Secret Paradise

When I was younger, Hawaii was the ultimate paradise. In fact the word Hawaii was synonymous with paradise. I even went there a few times, because I wanted to go to ‘paradise’.

Then one day as a young adult, I came across a travel channel show about this place…. And poor Hawaii was reduced to nothing more than a tourist trap. You know the saying “Anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you” I’m making that the new motto here.
Surfing : check
Snorkeling : check

Scuba Diving : check
Wreck Diving : check

Rare and Exotic Flora and Fauna : check
Cultural and historical sites : check
Palate Pleasing Cuisine : check
Dolphins : check
Kayaking : check

Rainbows : check
Camping : check
Wake board : check
Water skiing : check
Live Aboards : check
Canoeing : check

Island Hopping : check
Sailing : check

Shopping : check
Sports Fishing : check
Dream Weddings : check
WWII Artifacts : check

Helicopter Tours : check

There is a place here I have particularly chosen to go snorkeling, a lake full.. I mean full …of jellyfish, who migrate its surface daily. The Jelly fish are mutants. Just like the X-men. They have evolved to be substantially different from their relatives living in the nearby lagoons. They can sting but you usually don’t feel it. The lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels. Two instances where these particular jellyfish have been in pop culture… of course… Survivor, But also Matt Harding, anyone remember him? (Where the Hell is MATT?) One of his ‘dances’ was here at the lake.

This country has been ruled by the Europeans, Spanish, Germans, Japanese, and major fights for WWII were fought here and finally the UN gave the US administration of the islands. The citizens fought against becoming part of Micronesia on the basis of language and cultural differences. Now after some serious controversy finally they voted to freely associate with us in the US, but opting to retain independence. Over 100 American service members were MIA here. So as you can see we have a strong connection to the area. I can join an American volunteer group that search the waters and lands trying to find any info on the MIA’s. Hard work but very rewarding.

If you want to count them there are probably as many islands here are there are countries we are going to visit. There are so many islands that quite a few are dessert islands (Gilligan anyone?) but most of the population lives on the island where the capitol is. And finally I hit what was once thought to be the fountain of Youth. A small little bay that has pure white clay, people say if you cover yourself in the clay you’ll get younger…

Bangladesh

I apologize that this is so late in getting up. It has been a busy week. Just FYI I am going to be unavailable for the next week, so Sunday will post as usual, and the next Sunday will post as usual, you will just have to wait to get the answers for a few weeks ... he he.

also I am doing these w/o my glasses on, so I do not apologize for any miss spelling or errors.

So for you that are patiently waiting, here is what the prize for the MerryPair was. A 3D globe puzzle... but that doesn't mean that is what the prize for the next winner will be.

I have posted the new scoring system on the side. Note you get 5 points for being first, 5 for being right and 5 for trivia/fun facts not previously mentioned. This is scored like Scategories, even if someone else posts the trivia in their comments, you wipe each other out. You can only give up to three trivia items (if you do more they wont count) so you have a possibility of up to 25 points per country. The winner will be the first to 500. Good Luck, and may the schwartz be with you.

BANGLADESH..... phew. what a fascinating country.

23°42′N 90°21′E

And here are your fun facts:

MP - 25

*It is almost completely bordered by India.

*One of the world's longest bridges, the Jamuna Bridge is in Bangladesh.

*In the game Kabaddi, the "raider" has to hold his breath while trying to tag or tackle the other team's players and get back to his side before he takes a breath...not sure how they can tell if the raider breaths or not, but there you go!

MM - 10

*J's 4th great-grandfather, Rev. William Robinson, who was one of the early missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Society, is buried in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

MoMa - 20

*Did you know that they produce 80 motion pictures a year there? you can rent them on line!!*Zillur Rahman was sworn in as the country’s 19th president on Feb 12th of this year.

*There are about 2,000 Royal Bengal tigers in the wild today, but only 200 of them are in Bangladesh where The Bengal subspecies P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh.

DP - 10

*fish and rice make a Bengali

E-C - 20

*Lily is the national flower of Bangladesh.

*Mahasthangarh is Bangladesh's oldest known city site.

*The currency of Bangladesh is Taka

Here Kitty-Kitty-Kitty....

A major part of the coastline comprises a marshy jungle, the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the.. well he may not be the king of beasts but it sure is one beast I wouldn't bet against. This region has in the past 10 years been declared endangered.

In the top 10 of the worlds most populous country, it is also among the most densely populated countries in the world with a high poverty rate. However, per-capita (inflation-adjusted) GDP has more than doubled since 1975, and the poverty rate has fallen by 20% since the early 1990s.

The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies. But this country continues to face a number of major challenges, including widespread political and bureaucratic corruption, and economic competition relative to the world.

