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[sledgecallier]

I always got the impression that Catbite was further out of the city and somewhere off the the West or South West? The references to Catbite have always been about hiking, and you would hardly go hiking in a parkland area. I'm thinking more Yosemite National Park than Hyde Park...

The Subway map only shows inner city stations (Kind of like a Zone 1 map of the London underground) and beyond rough geographical directions we cannot really use it for mapping.

The slightly strange thing is:

[Leeravitz]

Yeah, the route of the Gambol does sound somewhat confusing. I have little doubt that MC know their own map though, and that, if we could see how things were laid out, it would all make perfect sense.

It's stated that the gambol goes 'round the perimeter', which I assume means that it starts by heading out of the City limits, and then following the lines of those limits for 120 miles (or whatever), before the City is re - entered. In that sense, it would be a little bit like tracing the line of the ancient walls of London, say (I've done that in the past - it takes about an hour).

Anyway...

So, if the starting point is Alchemy Beach, then we may already need to assume that the beach is outside of/abutting onto land beyond city limits - this might make sense, if the beach is where we think it is, then it appears to front the harbour, which in turn opens into a sea (?), and I find it hard to believe that the City can be the only thing that stands on this substantial sea coast - the coast looks like it extends well beyond this particular harbour and portage area. So, the notion that there are further coastal lands to north and (maybe) south does not seem at all unlikely. It appears equally feasible that these locations do not fall within the City purview proper, although a region like Catbite or Gladstone is, perhaps, outlying, and has been 'annexed' to some extent by the growing conurbation at the centre. That's only speculation, but, although we now know that the Perplexian 'world' is, indeed, just that - i.e. other societies exist beyond the confines of the City - it never appears as if regions like Gladstone are far distant - it is, perhaps, more reasonable to assume that they are 'satellites' of the centre (self - governing regions or otherwise), rather than remote fellow Cities.

So, then, I would agree that 'going down' through Catbite does appear to assume a southward trek. Where this places the region is, indeed, a bit of a mystery, as it seems to indicate that from the harbour/beach region, one would trek south. But maybe this is not unfeasible if we recall that the walker is already outside of the City perimeter. What is then being done is the central precincts of the city are being skirted - this may mean, say, taking a detour around the Mobius Strip etc. It looks as if Catbite is categorically outside the city somewhere, but, again, all indications are it's pretty nearby.

This all seems to be corroborated by the fact that the return journey then 'loops back' through the forests to the north. Again, the perimeter is still being followed, and the City centre proper circumambulated, and it seems likeliest that what is being done is a half to three quarter loop around the city perimeter, starting in the east, going south, then heading west for a time, and ,finally, swinging back north. At a certain point, I assume, the walking party return to the City centre proper, taking a short - cut via the forest - they may not complete the journey full circle, so the finishing point is not necessarily Alchemy Beach again.

Or something like that...?

[sledgecallier]

I suppose the other option is that Catbite is a gorge of some kind and you physically go down it and out the other side?

I have been trying to ascertain a mental picture of what the area could look like. There has been mention of a "Catbite Nature Protection Fund", which would point to it being a fairly under-developed area and it also has archaeologists currently working at digs on the far side of Catbite looking for ancient settlements. Remember too that it is also where the Cube was originally found...

The problem is that I keep coming up with potential Earth based comparisons and I feel it may be foolish to constrain oneself to such limited possibilities?

[Leeravitz]

I'd just like to know why it's called 'Catbite', frankly. But the idea of it as an area of somewhat 'uncharted wilderness' sounds logical - it gives the picture of the City being the urbanised hub of an area that is surrounded on its perimeters by forests and scrubland. This could well be in keeping with what we know of the City's ancient history - the whole area was once quite heavily forested, it seems, and the City grew up along the river - although, clearly, Perplex City didn't quite go the way of London, and eventually extirpate the natural resources of the area completely...then again, I suppose, if you follow the Thames in the direction of Kent...

Maybe they instituted 'green belt' policies a long time ago...anyway...

the fact that archaeological remains have been found on the other side of it is interesting - again, it's consistent with the idea that maybe the area around it was occupied once, but then abandoned, and when the City grew up, it did not encompass 'Catbite' within its perimeters.

I guess you're right as well, though, that it could simply be the name of a natural feature, and maybe, a cleft, gorge or valley in a chain of hills or mountains would be the most logical option. It fits well enough, I suppose: there is no reason why such a chain would not form a boundary between the city outskirts, and lands on the other side, and maybe you can indeed hike from the beach up into the mountains, descend through a gorge southwards, and then eventually, skirting the city, swing back round to the north through forest cover - it would certainly be a picturesque walk. As far as I know though, there hasn't been any indication that mountains or hills exist near the City from the maps...

[Scott]

Who said catbite is to the north? i dont see it. Catbite has pretty consistently been described as to the south, beyond the Mazy river.

And of course there's the much-disputed wildlife reserve to the north.

The Gambol is going clockwise around the city, I believe.

[toongoon]

From the More news section

[Leeravitz]

'Gambol' would appear to be a bit of a misnomer, I think!

Should have noticed that it clearly says that it begins and ends at the Beach though (although I guess that was added in later...)...

I had a brief idea (best forgotten, perhaps) that if 'catbite' was actually so - called because some Perplexian had once thought that the lay of the land looked like a cat had taken a bite out of it (!?), then maybe it could actually refer to the harbour region, which is south of the beach, after all (and *maybe* outside the City limits proper). Of course, how something of significance could then be 'on the other side' of said natural formation is difficult to visualise, unless one assumes that the ruins lie just beyond the furthest limits of the bay inlet.

This sounds quite unlikely even to me, unless the Perplexians once came up with some kind of ancient myth about how a giant cat took a bite out of the coast, and allowed the waters of the harbour thereby to rush in.

But even by Perplexian standards, I think 'Catbite' is an odd name - it could maybe be a corruption of something that once made more sense? Unless it is simply a region infested with vicious, biting cats (but that would be pretty ridiculous...and you wouldn't want to go on a 'gambol' through it, I wouldn't have thought). But, hey, they did once have sabre - toothed tigers in the region after all.

[PuzzledPineapple]

The Gambol is a bit more of a walk than I'm up for, but to prove that it is feasible: Varsity Match. Many people cover the 81 mile distance between Oxford and Cambridge in 48 hours. And do it again the next year. Simply dividing by two and multiplying by three gives the Gambol, although I don't know many of the ramblers from the Varsity Match would be up to doing half as far again.

I have to wonder if any of them will be that interested in a carnival afterwards though.

[toongoon]

Perplexians = brawn and brains ... and always up for a carnival!?

edited for clarification

[BrianEnigma]

If it was a typo and should have been "120 kilometers" instead of "120 miles" that would work out to be "only" 75 miles (which is still more than I would be willing to do, but to each his own.) Wouldn't an advanced civilization like Perplex City be using the metric system?

[HitsHerMark]

[toongoon]

academics + beer + pies = PIE FIGHTS!

[BrianEnigma]

Where in pie?

[joolsweb]

Catbite

[RI_Barnica]

Re: Catbite