Wikitravel - Changes related to "Driving in Australia" [en]

Italy

2013-05-25T23:13:14Z

‎Crime:

Singapore

2013-05-25T14:06:47Z

updated listing NiCE

Spain

2013-05-24T17:04:19Z

‎Sea:

Germany

2013-05-24T14:31:25Z

‎Long distance (City to City): typo in link

New Zealand

2013-05-24T06:19:49Z

This is indeed arguable (for instance Madagascar is bigger than NZ but doesn't appear in the list) but please, provide an explanation when deleting. Or better, use the "discussion page" to discuss it

Greece

2013-05-24T05:48:15Z

updated listing Meteora Half-Day Tour

New Zealand

2013-05-24T04:06:08Z

‎Understand:

Germany

2013-05-23T23:01:55Z

‎Long distance (City to City):

United States of America

2013-05-23T19:28:24Z

‎Arriving in the United States:

Malta

2013-05-23T19:18:26Z

Don't remove content without providing and explanation.

Malta

2013-05-23T18:07:11Z

‎By bus:

Adelaide

2013-05-23T09:33:06Z

added listing Adelaide Zoo

Australia

2013-05-23T09:21:17Z

‎Cities:

Belgium

2013-05-22T21:36:16Z

‎Respect:

Melbourne

2013-05-22T15:32:54Z

‎City Centre:

United Kingdom

2013-05-22T01:59:50Z

Japan

2013-05-22T01:27:25Z

‎Buy:

Greece

2013-05-21T23:20:32Z

No need to Latinize original Greek names.

Spain

2013-05-21T21:22:56Z

‎By boat:

Japan

2013-05-21T17:20:38Z

‎Buy

United States of America

2013-05-21T15:17:41Z

‎Major U.S. retail chains: I dispute this. "mall" is too broad. Macy's is still not a wholly national chain, and many large malls in parts of the country don't have them. Certainly lots of smaller malls don't. Overly broad original research

Malta

2013-05-21T07:41:15Z

‎By taxi:

Mount Gambier

2013-05-20T23:53:59Z

‎Eat:

Australia

2013-05-20T19:28:58Z

Australia

2013-05-20T18:32:31Z

‎Geography:

Broken Hill

2013-05-20T16:49:44Z

‎Do: *'''Barrier Ranges Camel Safari''' Silverton (08) 8088 5316 - Camel Rides no longer operating.

United States of America

2013-05-20T13:16:48Z

Why was this deleted? Valuable information

Travel topics

2013-05-20T05:37:56Z

‎Cope:

United States of America

2013-05-20T02:58:55Z

‎Climate:

Japan

2013-05-19T22:58:16Z

‎Other things:

Greece

2013-05-19T19:56:40Z

‎Cities: Salonica is still well known in English

Adelaide

2013-05-19T17:40:45Z

‎Museums and galleries: some trivial MoS fixes

Portugal

2013-05-19T17:37:22Z

Adelaide

2013-05-19T13:37:43Z

‎Museums and galleries:

Norway

2013-05-19T13:18:42Z

‎Cope:

Adelaide

2013-05-19T13:11:43Z

‎See: correct external links format and other MoS fixes

@@ Line 635: / Line 635: @@
 You should exercise the usual caution when going out at night alone, although it remains reasonably safe even for single women to walk alone at night. Italians will often offer to accompany female friends back home for safety, even though crime statistics show that sexual violence against women is rare compared to most other Western countries.
-Prostitution is rife in the night streets around mid and large towns. Prostitution in Italy is legal though authorities are taking a firmer stance against it than before. Brothels are illegal and pimping is a serious offense, considered by the law similar to slavery. In Italy, it is an offence even to stop your car in front of a prostitute. Due to the ambivalent situation regarding prostitution, a lot of prostitutes fall victim to human trafficking. In general, being the client of a prostitute falls in an area of questionable legality and is inadvisable. Being the client of a prostitute under 18 is a criminal offence.
+Prostitution is rife in the night streets around mid and large towns. Prostitution in Italy is legal though authorities are taking a firmer stance against it than before. Brothels are illegal and pimping is a serious offense, considered by the law similar to slavery. In Italy, it is an offence even to stop your car in front of a prostitute. Due to the ambivalent situation regarding prostitution, a lot of prostitutes fall victim to human trafficking. In general, being the client of a prostitute falls in an area of questionable legality and is inadvisable. Being the client of a prostitute under 18 is a criminal offence, '''even if you claim to be unaware of the prostitute's age'''.
 There are four types of police forces a tourist might encounter in Italy. The Polizia di Stato (State Police) is the national police force; they wear blue shirts and grey pants and drive light-blue-painted cars with "POLIZIA" written on the side. The Carabinieri are the national gendarmerie; they wear very dark blue uniforms with fiery red vertical stripes on their pants and drive similarly colored cars. The Guardia di Finanza is a police force charged with border controls and fiscal matters; they dress fully in light grey and drive blue or gray cars with yellow markings. Finally, municipalities have local police, with names such as "Polizia municipale" or "Vigili Urbani". Their style of dressing varies among the cities, but they will always wear some type of uniform and drive marked cars, which should be easy to spot.

