To quickly get started using Viking, follow these instructions.

1) Get some data from your GPS device. There are a couple ways to do this.
You can use gpspoint or you can use another program and translate it with
my version GPSBabel with gpspoint write support (or use the GPSBabel program
itself to download and translate at once.)

2) Open up viking and use File -> Open GPS Data to open the gpspoint file.
Viking will try to change its viewing area to the center of the layer (file)
but sometimes if you have waypoints and tracks which are very far apart you 
won't see anything. If this is the case, expand the layer (on the Layers 
Panel to the left), then expand "Waypoints", find a waypoint and right-click 
on it and click "Goto".

3) Now add a map layer ( Layers -> New Map Layer ), choose a suitable cache 
directory where you would like to store your tracks and click OK. Zoom to a 
comfortable level (I suggest 4 mpp) by clicking the left and right mouse 
buttons on the gray area where your tracks are. Now from the menu choose 
Tools -> Map Download, Click where you would like to download a map. 
Regardless of what tool you are using, the middle mouse button always pans.

4) You will notice the maps are being drawn on top of the tracks, which is 
probably not what you want. Look at the Layers Panel to the left. Notice how 
the layer named "Map" is ABOVE your TrackWaypoint layer that your GPS data is 
in. This means that it will be drawn last, or on top of the other layers. 
Select the Map layer from the list and click the down arrow button beneath 
the list. Your tracks will now be drawn over the map.

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TODO: some explanation of the layers, etc. is required.