Unit 4 NET SEARCH
1. What does the word 'safari' mean?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A safari (pronounced /səˈfɑri/) is an overland journey. It usually refers to a trip by tourists to Africa, traditionally for a big-game hunt and in more modern times to watch and photograph big game and other wildlife as a safari holiday. There is a certain theme or style associated with the word, which includes khaki clothing, belted bush jackets, pith helmets or slouch hats, and animal skins—like leopard's skin.
Entering the English language in the late 19th century, the word safari means "journey" in Swahili. Originally from the Arabic سفرة (safra) meaning a journey [1] The verb for "to travel" in Swahili is "kusafiri", the noun for the journey is "safari". These words are used for any type of journey, e.g. by bus from Nairobi to Mombasa. The person generally attributed to having used the word in English is Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous explorer.
The Regimental March of the King's African Rifles was 'Funga Safari', literally 'Halt the March', or, in other words, stop work for the day.
Funga safari, funga safari. Funga safari, funga safari. Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya Bwana Kapteni, Hamari ya keyaa.
Which is, in English:
Halt the march? On whose orders? On the order of the boss captain, On the order of the KAR.
On Kenya's independence from Britain, Funga Safari was retained as the Regimental March of the Kenya Rifles, successor to the K.A.R.
2. Where are the Atlas mountains?
The Atlas Mountains (Arabic: جبال الأطلس, Kabyle: Idurar n leṭles) is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Jbel Toubkal, with an elevation of 4,167 metres (13,671 ft) in southwestern Morocco. The second highest mountain is the M'Goun of 4,071 metres (13,356 ft). The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert. The population of the Atlas Mountains are mainly Berber tribes in Morocco and kabyles in Algeria. The terms for 'mountain' in some Berber languages are adrar and adras, believed to be cognate with the toponym.
The mountains are divided into additional and separate ranges, including the Middle Atlas, High Atlas, and Anti-Atlas. The lower Tell Atlas running near the coast and the larger Saharan Atlas running further south terminate in the Aurès Mountains located in Algeria and Tunisia. The Atlas Mountains constitute one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger African Alpine System division.
3. Where is a good place to go snorkelling?
Caribbean Ocean
Tortola - disappointed in the snorkeling. There seemed to be little fish life and boring coral. The Baths on Virgin Gorda were pretty but only a few small schools of fish. On the last afternoon we were too close to our flying time to dive and went out with the dive boat to snorkel. Definitely a waste of time. The coral were too deep to see at all. We were left watching eel grass and conches where we could see the bottom.
Grand Cayman- Snorkeled Stingray City and that was perhaps better than diving it and much cheaper. The stingrays come right up on you for food and I was just as glad I wasn't ten feet under pushing them off my back and face. We snorkeled at Parrot's Landing and enjoyed it but were not all that impressed. Decided it was a better shore dive than snorkel outing. Snorkeled 'Cemetery' several times and that was beautiful. It is past the crowds of Seven Mile Beach on the main road headed toward the Turtle Farm (I''ve forgotten which heading that is). It is a little swim out but there is no current and the coral and fish life were great. We also saw stingray there. We had trouble finding some of the other spots recommended. I think maybe the reefs were farther out that we were used to in Hawaii. --by rsdt from Alaska
St. Martin - I often see posted requests for information about diving on St. Martin. Most responses put down St. Martin and suggest a trip to Saba instead. In my opinion, diving on St.Martin is not great but it is worth doing if you are there. I have been there 4 times, for a total of 6 weeks, over the last 4 years, and have done about 15 dives there. My most recent trip was for two weeks in January of 1995 . . . Snorkeling is good at the near by island of Pinel, and sometimes it's good at Baie Rouge (near La Belle Creole), too. Last time I was there, I saw a 4 ft barracuda. The dive crews and most divers speak French, but they know enough English that talking to them is no problem (I can read some technical French but cannot converse in it). -- by jim blair United States
Cozumel, Mexico -For a change of pace, or in particular if the wind off the ocean in PLaya del Carmen area is silting the water, try the cenotes (sinkholes). Two that were fun, both south near Tulum: Gran Cenote, truly a sinkhole with the water level about 20 feet below surroundings. Not huge but clear, with an aspect of cave diving back under the ledges. And Casa Cente, right off the ocean, connected to it, and thus with three sea turtles that day. This one is more like snorkeling a small stream,since the water is at ground, road level. Looked for a few others but did not find them. --by Jonh Keenan from Minnesota
