Six Questions with Andrew Layden: Creator of the Global Armchair Treasure Hunt

As some of you may know from a previous Six Questions MW did with Andrew Layden, he describes himself as a poet, novelist, and travel junky.  MW suggested he add ‘Treasure Hunt Creator’ to the list, and he best now, because he has just created another treasure hunt spanning the globe.  It is called, appropriately, The Global Treasure Hunt.

In this exciting new hunt, Andrew has hidden 5 Tins in different locations across the world.  A riddle, leading to the first Tin, was posted on his site just after Christmas. Within each 4×6 inch Tin is a riddle leading to another location. Only with the discovery of the last Tin will the hidden Treasure become known. More details about this hunt can be found on his website: AndrewLaydenegg.com  (the name always makes me smile)

But anyway….let’s get to this new set of Six Questions and learn more of what Andrew has been doing AND about this wonderful Global Treasure Hunt!  Enjoy!

Six Questions with Andrew:

• 1Q) In our last Six Questions you had mentioned about traveling to Florence, Venice, and Cinque Terre, Italy during the summer, and I had shared that my husband and I were going there in October. We went to Rome, but hadn’t visited the locations you mentioned (next time).  Our trip was absolute amazing.  How was yours? And I must ask, did you hide a Tin in Italy?

Italy is a magical place full of great history, culture, food, and art. I had an amazing time in every place I visited. I’m sure that’s the case no matter which city you go to in Italy.

As for whether you’ll find a Tin in Italy, you’ll just have to wait for the next riddles come forward

• 2Q) The idea for a Global Treasure Hunt is fascinating.  I certainly love the thought of exploring and learning about multiple locations across the world.  However, because it is Global, many searchers will be unable to physically find ALL buried tins. Do you have any plans to help searchers work around this circumstance?  Can searchers send a written solution for a Tin and learn the next Riddle?  Is the last Tin in the USA?

You know, this is a complex problem that I’ve thought about a lot. Even with famous treasure hunts like The Secret (A Treasure Hunt) by Byron Preiss, there is the problem of actually getting to the treasure itself. But figuring out where the treasure lies is the biggest part of the fun. I want to reward treasure hunters for their interest. In fact, I made the riddles increase in difficulty to encourage people’s interest.

So, of course, I don’t want people to give up just because they can’t physically go there. People can absolutely write to me (anlayen7@gmail.com) with their solutions. Also, stay tuned on andrewlaydenegg.com because I may post the next riddle if a lot of people have already gotten it. The only Tin I want you to physically get is the last and final one. If you do, however, get that far, I will let you know what’s inside.

• 3Q) Your love for creating adventure can be recognized in your books, The Ashborne Chronicles.  How is this writing project going along for you? Do you have a new book coming out soon? What other writing or adventures are you working on?

It’s going well. I’m currently half-way done with the third and final book of The Ashborne Chronicles. I hope to have it published on Amazon within the year. Sadly, good things require time, and I don’t want to rush forward with a sloppy conclusion. Anyway, by this time next year I should be writing another book. I already have a list of ideas floating around in the back of my head. And in the meanwhile, I’m trying to travel more and go on adventures of my own. The treasure hunt was a great excuse to do it!

• 4Q) In your previous hunt, you discovered the Opal Ring was found by the searcher leaving a note attached to the little branch where the ring hung.  Have you ever learned who found the ring or has that person ever made contact with you?  Are you happy with the outcome of your last hunt? What did you enjoy most about the hunt for the Opal Ring?

The person contacted me by email. I didn’t get a name, unless you count his email address. He simply thanked me for the hunt and told me he would keep the ring in a special place since he doesn’t wear jewelry. Perhaps I would’ve liked the hunt to have lasted a tad longer, but it seems to me people had fun. I’m grateful for that.

• 5Q) The Secret Treasure Hunt has been a treasure hunt you have personally followed.  You have done a lot of research for the cask that is believed hidden in New York City.  What are your thoughts about this cask, if you can share.  Do you think some clues are being misunderstood and the precise location going unnoticed?  Do you think the cask is recoverable or lost to history? 

I think the cask is still there, and I don’t think it is lost history. Since some of the clues are a bit vague in The Secret, people read into things way too much. Some people misunderstand the clues and others seem to find clues where there are none. Having said that, I think several people have put forth some plausible locations.

Personally, I believe the cask is hidden in Battery Park by the East Coast Memorial. Regardless, I’m not sure anyone can actually dig up the cask. Wherever it is, the authorities don’t really allow people to start digging in NYC parks. So perhaps we’ll never know.

• 6Q) As a travel adventurer, where do you want to explore next?  What do you enjoy most about traveling?  Do you have any advice for others whose wish is to explore the world?
• And maybe as 6Q b), do you have plans for creating another treasure hunt or how long do you expect the Global Treasure Hunt to last? Will it be over by Spring or possibly many years or sometime in between? What do you think?
• And one more 🙂 6Qc)Can you share how deep you might have buried the casks? In many places Metal Detecting is prohibited. Would a searcher be able to find the Tin without using a metal detector?

A-6a)I can’t say where I will go next because I haven’t decided. The world is a beautiful place. I could spend my whole life traveling, and yet, I would still find new sights to surprise me. My advice to others is to save your money.  Travel is expensive, but life is about experiences. Fancy clothes and cars won’t give you the same satisfaction travel will. You’ll be talking about your trips for years to come. So save what you can. Then splurge on a new experience in a new country.

6b)I definitely enjoy creating treasure hunts, so if this one is completed, I’m sure I will move onto another one. The riddles should get progressively harder, but I certainly cannot underestimate the wit of you treasure seekers. My gut says it will end sometime in the summer, but your guess is honestly as good as mine.

6c)I didn’t bury the tins very deep. They are in deep enough to remain hidden through any sort of weather, but shallow enough to dig out with your hands if you wanted. I had no intention of damaging any property, so I dug as little as possible and made sure to leave things looking as I had found them. That is all to say that you could definitely find them without a metal detector.

Thanks for your answers, Andrew!  We appreciate you taking time to help us searchers learn more about you, your hunts, and your other projects.  Please keep us updated on your books.

And thank you for The Global Treasure Hunt!  The first riddle has already got many excited about exploring the globe with your riddles.  Discussions on the hunt can be found on the MW Forum.  Please stop by and say ‘hi’ some time!     Best to you!

Best of luck with all that you seek!  Always Treasure the Adventure!