Facts about countries I have visited – a collaboration with a 9 year old.
Master J recently visited from New Zealand with his mum and dad. He, together with his National Geographic Kids Almanac, proved to be a font of knowledge and kept me agog with weird and wonderful facts. It is a fabulous book and I found myself sneaking off with it once Master J was asleep at night for a read myself! I think I may have solved the problem of what to get several kids for Christmas this year.
I challenged Master J to find 15 facts that I had never heard of about 15 different countries I had visited. Master J was up to the challenge and here is what he found as my chief researcher!
Did you know?
- New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote in 1893 ( I knew this bit but am proud of it so thought I would share). What I didn’t realise is, we were also the first country to have its 3 top Government positions held by women simultaneously.
- Japan used 2.6 million people to build Todaiji temple in Nara.
- Greece has the longest national anthem consisting of 158 verses.
- China’s Great Wall once spanned more than 21,000 kms
- Belgium issued a coin featuring Tintin and his dog, Snowy
- Australia is the world’s flattest continent and the home to the world’s most dangerous bird the cassowary, a giant flightless bird.
- Vietnam has the biggest cave in the world.
- Finland has a hotel that is constructed entirely out of snow every winter.
- Cuba, a man in Havana built a bicycle as tall as an elephant!
- America grows nearly all the corn used in popcorn around the world. God bless America!
- Italy’s Mt Etna erupts almost every year
- Denmark has a hotel that lets you eat a free meal if ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes and produce 10 watts of energy which helps power the hotel. Gives a new meaning to “pedal power” and “work for your supper”
- The Netherlands are a green country, bikes outnumber cars 4 to 1.
- Russia boasts the record for the coldest city with a chilly -67.8 Celsius ( -90.4 Fahrenheit) recorded in Oymyyakon and Verkhoyansk.
- Nepal and India – Hindu followers make offerings to the revered snake and believe evil spirits will stay out of their homes if they have images of serpents on their doors.
So there we have it. Fifteen new and wonderful facts I learnt in collaboration with Master J and his wonderful National Geograhic Almanac!
Yoroshiku Onegai Shimasu
Leanne
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Item 8 delighted me very much. Not only hotel, but also chapel and carved ice and snow art. I visit it so often, when it is possible.
Here is my post from previous year to give the idea:
World’s Biggest Snow Castle.
Very near to it, there is Arctic Circle, where man can meet Santa Claus even in summer.
Arctic Circle in winter.
I beg my pardon giving these two links without Your permission. Matti.
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Not at all Matti! I am excited to see them!
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@leannenz AWARD FREE I would like to nominate [Nihongojapango – Picture this!Living in Japan and Reliving my Travels blog for the Blogger Recognition Award. Having visited Japan in the early 2000’s I am enjoying being a follower. Brings back wonderful memories of my trip. Great images and writing, thank you for inspiring me. https://samanthaw34.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/8-expanding-comments/ [….PS. To all I’ve nominated I totally respect if you don’t join in…I just wanted to acknowledge your great blogs!]
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Thank you so much Samantha! The thought is much appreciated as are your kind words! I better get cracking and get some posts up!
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That was really interesting, thanks! I wish France would follow the lead of the Netherlands…
Do you happen to know the name of the hotel you mentioned at #12?
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http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/danish-hotel-offers-free-meal-for-a-pedal
apparently it isThe Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers
Ahh I love google!
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Thanks! The hotel looks fantastic. Sorry, next time I’ll google it myself.
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no problem! The facts were very basic. As people have commented on ones they are interested in, I have delved deeper. I now know more about the Cassoway bird and will try and visit this hotel if I am ever in the vicinity!
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I didn’t know the cassowary was dangerous! I’ve seen one once in the rainforest near Cairns, it looked so prehistoric. Interesting fun facts post! 🙂
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lol I didn’t know either but it is in the almanac!
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It must be true then! 🙂
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😉
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just googled it. seems it lives up to its reputation. apparently very very aggressively territorial http://www.themarysue.com/closeup-of-cassowary/
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yep number 1 on the top ten list of birds to avoid http://listverse.com/2012/06/04/10-birds-you-really-ought-to-avoid/
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Yikes! I’m glad I didn’t know this back then! I was close enough to take a picture and I did. I have a pretty close-up photo of one stashed away somewhere (an old-fashioned paper photo). I remember that it was endangered but I guess I was more worried about the huge, dangerous spiders…
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maybe that is why it is so bolshy! ” hey back off bud! I am endangered as it is!”
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hahah! 😀
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Oh wow. First, I am really envious because you have visited a looot of countries already. (in a good way! :D)
And lastly, this is sooooo interesting! 😀 Thank you for sharing this fun facts!
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Big thanks to Master J and his almanac!
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AGREE! 😀
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These are great! Do you think anyone has all 158 national anthem verses memorized?
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Quite mind boggling isn’t it! Hope for the Greeks’ sake they are very short verses!
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yes! me too!
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Very interesting facts! So nice to ask Master J to help you out on this post. Good job! 🙂
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Thank you it was fun and helped keep him amused when we were commuting or having some down time! That almanac was amazing!
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