Gadling

Welcome back to Tuesday Travel Trivia, Gadling’s Oscar-winning weekly travel quiz that will soon be made in to a play-at-home board game! (Actually not, but call us, Parker Brothers!)

Congratulations to last week‘s big winner, Virginia Rollett, who joined a select group as one of only two back-to-back Travel Trivia winners. Way to go!

If you’d like to knock Virginia off her throne, check out the following ten questions and leave your answers in the comments. Next week I’ll post the answers and a fresh set of brain-busters. Good luck!

1. The world’s first airline, DELAG, was founded in 1909 and used what kind of aircraft to transport passengers between several German cities?
2. The Netherlands recently passed the United States as the country with the tallest people. Within one inch (or 2.54 cm), how tall does the average Dutch adult stand?
3. Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia are the only African countries to be included on what popular website?
4. The one-word title of what new travel book by Timothy R. Pauketat is subtitled “Ancient America’s Great City on the Mississippi”?
5. The largest national flag ever assembled, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was a 202,870 square-foot flag of what country first displayed at Masada Airport in 2007?
6. What winner of the second season of The Next Food Network Star is also the host of Diners, Dives, and Drive-ins and Guy’s Big Bite on the Food Network?
7. The name of what country appears like this– Україна– in the Cyrillic alphabet?
   
8. What “International” city in Minnesota is known as the “Icebox of the United States?”
9. What three-word city is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago?
10. What pre-1957 name for an African nation is shared by the second largest city in Queensland, Australia?

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

1. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was recently photographed shirtless during an adventure getaway to what vacation ‘hotspot’? Answer: Siberia
2. Name the type of overseas government office that is a branch of a country’s embassy and whose duties include distributing visas and providing assistance to foreign nationals? Answer: Consulate
   
3. ‘One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind,’ said what author of Bleak House? Answer: Charles Dickens
4. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods takes place on what epic U.S. hiking trail? Answer: Appalachian Trail
   
5. Name two motion pictures whose titles contain the names of U.S. states. Answer: Alaska, Indiana Jones, Raising Arizona, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, to name a few
   
6. The durian, known for its powerful smell, is a fruit native to what part of the world? Answer: Southeast Asia
   
7. Name the world city whose metro system includes the following stops: Pushkinskaya, Nevsky Prospekt, Gorkovskaya, Ploschad Lenina. Answer: St. Petersburg
   
8. Founded in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in the town of Canton in what U.S. state? Answer: Ohio
   
9. Morocco’s four ‘Imperial Cities’ are Fes, Meknes, Rabat, and what other city whose name appears in a Crosby, Stills, and Nash song? Answer: Marrakesh
10. In what Central American country does the official currency have the same name as the national bird? Answer: Guatemala (the quetzal)
    

Hey there, devoted fans o’ Gadling, and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Travel Trivia– it’s like Wheel of Fortune for people under 65.

A big Travel Trivia shout-out to last week‘s winner, Virginia Rollett, who plowed her way through some pretty tough questions en route to a perfect 10 out of 10 score.

Want to become this week’s trivia champ? Read the ten questions that follow and leave your answers in the comments. You’re on the Honor System– No asking your favorite search engine for help! Good luck!

1. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was recently photographed shirtless during an adventure getaway to what vacation ‘hotspot’?
2. Name the type of overseas government office that is a branch of a country’s embassy and whose duties include distributing visas and providing assistance to foreign nationals?
3. ‘One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind,’ said what author of Bleak House?
4. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods takes place on what epic U.S. hiking trail?
5. Name two motion pictures whose titles contain the names of U.S. states.
6. The durian, known for its powerful smell, is a fruit native to what part of the world?
7. Name the world city whose metro system includes the following stops: Pushkinskaya, Nevsky Prospekt, Gorkovskaya, Ploschad Lenina.
8. Founded in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in the town of Canton in what U.S. state?
9. Morocco’s four ‘Imperial Cities’ are Fes, Meknes, Rabat, and what other city whose name appears in a Crosby, Stills, and Nash song?
10. In what Central American country does the official currency have the same name as the national bird?

