Cities I'll Never Revisit Trivia Quiz

Answer: Perth

Since we had already missed the business meeting that we had planned on attending in Perth, the travel agent in Sydney suggested we scratch it entirely and go on with most of the rest of our plans. It was such a shame because Perth, the fourth most populous city in Australia with about 1.74 million people (est. in 2012), looks like a beautiful city with wonderful weather. That is why it was likened to San Diego of say, 20 years prior.

A clean, beautiful city, on the coast, with wonderful weather and not as many people as San Diego had at that time. "The Economist", in their 2011 list of the "World's Most Livable Cities" shows Perth tied for eighth place. Located on the land between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Range, with the Swan River running through it, it has to be lovely. I'll never REvisit it now, thanks to the Australian air traffic controllers.

Answer: Dubbo

Unfortunately, after an uncomfortable flight due to the bad weather, we were not able to land at Dubbo and had to return to Sydney. The pilot valiantly tried to land, and made many passes over the field, but between the wind and rain felt it not correct to do so. Dubbo now has about 31,000 people and is an agricultural town, dealing with a lot of sheep.

It is a huge exporter of lamb worldwide. It has a zoo with open range moat enclosures and it also runs a breeding program for a number of endangered species. I'll never REvisit it now thanks to an ill-timed nasty storm.

Answer: Kandahar, Afghanistan

In the 4th century BC Alexander the Great gave it a Greek name which translates to "Alexandria of Arachosia", and at one time it was the capital of Afghanistan. The city is almost 3,300 feet above sea level and has a population of over 512,000 people.

It is a major trading center for many commodities such as wool and other materials, sheep, fruit, grain and tobacco, with a road system to the entire country as well as Pakistan, and a large airport. Since 1978, when there was a Marxist revolution, the city has been a focus for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, and from 1994 until 2001 was the home of the Taliban government.

In late 2001 US-led NATO troops replaced that government with President Karzai. Because of the terrorist activity in the country, and the general thoughts about US citizens from the populace, it is doubtful that I'll ever visit it now, so I know I'll never REvisit it, due to politics.

Answer: Konya

Konya is in central Anatolia and as of 2010 was the seventh largest town in Turkey with a population in the metropolitan area of over one million people. Archaeologists have shown that the region has been inhabited since about 3,000 BC and has been ruled by many, many different civilizations.

In roughly 47-48 AD St. Paul and Barnabas preached there. In 1228 the Sultan invited the Persian poet Rumi, the founder of the Sufi Mevlevi order of which the Whirling Dervishes belong, and his father to settle there. Rumi spent the last 50 years of his life there and his tomb is there.

However, with the distance and my age, I most likely won't be visiting Konya, thus I'll never be able to REvisit it.

Answer: Istanbul

Of course, if I can't revisit Konya, I most certainly can't REvisit Istanbul, but I'd surely love to visit it for the first time. To take a trip on the ferry across the Bosphorus and thus be in both Europe and Asia on the same day, to see the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Topkapi Palace museum, to check out the rugs in the Grand Bazaar, and to eat the wonderful Turkish cuisine is, unfortunately, something I'm going to miss. I could even visit the oldest American school not in the US, Robert College, which would be fun.

It is estimated that in the year 100 Istanbul had a population of 36,000, whereas in 2010 it had over 13-1/4 million.

Answer: Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg, or Yekaterinburg, sits on the border of the European and Asian continents, and has a population of almost 1.4 million people. The Tsar and his family and retinue were executed in the Impatiev house in July, 1918. Their remains were taken to the woods where they were burned, dissolved in acid and finally thrown into a collapsed mine.

They were later to be taken to a deeper mine, but the White Russians were attacking and instead what remained of the bodies were thrown under a road. The Impatiev house was destroyed by the Communist party so it would not become a place of pilgrimage. Only one day after taking power, Boris Yeltsin had the remains collected and the identification process was begun, using scientists from Russia, Britain and America.

The bones were found to be the Tsar and Tsarina, Olga, Anastasia, Tatiana and four of the servants. They did not find the bone of either Maria or Alexei. Although I'll not be able to visit and therefore won't be able to REvisit this city I would like to pay my respects to where Romanov family died.

