WE ARE IN GERMANY (:

Durenberg Salt Mines:
What was the Durenburg Salt Mines? The Alps.

Why was salt found here? Rainwater washed salt into the river. The plates move closer together, causing the river to become more narrow. The water evaporates, leaving behind the salt. After some time, the salt and sand would mix together, causing salt to be found in the Alps.

How did the discovery of salt affect the region? Salt was known as 'white gold' in Germany. Salt was used to preserve food and for many other important uses. The country used the salt to earn money which boosted the economy greatly.

How was salt mining changed over time? In the past, simple tools were used and salt mining relied on manual work. Now, technology is used for salt mining as it is faster, more convenient and requires less manpower. One of the tools that is used in salt mining currently is the water pressure pump.

Touring Salzburg:
What are the major attractions in Salzburg? The Alps and the Mozart Museum.

Why are they interesting/significant? The Alps is interesting as just because of the movement of plates, a magnificent and beautiful mountain is formed. Furthermore, that mountain is not there just for display. It provided lots and lots of salt for the people in Salzburg - not just to be used in dishes and such, but also to boost Salzburg's economy. In Singapore, there are only hills, such as the Bukit Timah Hill. Some of us have never seen mountains before and it may be fascinating. Also, we don't see snow in Singapore due to its climate, thus, we get excited at seeing the snow at the Alps. The Alps is significant as it provides good scenery to tourists and the salt found there has helped Salzburg's economy a lot.

The Mozart Museum is interesting as all the artefacts there have been part of Mozart's life. It's displayed to let us know more about Mozart, not just as a music prodigy but as a person himself. We learn a little more about his family, what he felt about his paintings - Mozart often complained that his paintings made him look fatter and older, his background and etc. The Mozart Museum is also interesting as that area was the real birthplace of Mozart. There are also strange places in the museum - such as the room which all paintings were hung upside down and the captions of those paintings were also upside down. The Mozart Museum is significant as it is the birthplace of a very famous and accomplished composer cum musician that made a huge breakthrough in the world of classical music.

Additional Questions:
What did you find fascinating about the salt mine experience? I found the salt mine experience fascinating as I always felt that it was difficult to build a tunnel in the mountain and work there. However, the people in Salzburg did it, and they worked so hard, boosting their economy. I feel that their perseverance and hard work is something to be proud of. The whole salt mine experience was fascinating from start to end. Sitting on the tram in such a weird position into the mountain was a very new experience to most of us and it was really an enjoyable moment. The whole program was very organised. The videos they showed were informative yet entertaining, making it fun and also easy for us to absorb information. It is also fascinating as there was an escalator in the tunnel and that the temperature was kept at a constant of 10 degrees celcius. The slide was built so that the miners can easily travel deeper into the mountains and it was really fascinating as it was extremely fun and thrilling.

How has this visit/experience change your perspective about salt? We used to take salt for granted, but after this experience, it made me understand how tedious it is just to obtain salt. We didn't know that such a simple tool can be used to obtain such a wonderful treasure, which is essential to us until today in many different ways.
What were some interesting things you saw at the Mozart Museum? There was this particular room whereby all the paintings were hung upside down. We couldn't understand why such wonderful paintings were hung upside down. All the artworks were probably hung upside down to make the whole room another piece of art. In the room just before the souvenir shop, there were paintings of 3D art shown. The artwork shown there was awesome! At the Mozart Museum, I saw all the interesting letters that were written by or to Mozart.

What was your reaction when you saw the Alps? When we first saw the Alps, we were marvelled by it's size and how it looked. *o* WOW!!