Pacific Ocean
Galapagos islands - The Galapagos belong to Ecuador. Snorkeling is part of a tour of the islands, or between dives on diving trips. Sea Lions, Manta Rays, Sea Turtles,White Tipped Sharks and Marine Iguanas were the special things for me. --by Yacov Shiran
Great Barrier Reef - I am not an experienced snorkeler, but I would have to recommend Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a coral cay (I think you have a different name in the US?), so you just walk across the sand and into the water and you're among the fish. A couple of flips of the flippers and you're out over the coral. They organize separate snorkeling and scuba tours, so you don't end up with the divers. At low tide you can walk out over the coral, so even non-snorkelers can get to see lots of coral life. The island itself is tiny and flat, so the reef is the thing people go there for. The resort itself is very pleasant and low-key - and the food is excellent. --by Liz James from Australia
Red Sea
Eilat, Israel - I was in Eilat for the first time in the summer of 1965. It was a small town with two hotels: one in town and a second recently opened one on the beach at the north end of the Gulf of Aquaba named the Queen of Sheba. We stayed there.
Now there is a row of large hotels along that shore, and two lagoonshave been added to shelter small boats and expand the shoreline. Thenewest and biggest hotels (Dan, Royal Beach, and Holiday Inn) are about20 stories tall. The Queen of Sheba has been destroyed and is being replaced. A walkway and large hotels now extend from the city to theJordan border. The Princess hotel is south of town near Coral Beach andthe Egypt border.
The snorkeling is good starting at coral beach near the Club Med and onsouth into Egypt. After a couple of scuba dives in Eilat several yearsago, I decided that I can see as much by just snorkeling, and have donescuba only at Dolphin Reef and on Coral Island trips since. There areoften young women from Club Med swimming censured to add to the pleasure. -- by jim blair United States
Israel and Egypt - Wonderfully colored fish and coral reefs only 10 meters or less offshore(the Red Sea slopes about 45 degrees). The best I have seen is in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. --by Yacov Shiran
United States
Florida - Crystal River- It's an easy snorkel trip; don't bother with the dive stuff. You will see divers because there is a spring in the middle of the bay, and quite often the dive shops do check-out dives there. However, there usually aren't any manatees in that area (it's too crowded and manatees don't like the bubbles; divers are not allowed into their sanctuary, under punishment of a $20,000 fine and confiscation of dive boat and/or equipment!) .
We strongly emphasize - GO IN THE MORNING!! People who are on vacation, party hearty through the night, and then get into the water at 1:00 p.m. do not see manatees - they see other people looking for manatees!! In fact, from our room on the Bay last year, you could have walked across the Spring stepping on the backs of the people floating around, looking for manatees in the afternoon. --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
Florida - West Palm Beach- Some excellent snorkeling can be found just off the beach on Singer Island. We like the beach area between the Holiday Inn and the State Park. A small dead coral bommie is home to lots of marine life. We saw Sargent Majors, Scorpion fish, Nurse Shark, Atlantic Guitar fish, Horseshoe Crab, Parrot fish all an easy swim from the beach and in about five to fifteen feet of water. If you are there in the summer months you may even get a chance to see a sea turtle! --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
Lake Superior-Lake Superior's Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. A cold-water snorkel along some spectacular sandstone cliffs. There are small fissures and a cave, large enough to swim through but short enough not to need a light. The entrance is at the waterline facing the north while at the rear you have a hole just above the waterline which is large enough for an adult to pass through while stooped over. There is a viewing area for tourists that overlooks the rear exit, and people often toss small coins down and encourage the snorkelers to retrieve them. This is quite a feat in a full wet suit minus extra weights. The water temperature can be 30 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the time of year. It has been reported that there are ice floes in some of the bays until Memorial Day (May 30). Generally the snorkeling is possible from late May to early October. --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
