[Guest]

A dead body was found in a camp the middle of an african desert.

He aparently was sleeping in a tent alone. There were no visibile hurts or bites in the body. No blood at all.

With the body was found a compass (a very simple one, made in canada), a not working gps (maybe low batteries), a map (with handwriten numbered points 1-4 in black and one point wiht the number 1700 in red. Not many details, the one intersting detail is a small river that crosses de map and passes between the 2 and 3 points), an empty bottle, a broken hammer (very bad quality one) and a lot of animal s*** (lots!). The guy was using some s*** as a pillow and had some over his head too.

Questions:

1) What was the guy doing there? (details using the things found with it)

2) What is the cause of death?

Thats my first riddle, so you can make me questions and Ill answer as I can. I dont know if its good or not, let see what you think of it

[Guest]

Did the man have some sort of fever and used the elephant poo to cool it?

[Guest]

i did some research and came up with this answer

for telling the time, he couldve used his compass to look at the equator, so he could look at the sun position to tell the time by splitting the sun's path into segments so he could tell about what time it is

[Guest]

when i read the parts when you write 'what would make you put elephant's poo in your head' i cant help but think eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew nothinggggggggg.

i guess we should focus on the profession... i checked your profile, since you share that with the character... nothing, damn hmm... the only things he has on him that are for something other than orientation are the broken hammer and the empty bottle. not sure if the map and gps and compass are useful to find out the profession... i have no idea what is men vs wild but i can imagine! and i cant really think of professions envolving it, bottles and hammers. bah. i suck at this

The objects were there in fact in the real history. Finding the profession is one of the remaining misteries and it is related with the objects. After knowing the profession, I think that you will notice another problem, and than you may understand why things doesnt went very well since the begining of the history

Did the man have some sort of fever and used the elephant poo to cool it?

Thats it! Congratulations! Another problem solved.

I leave you another questions: How did he get the fever (whats the cause of death)?

read another post, between the resume and this one that I didnt coment here. You find a hint for this answer there.

i did some research and came up with this answer

for telling the time, he couldve used his compass to look at the equator, so he could look at the sun position to tell the time by splitting the sun's path into segments so he could tell about what time it is

You already figured out that he had problems with the time. Thats the real importnat thing. Knowing how is a kind of "bonus", so I'll help you:

He didnt had a watch... Look for a clock in his things (Ill start for you: A bottle does not has a clock

). There you will find how did he gets the problem with the time.

[Guest]

could this be the situation:

an archeologist and his hammer broke. He separtated from his team to go back to base camp to replace his hammer, but on the way his gps broke. Using his compass he got a little off track and noticed he was walking for too long. since he was walking during the heat of the day, he got over heated and ran out of water to cool himself off with. so he decided to take a rest in the shade of his tent with some dung around his head to cool off. he fell asleep, or fell unconscious from heat. Since there was a lot of fresh dung, as the water seeped out it covered the man's face and he drowned.

0900 and 1700 are the start and end times to his work day, those are the times when he should have met back with his team at a base camp?

[Guest]

could this be the situation:

an archeologist and his hammer broke. He separtated from his team to go back to base camp to replace his hammer, but on the way his gps broke. Using his compass he got a little off track and noticed he was walking for too long. since he was walking during the heat of the day, he got over heated and ran out of water to cool himself off with. so he decided to take a rest in the shade of his tent with some dung around his head to cool off. he fell asleep, or fell unconscious from heat. Since there was a lot of fresh dung, as the water seeped out it covered the man's face and he drowned.

0900 and 1700 are the start and end times to his work day, those are the times when he should have met back with his team at a base camp?

Very good answer and I cant say it didnt fit, but it just isnt my asnwer . Like I said, was based in a real case.

The cause of death is an ultimate alternative for surviving in deserts, but it can kill you also. In the real case my friend didnt die, but I change things a little so it becomes more interesting...

I'm not an archeologist, but youre close... Althoug completely diferent areas, we may sometimes look similar...

The gps didnt broke, it did run out of batteries. What would you do if you had a gps with low batteries? Also, he was found in point 4, marked correctly on the map, like all the other points.

I also confirmed in some posts before this one that he had fever. What caused it is the cause of death.

Something intersting I'm noticing here is that no one here would do what caused his death. You're underestimating what is to be lost in the desert without water.

There is lots of detais in this history and I think you guys already did a great job. Tomorrow Ill post the Final Aswer in a Major Spoiler, if nobody gets to it before

[Guest]

then if he found the time in one of his things,

the time was in the gps!

[Guest]

then if he found the time in one of his things,

the time was in the gps!

UHU! Thats it, the bonus riddle for the time is solved.

All gps must have a clock included. It is time based!

No battey on the gps, no more clock.

Good job flamedudex!

[Guest]

He ate the poo in an attempt to stay hydrated, as it has a high water content, like fruits. Just not as tasty.

