Tuesday Travel Trivia (Week 24)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

It’s Tuesday, and that means it’s time for some headache-inducing, brain-busting travel trivia questions.

Mad props to last week‘s winners Eva and nzm, who both answered nine out of ten correctly.

Want to become this week’s champ? Check out the following ten queries and post your answers in the Comments. Come back next Tuesday for the answers. Good luck!

  1. What famous New Zealander who died last year was famously quoted as saying, “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off”?
  2. What 2004 film recounts the legendary journey across South America by Che Guevara and Alberto Granado?
  3. This week marks the debut of two new Major League baseball stadiums (stadia?) located in New York City. What are their names?
  4. Often referred to as a “squiggly line” or an “en-yay”, this character used in Spanish (~) is properly known as what?
  5. National Geographic‘s travel blog is one of the best in the business. What’s its name?
  6. What is the only territory in South America whose currency is the Euro?
  7. Located in New York City, the French restaurant Les Halles once featured a (now) very well-known executive chef. Who was it?
  8. True or false: The country of Saudi Arabia has its own category on Craigslist.
  9. What five-letter word describes a type of toilet, also known as an Eastern or Natural-Position toilet, that often appears to be nothing more than a hole in the ground?
  10. The internet domain suffix .de is used for websites originating in what country?

Last week’s answers are posted below the fold…

  1. At around 400 meters below sea level, what is the lowest point on earth? Answer: The Dead Sea
  2. The country of Lesotho (pictured) is an enclave entirely surrounded by which African nation? Answer: South Africa
  3. True or false: There is a Lonely Planet guidebook that covers North Korea. Answer: True
  4. What Arabic word that begins with “m” means “school”? Answer: Madrasah
  5. Which 1982 Toto song– and I’m sure you know many– contained the following line, once voted the worst song lyric of all time: “The wild dogs cry out in the night, As they grow restless longing for some solitary company, I know that I must do what’s right, Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.”? Answer: “Africa”
  6. What long parcel of land stretches from Mexicali, Mexico, in the north to Cabo San Lucas in the south? Answer: Baja, California (Mexico)
  7. About what 1989 time-traveling comedy did USA Today write, “Wow, dudes. Pu-trid.”? Answer: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (not to be confused with its sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey)
  8. Which country in the world has the most Christians? Answer: The US
  9. What language does Wikipedia call “the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language in the world”? Answer: Esperanto
  10. What European capital is (among other things) the headquarters of Heineken International? Answer: Amsterdam

Tuesday Travel Trivia (Week 23)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

It’s Week 23 of Tuesday Travel Trivia, the weekly travel quiz that’s sweeping the nation, assuming you interpret that phrase very loosely.

Last week’s big winner was Matthew O’Connor, who shocked the world with a perfect 10 out of 10. I’ve asked Obama to call and congratulate him but you never know with these politicians.

Think you can become this week’s champ? Read the questions below and leave your answers (not Google’s) in the comments. Buena suerte!

  1. At around 400 meters below sea level, what is the lowest point on earth?
  2. The country of Lesotho (pictured) is an enclave entirely surrounded by which African nation?
  3. True or false: There is a Lonely Planet guidebook that covers North Korea.
  4. What Arabic word that begins with “m” means “school”?
  5. Which 1982 Toto song– and I’m sure you know many– contained the following line, once voted the worst song lyric of all time: “The wild dogs cry out in the night, As they grow restless longing for some solitary company, I know that I must do what’s right, Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.”?
  6. What long parcel of land stretches from Mexicali, Mexico, in the north to Cabo San Lucas in the south?
  7. About what 1989 time-traveling comedy did USA Today write, “Wow, dudes. Pu-trid.”?
  8. Which country in the world has the most Christians?
  9. What language does Wikipedia call “the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language in the world”?
  10. What European capital is (among other things) the headquarters of Heineken International?