4. What can you do in Tonga?
The Kingdom of Tonga in the south Pacific Ocean comprises an archipelago of 171 islands, 48 of them inhabited,[2] stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in a north-south line. The islands lie south of Samoa, about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii.
Tonga, the only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, has a unique distinction as the only island nation to have avoided formal colonization.
The world also knows the islands of Tonga as the Friendly Islands because of the friendly reception accorded to Captain Cook on his first visit in 1773. He happened to arrive at the time of the ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tu'i Tonga, the islands' paramount chief, and was invited to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but had been unable to agree on a plan.[3]
The word tonga means "south" in the Tongan language, an apt name for the islands as they are the southernmost group of all neighbouring Polynesian islands. The Tongan word tonga is pronounced [toŋa], but in English the country is pronounced
5. Where can you ride on the 'bullet' train?
Bullet train may refer to:
• The Shinkansen high speed trains of Japan, so nicknamed for their appearance
• Other high speed trains of a similar appearance to the original Japanese trains
• The Caribou, colloquially referred to as The Newfie Bullet, a passenger train formerly used in Newfoundland.
• The Bullet Train (Shinkansen daibakuha), a 1975 movie starring Sonny Chiba
• Bullet Train To Vegas, a rock band
"High speed train" redirects here. For an article about the High Speed Train, a diesel-powered train in the UK, see InterCity 125.
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200 km/h (125 mph) and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph (145 km/h) by the United States Federal Railroad Administration, but there is no single standard, and lower speeds can be required by local constraints.[1][2]
While high-speed rail is usually designed for passenger travel, some high-speed systems also carry some kind of freight service. For instance, the French mail service La Poste owns a few special TGV trains for carrying postal freight.
6. Can you find three interesting places to visit in Poland?
First of all you should spend some time in my home town Sandomierz. This is a beautiful old town located next to the Vistula river. A lot of nice buildings, beautiful old square, cathedral, small streets a creating a unique atmosphere. There is also an underground tourists route which give a lot of fantastic memories
My second choice is Krakow. One of oldest Polish town, former capitol of Poland located 160 km west from Sandomierz. Krakow is a one of the most famous towns in Poland, always full of visitors of the different parts of the world. You will find there thousands years of history. The hart of the town – Wawel castle will give You lesson of the Polish history. Krakow will also offer you a broad selection of restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. Only in the old town, there is something about 600 of them. Krakow is also a best place for a shopping If you like it of course. The number of the modern shopping centers together with the exclusive small shops will for sure meet you expectations. This is a very good option for a raining day. Another option for a raining day would be Wieliczika salt mine just 12 kilometers from the city center. Easy accessible buy train, bus or taxi is offering you memorable three hours underground tour thru the old part of the salt mine. You can’t missing.
Finally I think you should end up in the small coffee shop in Zakopane – winter capitol of Poland. This small town situated in the Tatra mountains will show you a specific Polish folklore and culture. Together with the fantastic overview over the Tatra mountains. This town is worth visiting in Summer or in the winter, there is always something happening there what attracts everyone. I would recommend to tray the typical food for this region which could be found only there. I’m sure you will like it.
One of the postcards that you looked at in READING was sent from Egypt. What can you find out about different destinations and activities that you can do in Egypt?
Places to visit in Egypt
Abu Simbel
Alexandria
Assiut
Aswan
Cairo
Fayoum
Luxor
Marsa Matruh
Minya
North Sinai
Red Sea
Sohag
South Sinai