Sleuths review their clues (Photo by sftreasurehunts) Chinatown, San Francisco. Business was slow. I was cooling my heels with a stiff drink and scanning the obits for potential cases when a pair of legs walked through my door. The blonde they were attached to had a sob story -- don't we all, sweetheart? But this doll's tale wasn't out of the pages of some pulp rag. She spoke in riddles; all clues and no answers. Something about "Chinese New Year" and a "hunt for missing treasure." It was the "treasure" part got my attention. I hit the pavement with a well-worn map and some cryptic notes, but it turned out I wasn't the only private dick on the case. The streets of Chinatown were packed with wannabe gumshoes, all trying to beat me to the treasure, and it looked like we all had the same clues. Well, those chumps weren't going to learn any tricks from me. I snapped down the brim of my lid and ducked into an alley to get away from the crowd. I needed a rat to shake down; some small-time fink had to know something about this treasure. But my plan was a bust. Sure, there were rats -- the place was lousy with rats. Trouble was, it's the Year of the Rat and those popping noises weren't gats -- they were fireworks from the Chinese New Year Parade. Something was hinky, and I'd been played like a prize rube. Looked like the dame with the gams was going to have to snoop for her own treasure. Suggested Sites... Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt - official site of the annual noir-themed treasure hunt that takes place amidst the Chinese New Year festivities in San Francisco. The Year of the Rat hunt happens this weekend, February 23, 2008. Chinese New Year Parade and Festival - San Francisco's Lunar New Year party. Lunar New Year: Celebrating the Year of the Rat - a guide to New Year celebrations from SFGate, including parade photos from last year. Detective Novels - An Overview - get the lowdown on the world of gumshoes and femmes fatale. Film Noir - a guide to noir on the big screen.

Directory categories: Chinese New Year, San Francisco Travel Guides, Scavenger and Treasure Hunt Companies, Online Scavenger Hunts, Armchair Treasure Hunting

Archived under: Chinese New Year, Crime, Detectives, Events, Games, In Character, Noir, San Francisco, Scavenger Hunts

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