Look below the fold for the answers to last week’s questions…

  1. Africa’s largest desert, the Sahara, is also the world’s largest hot desert. What desert (also the setting for a track in Mario Kart) is Africa’s second largest? Answer: Kalah
  2. Think of the name of a travel-related lawbreaker that starts with S. Remove the S and one other letter, and the remaining letters, in order, will name another lawbreaker. What are the two words? (Thanks to Will Shortz for this brain-buster.) Answer: Smuggler & Mugger
  3. Millions of people have watched the Youtube videos created by “Dancing Matt.” But what is Matt’s last name? Answer: Harding (like Warren G.)
  4. China has two territories that are designated as Special Administrative Regions. One is Macau. The other is one of the most densely populated places in the world. What is it? Answer: Hong Kong
  5. What country’s flag, seen above, is the world’s only one that is not either a rectangle or a square? Answer: Nepal
  6. Identify the famous comedian behind the following bit: “Are there keys to a plane? Maybe that’s what those delays are sometimes, when you’re just sitting there at the gate. Maybe the pilot sits up there in the cockpit going, ‘Oh, I don’t believe this. Dammit…I did it again.'” Answer: Jerry Seinfeld (yes, not his best work)
  7. The name of what ten-letter African country contains four separate (not overlapping, not anagrammed) English words in it? Answer: Madagascar (get it?)
  8. What 1991 road-trip film ends with the two main characters driving off a cliff? Answer: Thelma and Louise
  9. What delicious Middle Eastern dip is made primarily of mashed chickpeas? Answer: Hummus
  10. What two large bodies of water does the Cape of Good Hope divide? Answer: The Atlantic and Indian Oceans

Tuesday Travel Trivia (Week 22)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Welcome back to Tuesday Travel Trivia, the only weekly quiz whose results are now accepted instead of the SAT and ACT by the admissions departments of most major universities.

Congratulations to last week’s big winner Nate, who got an impressive 9 out of 10 on some very difficult questions. Way to go, Nate– you’re going to college!

Think you can be this week’s champ? Read the following questions and leave your answers-slash-guesses in the comments. Come back next Tuesday to see the answers. No Googling!

  1. Africa’s largest desert, the Sahara, is also the world’s largest hot desert. What desert (also the setting for a track in Mario Kart) is Africa’s second largest?
  2. Think of the name of a travel-related lawbreaker that starts with S. Remove the S and one other letter, and the remaining letters, in order, will name another lawbreaker. What are the two words? (Thanks to Will Shortz for this brain-buster.)
  3. Millions of people have watched the Youtube videos created by “Dancing Matt.” But what is Matt’s last name?
  4. China has two territories that are designated as Special Administrative Regions. One is Macau. The other is one of the most densely populated places in the world. What is it?
  5. What country’s flag, seen above, is the world’s only one that is not either a rectangle or a square?
  6. Identify the famous comedian behind the following bit: “Are there keys to a plane? Maybe that’s what those delays are sometimes, when you’re just sitting there at the gate. Maybe the pilot sits up there in the cockpit going, ‘Oh, I don’t believe this. Dammit…I did it again.'”
  7. The name of what ten-letter African country contains four separate (not overlapping, not anagrammed) English words in it?
  8. What 1991 road-trip film ends with the two main characters driving off a cliff?
  9. What delicious Middle Eastern dip is made primarily of mashed chickpeas?
  10. What two large bodies of water does the Cape of Good Hope divide?

Check out last week‘s questions and answers below the fold…

  1. What large midwestern city in the United States dyes its river green every year for St. Patrick’s Day? Answer: Chicago
  2. What Joni Mitchell song named for a US state opens with the lyrics, “Sittin’ in a park in Paris, France / Readin’ the news and it sure looks bad / They won’t give peace a chance / That was just a dream some of us had”? Answer: “California” (a damn good song)
  3. The city of Podgorica is the capital of one of the world’s newest countries. Which country is it? Answer: Montenegro
  4. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently presented a button to Russia’s foreign minister which Clinton thought said “reset” in Russian. What was the actual translation? Answer: Overcharge
  5. Portions of The Da Vinci Code are set in what popular European art museum? Answer: The Louvre
  6. What is the only country in Africa which does not belong to the African Union? (Hint: It is a member of the Arab League.) Answer: Morocco
  7. You’d like to travel overland directly from Thailand to India, but alas, you cannot. What country stands in your way? Answer: Burma (Myanmar)
  8. What seven-letter name is given to the mini-laptops that many travelers bring with them on trips? Answer: Netbook
  9. What outdoor outfitter was named after the side of mountains in the northern hemisphere that is usually the most difficult to climb? Answer: The North Face
  10. The most recent season of Survivor, which premiered on February 12, was filmed in the state of Tocantins in what South American country? Answer: Brazil

Tuesday Travel Trivia (Week 21)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Welcome back to Tuesday Travel Trivia– and happy St. Paddy’s Day to all the trivia players out there!

Last week‘s only perfect score belonged to Rudi, who has promised to rule with an iron fist as this week’s trivia king.

If you’d like to be next week’s trivia king or queen, put down the green beers in both your hands and answer the ten questions that follow in the comments. Come back next Tuesday for the answers… Good luck!