New year celebrations are on April 14th. It is also start of crop season. Traditionally the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours and going to fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers, dancers and traditional plays and songs, as well as sweets and other treats.

The culture and lifestyle of the tribal people in the hills are very different from that of the farmers of the plains. Some tribes are matriarchal, and all have similar housing – made entirely of bamboo and covered by thatched roofs of dried leaves. In most other respects, the tribes are quite different, each having its own distinctive rites, rituals, dialect and dress, eg in some tribes the women wear indigo-and-red striped sarongs. The women are particularly skilled in making handicrafts, while some of the men still take pride in hunting with bows and arrows. It also offers a chance to stretch the legs with some exciting hiking between tribal communities.

The national game is known as Kabbadi. The rules are quite in depth, look it up see if you can play it.

There are a number of archaeological and historical sites in here, which are know to date back as far as the third century BC. In the hilly region of north east , contains a number of megalithic monuments, similar to those found in Europe. One of the oldest known city sights is the earliest urban archaeological site so far discovered in in the area.

Apart from cyclones, the area regularly suffers from extensive flooding caused by monsoon rains and melting snows from the Himalayas.

A traditional wedding is arranged by Ghotoks (matchmakers), who are typically friends or relatives of the couple. The matchmakers facilitate the introduction, and also help agree the amount of any settlement. Weddings are traditionally in five parts: first it is the bride and groom's Mehendi Shondha,the bride's Gaye Holud, the groom's Gaye Holud, the Beeya and the Bou Bhaat. These often take place on separate days. The first event in a wedding is an informal one: the groom presents the bride with a ring marking the "engagement" which is gaining popularity. For the mehendi shondha the bride's side apply henna to each other as well as the bride For the bride's Gaye Holud, the groom's family - except the groom himself - go in procession to the bride's home.

Bride's friends and family apply turmeric paste to her body as a part of Gaye Holud ceremony.
The procession traditionally centers on the (younger) female relative and friends of bride, and they are traditionally all in matching clothes, mostly orange in colour. The bride is seated on a dais, and the henna is used to decorate the bride's hands and feet with elaborate abstract designs. The sweets are then fed to the bride by all involved, piece by piece.
The actual wedding ceremony "Beeye" follows the Gaye Holud ceremonies. The wedding ceremony is arranged by the bride's family. On the day, the younger members of the bride's family barricade the entrance to the venue, and demand a sort of admission charge from the groom in return for allowing him to enter. The bride and groom are seated separately, and a Kazi (authorized person by the govt. to perform the wedding), accompanied by the parents and a Wakil (witness) from each side formally asks the bride for her consent to the union, and then the groom for his. The bride's side of the family tries to play some kind of practical joke on the groom such as stealing the groom's shoe. The reception, also known as Bou-Bhaat (reception), is a party given by the groom's family in return for the wedding party. It is typically a much more relaxed affair, with only the second-best wedding outfit being worn.

This is a riverine country. Most of the country's land is formed through silt brought by the many hundreds of rivers that flow through it.

RANDOM FACTS:

The entire country is slightly smaller that Iowa.

Many people believe that if you are bitten by a dog you will have puppies.

Here, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.

The largest ever hailstone weighed over 1kg and fell in 1986.

Fishermen train Smooth Otters to herd fish into nets.

Liechtenstein

Some of you have requested to see what the prize was for the Merriest of Pairs, it is on order and I will post it as soon as it comes in.

47°08.5′N 9°31.4′E

Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein of Gelderland

as only can be played by Mr. Leger in "A Knights Tale"

Rest in Peace you handsome devil.

Liechtenstein is just as you would imagine it, a small country tucked in the alps.

It is so super tiny, but super warm and cozy.

Skiing as a sport is huge and past Olympic medals prove this, but the country is so small there is just the one ski resort. Malbun Ski Area is located at 1,600 meters above sea level in the Alps.

Despite being allowed to issue their own currency, the Swiss Franc has been used in the Principality for over 70 years.
Liechtenstein has one of the lowest tax rates in the world.
The country only has 30,000 residents but the Prince is one of the richest men in the World.
The previous Prince, who died in 1989, was the world's longest reigning monarch.
The country has never had a strike.
The residents speak a Swiss-German dialect which varies across the country.

Schloss Vaduz: The Prince of Liechtenstein is one of the few monarchs in the world to live in a castle. Parts of this building date from the 12th century although it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century. His home, overlooking the town is not open to the public but visitors can walk up and view the exterior.

CONGRATULATIONS MERRYPAIR!

It was a close call, but the Merrrrrrypairs pulled out a win, while on vacation!

all the scores will go back down to 0, and I will start a new scoring system.

