CMM on Tour Trivia Quiz

Answer: Israel

In addition to the cities listed above, I spent time in Tel Aviv, the commercial center and richest city of Israel, as well as the capital and largest city, Jerusalem. Jerusalem contains some of the most holy sites for the three major Abrahamic religions: Christianity's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, said to be the site of Golgotha and Jesus' crucifixion; Judaism's Western Wall, the only remaining fragment of the Second Temple; and Islam's Dome of the Rock, where Prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven. The city contains dozens of other important sites sacred to these religions. Also, Haifa is the site of the Universal House of Justice, which is an important site to the Baha'i religion.

However, Israel has a tremendous number of places to visit that are unrelated to religion. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth's surface and is on the eastern border with Jordan. The scenic Golan Heights contested between Israel and Syria are home to a number of wineries. Despite Israel's small land area (just over 20,000 square kilometers or 8,000 square miles), the climate is incredibly diverse. In the north, there are snow-capped mountains; the arid Negev Desert stretches over much of the south. The center of the country has a milder Mediterranean climate.

This question was written by adams627.

Answer: Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is the fourth-smallest country in Europe. It is a landlocked country that does not have an airport or a harbor. The closest airport is in Switzerland; visa and entry requirements are the same as for Switzerland. In 2010, Liechtenstein had about 35,000 inhabitants.

This question was written by mensa58.

Answer: Azores

Many say that the islands actually are the tops of some of the tallest mountains on this planet. There are nine major islands, each having volcanic origins. Literally, they are in the middle of the Atlantic. The Azores are famous for a lush green beauty, seismic instability and the people's unique hardiness. I was in the city of Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel. During my brief stay, I was hit from above by water thrown by playful celebrators on my way back to the ship during their spring celebrations. The islands were amazing, particularly because of their inaccessibility. By the way, I was allowed back on the ship bound next to Lisbon and then ultimately to Southampton.

This question was written by Windswept.

Answer: Italy

Lake Garda was most likely to have been formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age. It is located in the north of Italy, roughly halfway between Milan and Venice. Further north are the Alps. The lake has mountains on the east and west shores at its northern end while the southern end is surrounded by hills. The two cities I visited were Venice (the setting for Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice") and Verona ("Two Gentlemen of Verona"). Verona was also the setting for "Romeo and Juliet."

This question was written by Martin_Cube.

Answer: Shanghai, China

I visited Shanghai on business and had a free day, so I went to Zhouzhuang. If you go there, you have to have the boat ride. Think gondolas in Venice, but with an Oriental twist. Most of the boatmen are women and they sing Chinese songs as you drift along the narrow canals. You can see people washing clothes and dishes in the canals as they have done for centuries. Zhouzhuang is a very interesting place, about an hour and a half drive outside of Shanghai. Avoid the weekends if possible as it gets busy and the pathways between the buildings are very narrow, some only six feet wide. It was 35 degrees C when I was there and it was stifling.

Shanghai is big and bustling. When I visited, many areas were like a building site as Shanghai was gearing up as the host for the World Expo in 2010. If you find yourself in Shanghai, one place worth a visit is the Jin Mao Tower (housing the Grand Hyatt) and the Cloud 9 bar on the 87th floor, one of the highest bars in the world. It's not cheap, but offers spectacular views across the city.

This question written by markswood.

Answer: Rotterdam

Located in The Netherlands, Rotterdam used to be known as the world's busiest port, but it later lost that distinction to Shanghai. It has remained Europe's busiest port; in 2008, it served 36,315 ships and handled 421 million tons of cargo. It has been an important shipping center since the 14th century. During WWII, Rotterdam was heavily bombed by the Germans in 1940, and again by American forces in 1943. Over half of its inhabitants are immigrants or have at least one foreign-born parent. In 2010, Rotterdam had a mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, who was born in Morocco. It is estimated that about 25% of Rotterdam's population are practicing Muslims.

This question was written by daver852.

Answer: Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia-Herzegovina was one of six socialist republics of Yugoslavia, the others being Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia. Bosnia-Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. During the Bosnian War, the capital city Sarajevo was heavily bombed. The Stari Most Turkish bridge at Mostar, which had been commissioned by the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557, was destroyed by artillery fire on 9 November 1993. It was subsequently rebuilt to match the original as far as possible (although hopefully with less polished stones underfoot, as walking up the well-trodden incline over the bridge in a thunderstorm was somewhat perilous). The bridge re-opened in July 2004.

This question was written by jules44.

Answer: Lanzarote

The Spanish Canary Islands are located off the coast of North Africa and are of volcanic origin, perhaps due to the existence of a mantle plume or "hot spot".
The Timanfaya National Park is in the southwestern part of the island and consists of about 50 square miles of black volcanic soils and solidified lava from the most recent eruptions in the 18th century. The temperatures just below the surface are demonstrated to tourists by pouring water into a hole about 50 cm deep and seeing it erupt as a geyser; by throwing a dry plant into the hole and watching it burst into flame; by scooping stones from just below the surface on to a shovel and then tipping a few into outstretched hands (not hot enough to burn but too hot to hold!) and by grilling steaks over a deep pit in the restaurant. The Jameos del Agua were originally part of a lava tunnel which then partially collapsed leaving the caves and grottoes. Part of the Jameo Grande is a natural concert cave with wonderful acoustics, and performances are held there regularly.

This question was submitted by bucknallbabe.

Answer: France

These place-names reflect the German heritage of the Alsace-Lorraine (aka Alsace-Moselle) region of France. Over the centuries, the administration of this area has passed back and forth between France and Germany, resulting in a complex and unique cultural heritage. The dialects of French that dominate in this area are heavily influenced by German vocabulary and phonemes.

This question was written by Gheelnory.

Answer: Curacao

Willemstad is the capital and largest city of Curacao, Netherland Antilles, which is off the coast of Venezuela. We were there the same day as a Dutch naval ship. They were allowed long(er) hair than American military and BEER onboard. It was a little embarrassing (to me anyway) how well they all spoke English, and how non-existent any second language was amongst most of our crew. Many of the crew jumped at the chance to play at one of the several casinos available. It was the first time I ever saw American fast-food outside of the United States, a McDonald's. So, of course, I ate there. I walked across one of the oldest and longest pontoon bridges in the world.

This question written by USCGx2.