How good an explorer are you?

1. Timbuktu is a byword for 'far-away place'. In which country is the legendary Timbuktu?

c. Mali. Timbuktu in the Sahara was a great trading centre in the 13th-16th centuries CE.

2. If you had a girl in Kalamazoo (zoo, zoo, zoo), she would be:

d. A Michigander. Kalamazoo is in Michigan, USA. The song was recorded by Glenn Miller.

3. If you are a Briton abroad, in what country are you statistically most likely to be arrested? (According to 2011 figures.)

a. Thailand. No, NOT Dubai. That year, it came in third. The US came in first, so y'all behave when you're over here.

4. Like to climb to your destination? Which country has three cities located at over 15,000 feet above sea level?

c. China. China has three cities at over 15,000 feet. Who knew?

5. Getting there is half the fun, right? What airline has the longest scheduled non-stop flight in the world?

b. Singapore Airlines. (Fooled you, you thought it was Ryanair.) Singapore Airlines Flight 21 goes from Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore in 18.5 hours, give or take. It depends on the jet stream. Oh, they fly over the North Pole, which is the only way some of us want to see that much polar ice. Check the next question.

6. Are you into extreme tourism? Who holds the record for being the only person to have crossed both Poles by surface means AND climbed Mt Everest?

b. Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The explorer, novelist and former SAS man is into extreme adventure. He is also missing some finger joints from frostbite, we believe. Tough guy.

7. In search of ultimate experience? Where could you find the world's largest hamburger in 2011?

c. California. According to this website, it was at the Alameda County Fair. 777 pounds, including bun, cheese, and condiments. Pass the mustard.

8. Want to see something even more amazing than a huge hamburger? Where's the tallest building in the world?

a. Dubai.   Now it's Dubai. The world has a lot of tall buildings, though. Check them out. Maybe you could do a lift tour.

9. Attracting tourists with good PR is a tricky business. What country experienced a tourist boom due to being mocked in a mockumentary?

d. Kazakhstan, of course. Although the good citizens of that country were at first outraged when Sasha Baron Cohen made mock with his film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the resulting boost in tourism has led them to change their tune. The film's fame has not been totally unproblematic, however: a recent sport victory in Kuwait caused the embarrassing situation that the winning athletes were treated to the 'Kazakh National Anthem' – you guessed it, the one from Borat.

Oh, and Romanians were not as amused by the film, particularly in the village of Glod, which stood in for Borat's home village. The locals didn't particularly like what they saw on screen, and tried to sue.

10. For the ultimate tourist experience, travel to the Navel of the World. Which location bears this name?

c. Easter Island. The famous statues are an important tourist destination.

We hope you enjoyed this brief trip 'round the world. See you next week!

Dmitri Gheorgheni

28.05.12 Front Page

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