  1. What large midwestern city in the United States dyes its river green every year for St. Patrick’s Day?
  2. What Joni Mitchell song named for a US state opens with the lyrics, “Sittin’ in a park in Paris, France / Readin’ the news and it sure looks bad / They won’t give peace a chance / That was just a dream some of us had”?
  3. The city of Podgorica is the capital of one of the world’s newest countries. Which country is it?
  4. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently presented a button to Russia’s foreign minister which Clinton thought said “reset” in Russian. What was the actual translation?
  5. Portions of The Da Vinci Code are set in what popular European art museum?
  6. What is the only country in Africa which does not belong to the African Union? (Hint: It is a member of the Arab League.)
  7. You’d like to travel overland directly from Thailand to India, but alas, you cannot. What country stands in your way?
  8. What seven-letter name is given to the mini-laptops that many travelers bring with them on trips?
  9. What outdoor outfitter was named after the side of mountains in the northern hemisphere that is usually the most difficult to climb?
  10. The most recent season of Survivor, which premiered on February 12, was filmed in the state of Tocantins in what South American country?

Last week‘s answers are printed below the fold…

  1. The words schmooze and glitch both originated from what language spoken in the homes of almost 200,000 Americans? Answer: Yiddish
  2. Which line of latitude is farther north: The Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn? Answer: Tropic of Cancer
  3. Name one Beatles song whose lyrics are partly in a language other than English. Answer: Michelle, Across the Universe, others
  4. What German-to-English loan word means “a strong desire or impulse to explore the world”? Answer: Wanderlust
  5. The most popular search engine in China is called what? Answer: Baidu
  6. If you saw the word “Аэрофлот” printed on the side of your airplane, what airline would you be flying? Answer: Aeroflot
  7. Name two rhyming European capitals. (Hint: Head east.) Answer: Budapest & Bucharest; Tallinn & Berlin
  8. What popular travel writer penned the classic book Video Night in Kathmandu? Answer: Pico Iyer
  9. The Arabic word hajj means “pilgrimmage,” one of the Five Pillars of Islam. To which of the Five Pillars does the word zakat refer? Answer: The giving of alms
  10. What actor and comedian is currently starring in the Broadway play You’re Welcome, America? Answer: Will Ferrell

Tuesday Travel Trivia (Week 20)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Welcome back to Tuesday Travel Trivia, the game for smart people whose undemanding jobs leave them nothing else to do at 10 am on a Tuesday except answer a trivia quiz. Respect to last week’s big winners Alex and Eva, whose prizes are both in the mail.

Want to become this week’s champ? Check out the following ten questions and leave your answers in the comments. No Googling!

  1. The words schmooze and glitch both originated from what language spoken in the homes of almost 200,000 Americans?
  2. Which line of latitude is farther north: The Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn?
  3. Name one Beatles song whose lyrics are partly in a language other than English.
  4. What German-to-English loan word means “a strong desire or impulse to explore the world”?
  5. The most popular search engine in China is called what?
  6. If you saw the word “???????????” printed on the side of your airplane, what airline would you be flying?
  7. Name two rhyming European capitals. (Hint: Head east.)
  8. What popular travel writer penned the classic book Video Night in Kathmandu?
  9. The Arabic word hajj means “pilgrimmage,” one of the Five Pillars of Islam. To which of the Five Pillars does the word zakat refer?
  10. What actor and comedian is currently starring in the Broadway play You’re Welcome, America?

Last week‘s answers are printed below the fold…

  1. What famous American author, attempting to rediscover his home country in the 1960s, went on a three-month trip with his dog Charley and eventually penned the book Travels with Charley in Search of America? Answer: John Steinbeck
  2. Tokyo has at least seven cafes where customers pay about US$10 per hour to sip tea among what four-legged animals? Answer: Cats
  3. Fill in the two missing countries in this series: Russia, Canada, China, _________, _________, Australia, India. Answer: United States, Brazil (Largest Countries by Area)
  4. What is the occupation of the vast majority of people who work for the company Berlitz? Answer: Teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL)
  5. What four-letter British term means to engage in some type of public performance in order to earn tips? Answer: Busk
  6. If your plane is landing at Jose Marti International Airport, in which Caribbean capital city will you find yourself? Answer: Havana, Cuba
  7. What are the two official languages of the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus? Answer: Turkish & Greek
  8. What word for a type of Spanish appetizer means “lid” or “cover”? Answer: Tapas
  9. Which US state does not make up one of the “Four Corners,” the only spot where a person can be in four states at once: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, or Colorado? Answer: Nevada
  10. What’s the name of the world’s largest organization of youth hostels, with more than 4,500 members? Answer: Hostelling International