Armchair Traveller 4 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Uluru / Ayers Rock, Australia

The Anangu (the indigenous people of central Australia) owned Uluru after a 1985 handover agreement. Although they didn't want people to climb the sacred rock, the activity was so popular that it remained an option for tourists at the site. An agreement was made that in 2019 there would be a complete ban on climbing Uluru.

There are, however, other activities to do at the site: there is a 10.6 kilometer walk around the base, helicopter and camel tours, and stargazing experiences. The red sandstone rock is the focus of Aboriginal creation stories.

Answer: They travelled on slides.

The current salt mine opened in 1517, but accounts of salt mining in the area go back as far as the 12th century. Slides were installed to allow miners to travel further down into the mine. There are two slides, and both are between 30 and 40 metres long. Inside the mine, there is also a salt cathedral and a stone salt grotto, built in honour of King Ludwig II.

Answer: Calligraffiti

eL Seed was born in France with Tunisian heritage. He mixes Arabic calligraphy with street art, calling his style 'calligrafitti'. He learned Arabic at a later age, which he claims allows him to freely explore the Arabic letters to create pieces of art.

He often takes quotes relating to human experience and incorporates them into his work. eL Seed has worked on buildings, bridges, canvas, and creates sculptures. His work has been displayed across the world: in France, Dubai, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, and Tunisia.

Answer: Sinkholes

The edge of the Dead Sea at Ein Gedi receded over a mile in around thirty years. Even though the water has now receded, some of the salt has been left behind. When the salt collapses, sinkholes form in the ground, sometimes under roads and towns. Similarly, if water seeps underground, the salt dissolves and causes a collapse.

The area is littered with abandoned roads and buildings that are now unsafe to approach.

Answer: Freedom

The Freedom Railway was constructed with Chinese investment in the 1970s, roughly a decade after both countries (Zambia and Tanzania) became independent from Britain. The train was intended to promote trade between the newly independent countries, so that they didn't have to rely on white-minority ruled countries like South Africa and Rhodesia. A passenger train also ran for people doing business between countries. Tourists used the service to see wildlife and the African landscape.

As the railway got older, breakdowns became more frequent. In 2017, the railway was in dire need of a complete upgrade.

Answer: Fishermen and their daily lives

Michael Ancher created numerous pieces like 'The Crew Are Saved' and 'The Drowned Man', showing the dangers of a life by the sea. P.S. Krøyer depicted other areas of the fishermen's lives in 'Midsummer Eve Bonfire on Skagen Beach', an event that still took place in the 21st century.

The Skagen Painters worked en plein air, meaning they often painted outside. Many of their paintings feature dramatic lighting, and make their subjects look strong and heroic.

Answer: A mosque

Mihrabs and minarets are features of mosques, the place of worship for Muslims. The mihrab is an alcove in a wall to show worshipers the direction of Mecca (Muslims face towards Mecca during prayer). The four minarets are the towers in the four corners of the mosque.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque (also called Sheikh Zayed Mosque) was completed in 2007. The extravagant building had 82 domes, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers, and the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world. It could accommodate over 40,000 worshipers for special occasions like Eid.

Answer: Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms National Park is in Scotland, and is one of the snowiest places in Britain. Hikers who choose to go on long expeditions (or get stranded in a blizzard) will need to dig a tunnel into a snow bank to keep out of the cold.

The other three national parks are too close to the equator for snow to be a problem. They have wet and dry seasons where the temperature rarely falls low enough for snow to fall. Kamuku National Park is in Nigeria, Serengeti National Park is in Tanzania, and Komodo National Park is in Indonesia.

Answer: The instruments were made of ice.

Some of the instruments included in the Ice Music Festival were drums, a horn, and a didgeridoo. All of the instruments were sculpted out of ice on the day of the festival. Finding the right kind of ice can be difficult because not all blocks sound pleasant and ethereal. Even the venue was made of snow and ice. Large balloons were inflated to create the rooms.

The balloons were covered in mesh and then sprayed with water until it froze into thick walls of ice.

Answer: French, English, and Creole

The history of Mauritius explains why the country is multicultural. From the 10th century, the island was visited by numerous sailors, including Arabs and Portuguese, but they didn't establish a permanent settlement there. Then in 1598 it became a Dutch colony. The colony failed, and the island was claimed by France in 1715. At the beginning of the 19th century, the island came under British rule. A large proportion of the population were black slaves, but when slavery was abolished, indentured workers arrived from India. The country gained independence from Britain in 1968 and became a republic in 1992. The Mauritian constitution states that English is the official language of the National Assembly, though French can be used in some circumstances. Both languages are used in education and business.

Mauritian Creole is based on French. French was the lingua franca of slaves on the island, but the language developed in a different direction to that of the slaveowners. Slaves and indentured workers came from a wide range of backgrounds, so the Creole language had multiple influences (like Tamil, for example). In the 2011 census, 84% of residents reported that they spoke Creole at home.