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

1. What is the name of the four-letter anise-flavored spirit, similar in taste to Sambuca, that is widely popular in Greece? Answer: Ouzo
2. With no rivers flowing away from it, what Central Asian sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet? Answer: The Caspian Sea
   
3. What group of people is most affected by the phenomenon known as ‘cloud suck’? Answer: Pilots (and passengers)
   
4. The pupusa, a thick corn flat-bread often stuffed with refried beans or cheese, originally hails from what smallest Central American country? Answer: El Salvador
   
5. The name of what country was also the 31st most popular name for boys in the United States from 1970-80? Answer: Chad
   
6. Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, now goes by what name? Answer: Istanbul
   
7. What is the official language of the South American department of French Guiana? Answer: French
   
8. What travel writer and author of a free(!) guidebook to Vietnam recently was named Lonely Planet‘s U.S. Travel Editor? Answer: Robert Reid
   
9. The official currency of Thailand is what four-letter word? Answer: Baht
   
10. The oldest continuous festival in the world, in which participants toss colored water on one another to mark the coming of spring, takes place in what country? Answer: India
    

Welcome back to Tuesday Travel Trivia, Gadling’s weekly trivia game that rewards knowledge and is still trying to figure out a way to punish stupidity.

Congrats to last week’s winner Peter Koch, who somehow managed to get a perfect 10 out of 10 on my apparently-not-that-hard questions. Hopefully I can stump a few more people this week…

So if you want to play, check out the following ten questions and leave your answers in the comments. Come back next Tuesday to see how you did… Good luck!

1. What is the name of the four-letter anise-flavored spirit, similar in taste to Sambuca, that is widely popular in Greece?
2. With no rivers flowing away from it, what Central Asian sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet?
3. What group of people is most affected by the phenomenon known as ‘cloud suck’?
4. The pupusa, a thick corn flat-bread often stuffed with refried beans or cheese, originally hails from what smallest Central American country?
5. The name of what country was also the 31st most popular name for boys in the United States from 1970-80?
6. Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, now goes by what name?
7. What is the official language of the South American department of French Guiana?
8. What travel writer and author of a free(!) guidebook to Vietnam recently was named Lonely Planet‘s U.S. Travel Editor?
9. The official currency of Thailand is what four-letter word?
10. The oldest continuous festival in the world, in which participants toss colored water on one another to mark the coming of spring, takes place in what country?

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

1. What U.S. National Landmark was administered by the country’s Lighthouse Board until 1902? (Thanks to Ken Jennings for this question.) Answer: The Statue of Liberty
2. What Pennsylvania town calls itself the “Sweetest Place on Earth”? Answer: Hershey, PA
   
3. The United States is actually one of two countries with a capital city named for a U.S. president. What is the other? Answer: Liberia (Monrovia is the capital.)
   
4. In June 1985, an Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula was pictured on a now-famous cover of what magazine? Answer: National Geographic
5. Many upscale hotels offer their guests turn-down service. What does this service usually include? Answer: Pulling back the bed sheets, placing a mint or chocolate on the pillow
   
6. The Iberian Peninsula is mostly made up of what two countries? Answer: Spain and Portugal
   
7. Chinggis Khaan International Airport serves what world capital? Answer: Ulan Bator, Mongolia
   
8. What airline’s slogan proclaims itself “the wings of Italy”? Answer: Alitalia
   
9. Which U.S. state flew its flag at half-mast on the day of the funeral for the late, great musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole? Answer: Hawaii
   
10. The National Football League’s Buffalo Bills recently struck an agreement with what neighboring Canadian city to allow that city to host five regular season Bills’ games for the next five years? Answer: Toronto
    

Tuesday Travel Trivia is on location this week, coming at you from Lago de Atitlán, a beautiful lake in Guatemala surrounded by volcanos and small towns. The only drawback? This funky keyboard takes me twice as long to type.

Congratulations to last week’s big trivia winners, who managed to navigate their way through ten pretty tough questions. I didn’t even know the answers to some of them, and I wrote the damn things.

Want to become this week’s trivia champ? Check out the following ten brain-busters and write your answers in the comments. Good luck!

