend, who has a very, very, very conservative wife, used her Stax video card to take out an x-rated movie on her account – she nearly died taking it back again and was mortified
• Climbing up the climbing wall at the Mall, including strapping into harnesses, wearing safety helmets, etc. – it was friggin high!!!
• An empty tequila bottle – yip, had to go into a whole bunch of bars and go through their bins too
• One of Shakespeare’s works
• A take-away menu
• Chopsticks
• A Balbinella plant
• A Pizza take-away box
• A Christmas tree
• A Popcorn box from the movies
• Fish bones
• A light bulb
• An avocado
• A live snail
• Hair curlers
• A brick
• A raw egg
• A South African flag

So, as you can see, many, many arbitrary, random things.  Things with no relation to each other, that usually necessitates the need for numerous pit stops.  Many items that won’t be found in the average home and that require a fair bit of begging, borrowing and on the odd occasion, even stealing.  Because to be fair, I’m not entirely sure that all of those “For Sale” signboards were ever returned.  I, for one am still in possession of a fish knife from the Strand Spur.  Though to be honest, it was given to me willingly.  After I begged them.  I just somehow never quite got round to taking it back again.  Sadly the Lotto ticket, didn’t produce any winning numbers.  And the person who’s golf score card we got, had clearly played a really bad game. 

But one particular Scavenger Hunt comes to mind, when I think of these fun evenings racing around like lunatics.  On this occasion, part of our crowd of friends, partaking in the fun, was an African-American couple.  No, seriously.  He was African and she was American.  In fact, she was African-American.  And somehow even the African man was more American than African.  If memory serves, his family had been exiled in America during the Apartheid years, and therefore just like his beautiful wife, he too had an American accent.

One of the items on the list of requirements, was a white rose.  And for this team in particular, it was one of the last items that they needed before completing their list, within the time frame at hand.  And just like that, whilst driving out and about, they saw a garden, overflowing with beautiful white rose bushes.  The driver of this team, quickly pulled to the side, and everyone beseeched the African man, to quickly run and grab the rose.  To take one for his team.  He was closest to the side of the garden and it made logical sense for him to simply leap out of the car, pinch a rose and off they would go.  But, huge was his team’s surprise when he point blank refused.  In fact, I think they were baffled by his refusal.  Especially given the fact that he was such a team player.  However, upon inquiring as to his reluctance, he admitted, that no force on earth could propel him, a black man, to hop over the fence of a house, in an affluent, predominantly white area, to steal a rose.  It was very funny.  Because he clearly had a point.  And in the end, one of the ladies, did the dirty deed.

Now said man’s wife, was in a different team.  And she was the co-pilot for her team.  Reading out instructions and the like.  And for this particular scavenger hunt, one of the items required was a Harry Potter novel.  And so when her team stopped at a team mate’s house to ransack anything they could get, she shouted off a list of items, and immediately ticked them off as completed.  It was only much later in the evening, when the scavenger hunt was completed, all teams had returned and the unbiased “judge”, went through everyone’s loot, that a lonesome little bottle of spices was unearthed.  Why?  How?  What was the reason for its inclusion?  No item on the list called for spices.

Until closer inspection revealed that the spice in the bottle was Curry Powder.  And then the penny dropped.  Spoken in her twangy, broad American accent, to her team mate, her instructions for “Harry Potter”, sounded just like “Curry Powder”.

It provided many a laugh.  But those were not the only laughs.  Not by a long shot.  The one year, we had to dress in bad taste, and all of us looked like trailer trash.  We had to go running right through the Mall, dressed hideously.  Furthermore, running into a bar, looking like hooker, begging for an empty Tequila bottle, was probably not my best moment either.

Scavenger hunts – highly recommended.  The adrenaline rush is awesome.  The feeling of team camaraderie incredible too.  The laughs numerous.  The tales afterwards hilarious.

But most of all, the memories – unbelievable!

In fact, I think it’s time for another one…..

And so, just to be safe, best I stock up on some random objects.  Just for in case.  Like a crayfish in the freezer, a chicken wish bone, a For Rent sign board, a motorbike side view mirror, a pool cue, an old telephone directory, a movie ticket stub, a purple bra, a pair of ballet points, swimming goggles, etc.  You simply never know.

