Category: learning curve

I beat Geowizard without even thinking about it

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Geowizard – the pseudonym of Youtuber Tom Davies – was probably the guy who got me back into Geoguessr a few years back. At that time, he was one of the world leaders at playing the game, and his sense of humour really added to his entertaining offerings.

But I’ve always enjoyed his videos rather than trying to play along. And once you’ve watched the video, you know the answers, so you can’t play along. So when I realised that I had just a few minutes spare this afternoon, rather than starting his latest video, I decided to click through and play the same game, blind.

And I did OK, considering. This was a single point photosphere, so you couldn’t move. There was a Masjid in Timor L’Este, an airport in China, mountain viewpoints in Liechtenstein and Pakistan, and a mining settlement in Papua New Guinea. And I didn’t spent much time on it: only about 8 minutes in total, but came out with a very decent score of 23,499.

And with a bit more effort (and time), it could have been even better. I guessed a bit, instead of taking the time to plonk my marker down really accurately.

But it was only a couple of hours later than I actually clicked through to see how Tom had done.

16,758. Wow.
Sure, a big error on the last one in PNG, but even without that, I’d still have outscored him.

And this isn’t me being smug. Or me saying that he’s rubbish, because he’s really not.

But if you are going to try to be good at something like this game, and you start learning how to play it, then managing to achieve this sort of thing is a real milestone, and I was amazed to have done it.

I’m still some distance from learning bollards, or challenging the real stars of the game, but I am getting better.

So this was a pretty big moment, and I am well chuffed with it.

Don’t text and drive

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Why on earth would I even bother to say that in South Africa, where if you’re not using your phone while you’re driving, you’re doing it wrong(ly)?

But still, there’s a lesson here for all of us.

Texting while driving causes 3,142 deaths per year.
Texting while driving plays a role in 5.9% of fatal crashes.

And that’s in the USA. If you don’t think that is a lot (and you should think it’s a lot), then compare those stats with this map:
Deaths caused by texting while driving in the each state of the USA in 1960.

Simpler times.

Safer times.

(Apart from the fact that there were no airbags or crumple zones, and the three-point seatbelt was only invented the year before.)

About 2025

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I know it’s early in the year, and I hate to get other people doing my blogging so very soon, but I have been playing that Mexican Train thing with the family, and I’ve run out of time and energy.

Plus, I thought that this was actually rather interesting:

Yes, some of them are a bit contrived, but what are the chances of there being so many coincidental squares in this year*?

I’m not (that) into nerdy maths, but 2025 = (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9)2 is pretty cool, right?

Right?

I’m off to taste wine in Stellies again tomorrow, but hey – let’s see what happens on the blog…

* The chances are 1, because it has happened.

Stellenblog

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A day out (sort of – we were home by 3:30pm) in Stellenbosch. And I know I said that I’d share it live, but if it weren’t for the detail above, you might think we were still there, so it’s all good, right?

We started at the Unlock Escape Rooms in the Eikestad Mall, where we played the Oak City Wine Heist game. We’re kinda old hands at escape rooms now, and we were headed out to Stellies because we’ve done all the ones in Cape Town. We finished this one in 47 minutes, but it was a bit disappointing. One of the major components of the room wasn’t working, and despite watching us struggle with it for maybe a quarter of a hour, they only told us that it was broken after we got out and had asked what the relevance of the whole thing was.

So we could have been a lot quicker, and it could have been a lot more fun.

They also could have… you know… mended it. But no.

So fun, but not up to the standards we’re used to. 3 out of 5 stars.

Then off to Hartenberg for some wine and some food. And this was really good.

It’s seriously pricey, but their “super premium” tasting option is worth it just to experience their flagship offerings. Link.

Great service from Sive, and a real privilege to be able to taste some really superb wines, despite the bonkers prices. Their Gravel Hill Syrah is exceptional, but at R1,275 (£55, $69), it’s also way out of reach for most of us. I also enjoyed the The Stork Shiraz (R1,050) and the Bordeaux style (not blend, because no Malbec) The Mackenzie at R875.


And while the wines were unquestionably very special, you could get three or four bottles of very decent stuff for the price of any one of those big boys, so you can make your own call on that.
Because it’s not like their “everyday” wines are in any way poor. Their easy-drinking Cabernet Sauvignon (R335) made for a lovely accompaniment to their delicious cheese and charcuterie grazing platters in the summer heat.

Before we left, we popped down to see their Ankole cattle. Too hot to spend too long with them, but wow, they are incredible: hornz for dayz.

And then – with the Boy Wonder acting as chauffeur – it was back home for a swim and a blog.

The problem with having so very many wine farms on the doorstep is that even when they are really good – which Hartenberg undoubtedly is – it seems wasteful to go back when you could be experiencing something new and untried.

But maybe we need to add this one to our “let’s go back again” list, just because it was a great few hours out.