1. What U.S. National Landmark was administered by the country’s Lighthouse Board until 1902? (Thanks to Ken Jennings for this question.)
2. What Pennsylvania town calls itself the “Sweetest Place on Earth”?
3. The United States is actually one of two countries with a capital city named for a U.S. president. What is the other?
4. In June 1985, an Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula was pictured on a now-famous cover of what magazine?
5. Many upscale hotels offer their guests turn-down service. What does this service usually include?
6. The Iberian Peninsula is mostly made up of what two countries?
7. Chinggis Khaan International Airport serves what world capital?
8. What airline’s slogan proclaims itself “the wings of Italy”?
9. Which U.S. state flew its flag at half-mast on the day of the funeral for the late, great musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole?
10. The National Football League’s Buffalo Bills recently struck an agreement with what neighboring Canadian city to allow that city to host five regular season Bills’ games for the next five years?

Last week’s questions and answers are after the jump…

1. The national dish of Hungary is what rich beef stew flavored with paprika? Answer: Goulash
2. Sacha Baron Cohen’s flamboyant character Brüno is said to be from Central European country? Answer: Austria
3. In what African country was the photo above taken? Answer: Tanzania
4. When would a car rental agency typically add a “drop charge” to a person’s bill? Answer: When the car is dropped off in a different location from where it was picked up.
5. When facing forward on a boat, which side is starboard and which side is port? Answer: Starboard is right, port is left.
6. What Irish playwright born in 1856 once said, “I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad”? Answer: George Bernard Shaw
7. Rhodes, Heraklion, Patras, and Ioannina are cities in what European country? Answer: Greece
8. Sioux Gateway Airport in South Dakota goes by what unfortunate three-letter airport code? Answer: SUX
9. A caipirinha, made from cachaça, sugar, and lime, is the national cocktail of what South American nation? Answer: Brazil (shouldn’t every country have a national cocktail?)
10. What is the official currency of Denmark? Answer: the kroner

It’s the 40th week of Tuesday Travel Trivia and we’re still going strong. We’ve survived an historic presidential election, a plane’s miraculous landing on the Hudson River, and even the death of one of the world’s most famous entertainers. I am speaking, of course, of TV pitchman Billy Mays. We’ve also given away over $400 in prizes and plans are afoot to give away even more expensive booty. (There’s gotta be a better way to say that.)

A hearty congratulations goes out to Tim Laynor, the big winner from last week, whose dazzling brilliance shone like a 24-carat diamond.

Want to become this week’s champ? If you think you know the answers to the questions below, leave your answers in the comments. Come back next Tuesday for the answers… Good luck!

1. The national dish of Hungary is what rich beef stew flavored with paprika?
2. Sacha Baron Cohen’s flamboyant character Brüno is said to be from what Central European country?
3. In what African country was the photo above taken?
4. When would a car rental agency typically add a “drop charge” to a person’s bill?
5. When facing forward on a boat, which side is starboard and which side is port?
6. What Irish playwright born in 1856 once said, “I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad”?
7. Rhodes, Heraklion, Patras, and Ioannina are cities in what European country?
8. Sioux Gateway Airport in South Dakota goes by what unfortunate three-letter airport code?
9. A caipirinha, made from cachaça, sugar, and lime, is the national cocktail of what South American nation?
10. What is the official currency of Denmark?

Last week‘s answers are below the fold…

1. The Hagia Sophia church (pictured above) is located in what world city? Answer: Istanbul, Turkey
2. What is the only US state that does not have a straight line as part of its border? Answer: Hawaii
   
3. A “truck” in American English is called what in British English? Answer: A lorry
   
4. What quotable American author once wrote: “I have found that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them”? Answer: Mark Twain
   
5. With the motto, “Make the Most of your Time on Earth,” what guidebook publisher (despite its name) aims to make sure that your travels are always smooth? Answer: Rough Guides (get it?)
   
6. The city of Asgabat is the capital of what secretive Central Asian country? Answer: Turkmenistan
   
7. What type of tree is featured on the Lebanese flag and is the country’s national symbol? Answer: Lebanese Cedar
   
8. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, was from what West African country? Answer: Ghana
   
9. Author of the 2000 book Left for Dead, a Texas pathologist named Beck Weathers survived a disaster that occurred on what natural wonder? Answer: Mt. Everest (Weathers also played a prominent role in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air)
   
10. A couple weeks ago, UNESCO added thirteen new sites to its World Heritage list, but in a rare move, one site was dropped from the list because of a construction project that ruined its landscape. The dropped site was the Elbe River Valley located in what European country? Answer: Germany, specifically Dresden