Grant, Thando and Thea - getting in the zone before the start - cocktails all round

 

Gill, proudly showing off our loot - we were in the same team

Gillie and Paul - also in our team - we did good!

 

Gill showing off our hair curlers - tick!

 

One of the teams, ensuring that they've got all their goodies - many onlookers, giving them hell

 

Grant, Katrine, Garth and Fritz were in the same team

 

 

Just relaxing during the judging phase

At the time of this scavenger hunt I was about to pop with Cole.  And one of the items on the list, was "Something for baby Cole".  I remember thinking nothing of it, and exclaiming that I had nappies at my house, which we could go and get.  It simply never dawned on me, that the Scavenger Hunt, was also a baby shower.  And therefore "Something for baby Cole", was actually gifts.  How awesome is that!

 

 

Admiring my loads of loot!

I simply couldn't believe it - lots of spoils!

Much debate and ragging between teams

 

In the end, it came down to a down-downs contest.  And Thea was the undisputed winner.  Much to her delight and her husband's disgust.  Too funny!  At times it is hard to remember that we are actually adults.

 

Clearly this is the start of the "Bad Taste" Scavenger Hunt pics - too dreadful.  And to be fair, we all uglied up pretty well.

I can't decide on what my favourite look is.  Gavin's farm boy look.  Penny's trailer trash look.  Gill's school-girl-gone-wrong look.  And as for Kimbal?  Well, there simply aren't enough words in my vocabulary!

Rinette looking ever so glam - complete with the obligatory tattoos on her arm - very, very mooi!

Rinette - the tart.  Paul - the lost one.  Tootsie - the psychic.  And Gavin - the ???

 

Perhaps I actually took the cake.  Loved the blue eye shadow - NOT!  Big hoop earrings, lots of leopard print, petticoat hanging out, boots, ciggie in the hand (even though I don't smoke, it added a certain credibility to my look) - and naturally, I had to dress Cole trashy too - poor kid.

 

The lovely Penny and Paul - such a fun couple

 

Another Scavenger Hunt

We have been warned, that one of the items on the list, was swimming.  None of us had anticipated the length we would be swimming.  In Beaumont's school pool, if you don't mind!

 

All ready!

The calm before the frenetic racing starts

 

Grant and Ian having a chill

 

Check the towels - all ready to go

Listening to the rules

 

Nearly ready!

 

Thea was our knitter - though we also had my neighbour's wife knitting for us too, in case we didn't finish in time, amidst our racing around

Boys in the front, driving like lunatics - Simon and John

Our knitting, looking forlorn amidst a Barbie leg sticking out

 

Thea's face simply says it all

 

Gearing up for our trolley race - Lisa and I being pushed

 

Just before the start of the trolley race and the knitting is going ahead, full steam

Let the racing begin!!!

And just for fun, an egg and spoon race in the parking lot too - broken eggs, equal many lost points

 

Team mates on the other end, waiting for their eggs

 

 

Back at ground zero - waiting for the final leg of the hunt

A kiddies science contraption had to be successfully traversed, without triggering the buzzer

 

And so the rapping began - this is Gail's very much not happy face

 

The crowd assembles, waiting for the rapping to begin

 

 

JP was the ringmaster for this lot - he was brilliant!

Garth led this troop

 

JP again - just check out the back to front caps - all part of the rapper image you see

 

And for this one, Gavin did his thing.  I seriously dig his low-hung pants, with his exposed boxers.  He's got the look down pat.  For extra effect, Rinette, is banging on a pot from the kitchen.

 

Gavin had the moves like Jagger

 

And this was my team - seriously dig Simon's attitude - and John, grabbing his gonads - too funny!

 

Doing our thing - check my chicken wing arms.  I would like to note, that our team won the rapping part of the contest.  Purely though, because the two main judges of the rapping section, were the owners of the largest family owned chain of Kentucky Branches in the country - a friend of ours' parents.  They are fondly called the Colonel and Mrs Colonel.  And in order to aid our winning, we dissed Nando's terribly and promoted KFC.  It was clearly a smart decision.

 

We won overall!!!  Accepting our prizes and giving an acceptance speech.  What fun!

 

One of the other teams, doing their rap too.