On the Left You'll See ... Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kiss it

"Fat Maria" is one of twenty baobab trees on Paqueta Island. It is reputed to be in excess of 1600 years old and legend indicates that kissing the trunk before making a wish will enhance the prospects of the wish coming true. The baobabs here are one of only two sets that can be found in Brazil, the other being in Fortaleza. Baobabs are an unusual tree and some species are called "upside down" trees as their branches, when defoliated, look like root systems in the air. Paqueta Island, sometimes called the "island of love" is approximately 680 square miles in size and is "auto-free".

In other words there are no cars, nor are there any pavements on the island and transport is either by bicycle, foot or charrete, a gaudy coloured horse drawn carriage.

Answer: Eleanor Roosevelt

The Iguazu River, whose name means "big water", is the source for these falls which lie on the border of Brazil and Argentina. The majority of the falls (80%) lie on Argentina's side. The falls are 2.7 kilometres wide however, a series of small islands breaks the water into 275 separate waterfalls.

The major benefit from this is that there are a lot more advantageous positions from which to view them. The Niagara Falls does have a greater annual flow rate but the falls at Iguazu are wider and higher.

The stunning spectacle that these waterfalls create has made it a popular destination for filmmakers and they have featured in a wide range of movies such as "Moonraker" (1979), "Mr Magoo" (1997), "Miami Vice" (2006) and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008).

Answer: South Africa

Stellenbosch, also known as the City of Oaks, is the second oldest European settlement within the Western Cape Province. The oldest is its neighbour Cape Town. The dark alluvial soil of this region is beautifully supported by a generous Mediterranean climate, which combine to make this area ideal for winemaking. Stellenbosch and the neighbouring Paarl and Franschhoek Valleys form the Cape Winelands, South Africa's largest wine growing region. In the early 1900's Sam Zetler and his wife Jose settled in this area, raised five sons and started farming.

Their farm has become renowned for the quality of their superb strawberries and their large collection of unusual scarecrows, which they claim are "the most photographed scarecrows in the world".

Answer: True

Vlei is the Afrikaans word for lake or marsh. The Deadvlei is now a clay pan that once was an oasis. It used to house several large acacia trees until the river that irrigated it changed its course. With the water gone the marsh dried up, the trees went black and then died. Now they stand as silent sentinels in the middle of a brilliant white salt plain surrounded by intensely coloured orange sand dunes. At first sight the trees look like they're petrified but they're not. However, because the conditions are so dry here their rate of decomposition is extremely low.

Answer: Chinatown

The Chinese community in Thailand is the oldest and largest outside of China having arrived there as early as the thirteenth century. They have been a part of the Bangkok area since its establishment in the fifteenth century. Samphanthawong is home to some of Thailand's most famous temples and shrines.

These include the Wat Traimit (Temple), which boasts a giant solid gold image of Buddha that weighs in the vicinity of five and a half tonnes, and the three hundred year old Leng Buai la Shrine. The Chinese New Year Festival is a great time to be here.

The celebrations are amongst the biggest in the country boasting a range of dragon and lion dances, fireworks and a sea of red decorations. Oh, and don't forget their Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a harvest festival notable for the sale of mooncakes.

Answer: Making wishes

Lam Tsuen is a village in the Tai Po district, an area that forms part of Hong Kong's New Territories. How the legend of the banyan trees surfaced in this area is unknown. There is mention of banyan trees being "wish fulfilling" trees in Hindu mythology however, Hinduism is a minority religion here.

The usual time for the wish making in Lam Tsuen is during the Lunar New Year. It requires the wish maker to record their request on a piece of joss paper that they then attach to an orange. After the lighting of a symbolic joss stick the orange is flung into the tree.

The legend dictates that if the paper should cling to a branch then the wish will come to fruition. Unfortunately, over time, the branches have become progressively weaker so the practice has been curtailed.

Instead wooden racks have been provided on which the wishes may be hung. Somehow I feel that that doesn't quite have the same charm.

Answer: Pie Cart

Harry's Cafe de Wheels has played host to such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Robert Mitchum and even Colonel Sanders. Legend has that when the Colonel stopped there (in 1974) he enjoyed his meal of pie and peas so much he ordered two more serves. Harry's was set up as a movable food van by Harry "Tiger" Edwards in 1938.

The "Wheels" part of the name was added in response to a city council ordinance that required all mobile food vans to move at least twelve inches each day. Known for its "Tiger" Pies and Hot Dog de Wheels, the operation is now franchised through the Sydney area.

The original site is now fixed and incorporated into the New South Wales National Trust register. The hint (4+20) relates to the children's nursery rhyme that speaks of "four and twenty black birds baked in a pie".

It is also the brand name of one of Australia's most popular meat pies.

Answer: Glow Worm

The Arachnocampa luminosa, described as a glow worm, can only be found in New Zealand. That's not to say that glow worms are not found elsewhere, for example the Arachnocampa tasmaniensis shows up in Tasmanian caves. In truth,the Arachnocampa luminosa is a fungal gnat that glows during its larval stage in much the same way as glow worms.

The Waitomo Caves claim that the assembly of glow worms that they have in their caves are three to four times denser than other cave system on Earth, which allows them to glow brighter and provide longer viewing times for tourists.

The trip through the glow worm section is conducted by boat and the only light is that provided by the worms. The caves are located in New Zealand's North Island and were first explored in 1887 by the local Maori Chief Tane Tinoraw.

The management of the system was taken over by the government in 1906, however, it was returned to Chief Tane's descendants in 1989. Even without the glow worms these caves are amongst the most spectacular viewings in the world.

They have featured on the BBC series "Planet Earth" and rank high on New Zealand's "to do" list.

Answer: Molokini

In an area that is notorious for its powerful currents this is one of the best diving spots in the world. One of the reasons is that the crescent shape of the crater provides wonderful protection. Then there are the amazing coral reefs, which house some 38 species of hard coral, and the waters that are home to almost 250 different species of fish. To cap it off, during early mornings divers are treated to underwater visibility of up to 150 feet.

The downside is that the area has become so popular that overcrowding has become a bit of an issue.

There is also a strong chance that this will cause damage to the precious coral reefs. The local Boating and Recreation Division has not sat on its hands and have taken proactive steps in this regard. They have banned the dropping of anchors and have installed a series of mooring buoys to accommodate boaters.

Answer: Fort Baker

Fort Baker, situated in Sausalito, is an intact historical building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Until 1990 it served as the headquarters of the US Army's 91st Division but now forms part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort was first proposed by President Fillmore in 1850 and four batteries were established by the turn of the century. By the time the US entered World War II there were 159 structures at Fort Baker although quite a few of these were only of a temporary nature. Today the Fort houses an active Coast Guard station, serves as a conference centre and retreat and, to highlight its historical significance, it also accommodates a Discovery Museum. The site has featured in the Dirty Harry movie "The Enforcer" (1976), and as the site of Star Fleet's headquarters in the Star Trek series.

As for the hint ... "Rub-a-dub-dub three men in tub, a butcher, a "baker" and a candlestick maker".