5 points for each correct guess.
5 points for one fun fact about that country not previously mentioned
5 points for being first

So as you can see it will take more than just a guess to get the 15 points.

The new country clues will be posted Sundays at 5pm (MST)
So EVERYONE has a fair shot.

WAY TO GO! We have done 10 countries. Can you go back and name them all, find them on a map, remember a fun fact about them?

You are now 10x smarter than you were this past summer, how does it feel?

Someday my Prince will come....

Every time I come across this country I immediately think of the late great Heath Ledger.

RIP.

One of the few countries in the world to be known for being surrounded by only other landlocked countries. A person in this country has to cross two borders to reach a coastline…HA NO BEACHES!

This beautiful mountainous country is a place dreams are made of. Not only is it beautiful but its run by a Prince Charming, who lives in a giant gothic castle…. Sorry girls I checked… they are married or too young. Curses.

Well maybe not so charming…the ruling prince threatened to leave the country if he lost a referendum on expanding his powers. He won, making this country one of the few countries in modern history where the monarchy's power increased. The prince can now veto laws and dismiss governments - making the principality the closest thing present-day Europe has to an absolutist monarchy.

Because of it being a mountain country downhill skiing is a huge sport, but only has one ski area. It is also known for winning more gold medals per capita than any other nation.Another big sport is Paragliding.

Also it is one of the top 10 smallest countries in the world. And though it might not look like much on a map, up close it’s filled with numerous hiking and cycling trails offering spectacular views of craggy cliffs, quaint villages, friendly locals and lush green forests.

And it is the world’s largest producers of…..

Because of low taxes and liberal policy of respect of bank deposits, it is considered one of the few tax havens. And it may be one of the first countries (after disbanding) to be without an organized military force

Gabon - Earth's Last Eden

WARNING: We are down to the wire, the first one to guess next week's country is a WINNER!

23′N 9°27′E

Bordered by Gulf of Gunea, Guinea, Congo and Cameroon

Liberville the capital of Gabon is so named because the area was inhabited by the Mpongwé tribe long before the French acquired the land in 1839. In 1846, L'Elizia, a Brazilian ship carrying slaves for sale, was captured by the French navy near Loango. The slaves were freed and founded Libreville (French for "Freetown") in 1848.

Must Do:Visit a gorilla rehabilitation center (did you know 4/5th of Africa's gorillas are found in Gabon?), and enjoy the pristine beaches, coastal forests, and lagoons of Pt. St. Catherine.

Must See:Spot forest elephants, sitangas, primates and other wildlife in Loango, Langoué Bai and Lopé National Park.

Most of Gabon's population is Christian, only 1% is Muslim.

President Bongo ruled for over 42 years, and only passed away this past summer.

Many of the Bantu people are concentrated in coastal areas and villages along the banks of the many rivers.

The Tribe Has Spoken

This place was 1 of 17 countries that can boast they hosted … SURVIVOR (said as only Jeff Probst can say it).

Looney reality TV aside, here you can find yourself lost amongst the goats… on the airstrip, dodging forest elephants on the stroll home from dinner, or wandering into a celebration of starkly painted dancers that harkens back hundreds of years. Just about everything here is so newly accessible to tourists that just by being here you’re already off the beaten path and in the middle of a whole new world. And if you happen to be travelling with a 4WD, mechanic, cash to burn and a French dictionary, you’re bound to have the adventure of a lifetime. Exploring this land ain’t no walk in a national park. Lack of infrastructure and transportation will lead you on a long, bumpy journey.

Thanks to President Oingo Boingo (sorry I couldn’t help it) designation of a whopping 10% of the country’s land as national parks – closing it down to loggers and miners and opening it up to travelers, conservationists and ecotourists – it’s now possible to explore endless white-sand beaches, primate-filled tropical rainforests, rolling savannahs and estuaries. One of the most beautiful of the country's parks, is near the coast, and is renown for - wait for it - surfing hippos.

Avoiding the coups, wars and poverty that have plagued the rest of the continent, this area has been an oasis of stability and prosperity in a very troubled region for more than 40 years. Its late president, Oingo Boingo (really once you learn his name you’ll understand), has held power since the late sixties and ranks as one of the longest-serving head of state. He has presided over an economy bolstered by income from oil, which has made this area very rich – though dwindling reserves have forced planners to seek out other sources of revenue, and ecotourism has become the buzz word of the day.

This area has been inhabited for at least 400, 000 years. Some 1200 rock paintings have been found. They were made by iron-working cultures that razed the forest for agriculture, creating today’s savannah. The earliest modern society, the Pygmies, were displaced between the 16th and 18th centuries by migrating peoples from the north, this culture, still residing here, are also known for their masks, each group has its own set of masks used for various reasons. They are mostly used in traditional ceremonies such as marriage, birth and funerals.