Answer: Vladivostok

Vladivostok is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet and in 2010 had over 590,000 people. The Trans-Siberian railway connecting the town with Moscow and places between was finished in 1903 which gave the town an economic boost. When the Red Army took the city in October, 1922, it signified the end of the Russian Civil War.

The city was then closed to foreigners during the Soviet years. The economy of Vladivostok is based on the naval base, fishing and shipping. When it was announced that Vladivostok would be the host of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference, the city began a building rush, with two new bridges planned to go to Russky Island where the conference will take place, an airport upgrading, and resorts, entertainment and dinner facilities updated and/or added. One of the new bridges will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. So, it would be wonderful to visit Vladivostok, but without ever having done so, I won't be able to REvisit it.

Answer: Huatulco

Huatulco is a Mexican tourist development set on nine bays, with all types of lodging available from small economy hotels, bed and breakfast facilities, condos for rent, or luxury resorts, depending on your preference and pocketbook. Under Cortez, Huatulco was a port for galleons and a Pacific Coast distribution center. Sir Francis Drake attacked the city in the late 16th century, and there are still legends about him being told. Only about 20% of the tourists to Huatulco come from foreign countries due to lack of easy international air access.

When you get tired of the beaches, you can visit a coffee plantation or a butterfly sanctuary. Remember, too, that Huatulco's state is Oaxaca which claims to be the origin of mole' sauce, so the eating should be good in the area, between fresh seafood and chicken mole'. Well, I'll just have to dream because not having been able to visit Huatulco, I cannot REvisit the city.

Answer: Cuenca

Cuenca, in the highlands of Ecuador at about 8,400 feet, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of the many historical buildings. The population in the city in 2010 was 330,000 and in the metropolitan area it was over 505,000. Archaeological evidence shows the first inhabitants to be nomadic hunters from roughly 8060 BC. Various peoples inhabited the area from that time until the Incans under Tupac Yupanqui defeated the Canari.

However, the Incans left the town demolished when the Spanish neared, and by the time the Spanish located the city there was no one there and nothing but ruins. Certainly not the city of gold they thought they'd find.

In April of 1557, Gil Davalos founded the settlement of Cuenca, named after the home town in Spain of the Viceroy of Peru. Cuenca is surrounded by mountains on all sides and to the west of the city is a national park.

It has museums, monasteries, parks, and cathedrals to see in the city, as well as one Incan ruin. It has to be a fascinating city, so steeped in history.

It also has exceptional language schools, according to a multi-lingual Swiss couple I met in the Brazilian Pantanal. It's too bad I can't visit it, because without doing so I'll never be able to REvisit it.

Answer: Manaus

Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. As of 2012 it had over 1.7 million people in the city proper. It is at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Solimoes Rivers. The Solimoes is what the Brazilians call the Amazon from the border of Peru to the Rio Negro. One can motor out to see the "Meeting of the Waters", where the black water of the Rio Negro meets with the chocolate ("white") water of the Amazon. That has to be a fascinating sight of the blending of the two. Manaus was the center of the rubber boom.

The rubber barons spent money profligately, buying what they wanted, whenever they wanted, never thinking that their day would end. One of the things they wanted was an Opera House. Thus, for ten million dollars, the Teatro Amazonas was built.

The opera house is still there and has been renovated, although at that time it was a silly investment. As an example, one visiting opera troupe lost over half it company to yellow fever. However, it is now again hosting opera companies and symphony orchestras. Once the rubber seeds were stolen and being cultivated elsewhere around the world, Manaus' fortunes went downhill.

In fact, it fell into such poverty they couldn't afford to run their generators that electrified the city long before many European cities had electricity. Things are changing though. There is now also a wonderful public market by the river, selling all kinds of fresh seafood and a plethora of different species of bananas, amongst other things such as "arthritis" ointment. Manaus is on its way back up again, sans rubber. Unfortunately, I'll never REvisit this city. For those of you who are interested in the opera house, the movie by Werner Herzog, "Fitzcarraldo" (1982), shows it well.