When I first heard about geocaching ( 地理寻宝 ) , I was skeptical.But the more I thought about it , the more it seemed like an interesting idea.I at least wanted to try it once. Having familiarized myself with how the works , I set out in search of my first cache.My trip took me through a series of lively hutong ( 胡同 ) , past a number of small temples , and right into the courtyard of a quiet youth hotel.I spent several minutes looking around , but couldn’t find anything.Just before I was about to give up , I spotted a colorful object in the crack of a wall.Could it be the hidden cache? At that moment a group of backpackers arrived.According to the ’s rules , people who are not in the must not be allowed to find out about secret caches.So I pretended to make a phone call while waiting for them to leave.When the coast was clear , I grabbed the object.It was the cache ! I opened it and pulled out a crumpled ( 皱的 ) sheet of paper with several names and celebratory messages written on it.I added my own and replaced the cache in its hiding place , ready for the next geocacher to find. It may seem like a , but the idea that there are caches hidden all around us is exciting.Once you’re hooked , it’s easy to set yourself the goal of finding every single cache in a neighborhood or even an entire city.The real treasure , however , is not the cache itself , but the places it takes you to. Hunting for further caches has since introduced me to places which I didn’t even know existed.Some are peaceful parks , while others are forgotten historical sites.A few caches have even been in places I passed regularly without giving them any thought.Now , I feel a much closer connection.