I think he probably choked on, and/or was allergic to something in the poo. It wasn't a circus elephant, so peanuts can be ruled out. I imagine some kind of plant that is poisonous to us could easily be digestible by elephants, as well. Can we change the subject now??

[Guest]

He ate the poo in an attempt to stay hydrated, as it has a high water content, like fruits. Just not as tasty.

I think he probably choked on, and/or was allergic to something in the poo. It wasn't a circus elephant, so peanuts can be ruled out. I imagine some kind of plant that is poisonous to us could easily be digestible by elephants, as well. Can we change the subject now??

[Guest]

i think

by reading other posts, maybe he couldve died by getting infected with germs from the elephant poo and caused sickness and died.

[Guest]

[spoiler=Anagram ]THIS happens :lol:

[Guest]

The fresh elephant feces created massive amounts of methane, which suffacated the old man.

[Guest]

A dead body was found in a camp the middle of an african desert.

He aparently was sleeping in a tent alone. There were no visibile hurts or bites in the body. No blood at all.

With the body was found a compass (a very simple one, made in canada), a not working gps (maybe low batteries), a map (with handwriten numbered points 1-4 in black and one point wiht the number 1700 in red. Not many details, the one intersting detail is a small river that crosses de map and passes between the 2 and 3 points), an empty bottle, a broken hammer (very bad quality one) and a lot of animal s*** (lots!). The guy was using some s*** as a pillow and had some over his head too.

Questions:

1) What was the guy doing there? (details using the things found with it)

2) What is the cause of death?

Thats my first riddle, so you can make me questions and Ill answer as I can. I dont know if its good or not, let see what you think of it

A Canadian tourist was Geocaching on holiday in Africa with his girlfriend.

The caches they found were kind of old (over time, people tend to trade whatever

junk they want to get rid of, so there were slim pickings). However, the broken hammer

was more interesting to him the McDonald's toy he had, so he traded it at cache 2.

While fording the river between caches 2 and 3, the man was suddenly EATEN by this

freaked-out rabid elephant!

During his rabid fit, the elephant also swallowed a bunch of air, so the man was able to

survive inside it. The man used the little light in his GPS to help him find his way out through

the most obvious available exit, and he succeeded. Unfortunately, that drained the battery

on his GPS. Equally unfortunate, the man contracted rabies from the elephant.

Near the finish, the elephant helped the man get through those last couple of meters,

so the man had plenty of fresh dung on hand to, uh, well... whatever anyone might

want to do with a big stinky load of fresh elephant dung. Conveniently, he was dropped

off right next to his tent. It seemed an appropriate time to get drunk, so he finished

his last bottle of Jose Cuervo. He dreamt he was eating a giant marshmellow.

The girlfriend later found the man... breath smelling of booze and fresh elephant dung...

and decided to leave. Thus, he slept in the tent alone. Who could blame her?

He paid $17.00 for the map at store that sold lapidary equipment and supplies for rock

hounds. I guess he was hoping they might buy the hammer. He died of shock before the

rabies got him. Bad day, I guess.

Am I close?

[Guest]

A Canadian tourist was Geocaching on holiday in Africa with his girlfriend.

The caches they found were kind of old (over time, people tend to trade whatever

junk they want to get rid of, so there were slim pickings). However, the broken hammer

was more interesting to him the McDonald's toy he had, so he traded it at cache 2.

While fording the river between caches 2 and 3, the man was suddenly EATEN by this

freaked-out rabid elephant!

During his rabid fit, the elephant also swallowed a bunch of air, so the man was able to

survive inside it. The man used the little light in his GPS to help him find his way out through

the most obvious available exit, and he succeeded. Unfortunately, that drained the battery

on his GPS. Equally unfortunate, the man contracted rabies from the elephant.

Near the finish, the elephant helped the man get through those last couple of meters,

so the man had plenty of fresh dung on hand to, uh, well... whatever anyone might

want to do with a big stinky load of fresh elephant dung. Conveniently, he was dropped

off right next to his tent. It seemed an appropriate time to get drunk, so he finished

his last bottle of Jose Cuervo. He dreamt he was eating a giant marshmellow.

The girlfriend later found the man... breath smelling of booze and fresh elephant dung...

and decided to leave. Thus, he slept in the tent alone. Who could blame her?

He paid $17.00 for the map at store that sold lapidary equipment and supplies for rock

hounds. I guess he was hoping they might buy the hammer. He died of shock before the

rabies got him. Bad day, I guess.

Am I close?

THATS IT YOU'VE GOT IT ALL!!! FANTASTIC!!

The answer is a little (just a little bit) diferent

...but that was the 'FUNNIEST ANSWER EVER!!!!

Maybe I just wont post the right answer anymore. Ill leave like it was this one!

[Guest]

Please give us the answer. I am not sure that there is one now.

The last answer I gave had a ration answer for all things included and fit all situatios purposed. At least tell me what was wrong and why.

Edited January 21, 2009 by kennyfarm

[Guest]

THATS IT YOU'VE GOT IT ALL!!! FANTASTIC!!

The answer is a little (just a little bit) diferent

...but that was the 'FUNNIEST ANSWER EVER!!!!

Maybe I just wont post the right answer anymore. Ill leave like it was this one!

I think, maybe, you missed my answer. Pretty sure I was correct on at least one point

[Guest]

:unsure:did he die of parisitic anemia from something he caught in the elephant poo water?

[Guest]

I think, maybe, you missed my answer. Pretty sure I was correct on at least one point

Your idea was correct. But he didi not eat it, just drink.

Please give us the answer. I am not sure that there is one now.

The last answer I gave had a ration answer for all things included and fit all situatios purposed. At least tell me what was wrong and why.

Ok =) I was ironical isaying that was the real answer Here is it:

Pelé*, a Brazilian geologist, hired by an African mining company, goes to Namibia to do a map correlation work.

Already in the airport in Africa, he discovered that the flying company had lost his bag and, with it, all the material needed to do his job.

Waiting for him in the airport was the minnig company guy, Will*. They talked about the baggage lost problem and Will said that he know some people who possibly has some of these material and could borrow it for a day (time given by the flying company to recover the bag). Pele agrees and, in the day after, he goes to the field.

The material he could borrow was not as good as what he had lost with his baggage. In fact, it was very bad quality for professional work, but it the compass and the GPS were working and the tent (that he never pretended to use) was in good shape. The hammer is very poor quality and he knows that it will not resist a single strike in a rock, but he take it with him anyway, since it will be just a recon day. Using the tent as a backpack, he puts 2 bottles of water and the reference map that Will give on it, and enter in the car at 7am.

Arriving at his first point at 9am, Pelé, using the GPS, marked it on the map. He also pointed to the driver of the car where he will be at 5pm (17:00), so that the driver goes there and pick him up to go to the hotel.

He was not alone. He hires a local to help caring things. And then, both start walking north, looking for exposed rocks and, furthermore, the river showed in the map. He has few water, so he has to get to the river by midday.

After sometime walking, they saw the first rock exposed, Pelé marked the point 1 in the map, and stops to describe it. The sun was very hot, so he didn't spend to much time there, and they keep on walking until they find the next rock (point 2).

In point 2, Pelé looked at the GPS an saw that it was with low battery. He keep the GPS on all this time, and the batteries was not alkaline. For now on, he will keep the GPS off, orientating by the compass, just turning the GPS on a little to mark points on the map.

When they finally gets to the river... it was dry! Desert rivers usually gets dry for most part of the year.They had no water left, so the local said that he knew a place where he could get water. Pele pointed a place on the map and said to the local meet him there with the water, while he keeps his work. Pele gives the already empty bottle to the local and stays with the one who has some water on it.

And then he goes waking, now alone, describing another rock (point 3). Marking the point, Pelé realized that he forgot that cheep compasses does not have adjust for declination and, even if it has, he lose his magnetic chart with his bag. He walked beliving in his compass and, of course, now he is lost. The GPS cant be turned on for more than a minute, so he tries his luck guessing the correct way with the compass.

Sometime walking ahead, he found some huge elephants poo. Already hallucinating without water for hours in a 50ºC, he remembered a survivor tip: elephants poo has a lot of water. You can drink it, so that you're hallucinations are over and you get some more time. But there is a risk of getting a terrible infection. He talked the risk and drinked it. Now he fell reinvigorated enough to think. He turned on the GPS for the last time, marked the point 4 and rested.

Couple of hours later, he wake up felling bad. His head is burning and knows he is with fever, so he picked up some of the remaining poo and put above his head trying to keep his brain from baking. Well, no food, no good water and exausted... On the following morning Pelé was dead by the infection. Later, you found the body.

Thats it

*Name are ficticious, although the history really happened (without the death part. I take this from the info given by locals about the risk of doing this. I remeber this history recently watching survivor )

[Guest]

A really nice puzzle

[Guest]

I like my answer better.

[Guest]

The hammer helps understanding what he is (his profession, and thats mine too ) and the and the ideas i just said. It broke in other situation...

Hey, I actually got part of it right (identifying the hammer as lapidary equipment). This was really interesting! A bit on the weird side, but very engaging. What exactly is your profession, Renan?

[Guest]

Hey, I actually got part of it right (identifying the hammer as lapidary equipment). This was really interesting! A bit on the weird side, but very engaging. What exactly is your profession, Renan?

Its very good to know that you liked it! This was my first topic in Brainden, and I also liked very much working on it. Ill start thinking in a new one

You really got the right idea. Only the wrong profession

I'm a geologist. I do not work with this area of direct mapping, like my friend of the history (I work for an oil company), but I already had some troubles mapping to, especially with "friendly" animals (snakes, jaguars and many others )

Thanks again for your participation!

[Guest]

poisonous s***

[Guest]

died of thirst?

[Guest]

Post no 6 here

Says it all