@@ Line 231: / Line 231: @@
 * <listing name="First Coach" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="+65 68222111" url="http://www.firstcoach.com.my/" hours="" price="$33/55 single/return" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">No frills, but the buses have good legroom and use the Second Link.  Another selling point is convenient public transport: buses depart from Novena Square (Novena MRT) in Singapore and arrive right next to Bangsar LRT in Kuala Lumpur.</listing>
-* <listing name="NiCE" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="+65 62565755" url="http://www.plusliner.com.my" hours="" price="" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">Over 20 daily departures from Kuala Lumpur's old railway station.  Double-decker NiCE 2 buses (27 seats) RM80, luxury NiCE++ buses (18 seats) RM88.  Departures from Copthorne Orchid Hotel on Dunearn Rd.085297589379 berastagi north sumatra</listing>
+* <listing name="NiCE" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="+65 62565755" url="http://www.plusliner.com.my" hours="" price="" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">Over 20 daily departures from Kuala Lumpur's old railway station.  Double-decker NiCE 2 buses (27 seats) RM80, luxury NiCE++ buses (18 seats) RM88.  Departures from Copthorne Orchid Hotel on Dunearn Rd.</listing>
 * <listing name="Transnasional" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="+60 2 62947034 (Malaysia)" email="" fax="" url="http://www.transnasional.com.my" hours="" price="Executive/economy buses RM80/35">Malaysia's largest bus operator, offers direct buses from Singapore through the peninsula. Departures from Lavender St.</listing>

@@ Line 374: / Line 374: @@
 Until 2012 long distance line buses were restricted to connections from & to Berlin according to a law to protect the railway. This law is now cancelled and more and more long distance buses equivalent to the US american Greyhound have started their service - and will take you all across Germany, usually connecting the big cities. Those bus companies, some of them just founded in 2013, include:
-* [http://meinfernbus.de/unser-angebot/liniennetz.html MeinFernBus] Connecting the big German Cities (plus some resorts at the North Sea Shore, plus Zürich)
+* [http://meinfernbus.de/unser-angebot/liniennetz MeinFernBus] Connecting the big German Cities (plus some resorts at the North Sea Shore, plus Zürich)
 * [https://www.flixbus.de/liniennetz FlixBus] Connecting the big German Cities (plus Prague & Zürich)
 * [https://www.berlinlinienbus.de BerlinLinienBus] A company owned by DB, mostly going from & to Berlin

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 Consisting of two main islands - imaginatively named '''North Island''' and '''South Island''' and many smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean, this archipelago lies roughly 1,600&nbsp;km (1,000&nbsp;mi) south east of [[Australia]].
 Consequently and with a population of nearly 4.5 million in a country larger than the [[United Kingdom]], many areas are sparsely settled.
@@ Line 109: / Line 110: @@
 The [http://www.metservice.co.nz/ Metservice] has weather forecasts for five days in advance.
 ==Regions==

@@ Line 345: / Line 345: @@
    * <do name="4x4 off Pindos Road Tour" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.visitmeteora.travel/things-to-do/tours-and-day-trips/item/34-4x4-off-road-tour" hours="" price=""></do>
    * <do name="Skiathos Daily Cruise" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.visitmeteora.travel/things-to-do/tours-and-day-trips/item/47-skiathos-daily-cruise-ticket" hours="" price=""></do>
-   * <do name="Meteora Half-Day Tour" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.visitmeteora.travel/things-to-do/tours-and-day-trips/item/37-meteora-half-day-tour" hours="" price=""></do>
+   * <do name="Meteora Half-Day Tour" alt="" address="coral hotel athens" directions="meteora" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="" email="" fax=""></do>
    * <do name="Delphi and Thermopilae Day Trip" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.visitmeteora.travel/things-to-do/tours-and-day-trips/item/46-delhpi-and-thermopilae-day-trip" hours="" price=""></do>

← Older revision	Revision as of 17:04, 24 May 2013
(One intermediate revision by one user not shown)

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Understand==
-New Zealand has been called "''God's own country''" and the "''Paradise of the Pacific''" since the early 1800s. Travellers generally agree New Zealand, often abbreviated to '''''NZ''''', deserves this description.
+New Zealand has been called "''God's own country''" and the "''Paradise of the Pacific''" since the early 1800s.
 ''New Zealand'' is increasingly known, both in the indigenous [[Maori phrasebook|Māori language]] and by Pakeha, as '''Aotearoa''', often translated as ''land of the long white cloud''. (''Aotearoa'' was really just the name for the [[North Island]], the [[South Island]] being known as '''''Te Wai Pounamu''''' or '''''Te Waka a Maui'''''.)
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 Consisting of two main islands - imaginatively named '''North Island''' and '''South Island''' and many smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean, this archipelago lies roughly 1,600&nbsp;km (1,000&nbsp;mi) south east of [[Australia]].
 Consequently and with a population of nearly 4.5 million in a country larger than the [[United Kingdom]], many areas are sparsely settled.
@@ Line 110: / Line 109: @@
 The [http://www.metservice.co.nz/ Metservice] has weather forecasts for five days in advance.
 ==Regions==

@@ Line 371: / Line 371: @@
 ===By bus===
-A few long distance bus lines exist within Germany, most of them orientated to or from Berlin. There is a very useful long-distance bus line, the [http://www.touring.de/Buslinien-national.14.0.html "Neun-Euro Bus"] where, if booked in advance, you can end up paying just €9 for any trip on the bus line connecting Hamburg (and the airport), Hanover (and the airport), Kassel, Frankfurt (and the airport), Mannheim and Heidelberg. The bus runs during the night.
+====Long distance (City to City)====
-Since the end of the rail monopoly for long distance connections in Jan 2013, several long distance bus lines started their service. One of them is [http://meinfernbus.de/ MeinFernBus.de].
+* [http://meinfernbus.de/unser-angebot/liniennetz.html MeinFernBus] Connecting the big German Cities (plus some resorts at the North Sea Shore, plus Zürich)
 Apart from these, there is a very dense network of regional and local bus lines. In rural areas, though, many lines run only once per day. Regional and local express bus line designators usually contain the letter(s) CE (local), E (regional around Hamburg; in other areas, E is used for special runs), S (regional), SB (regional and local) or X (local within Berlin), city bus line designators may contain the letter(s) BB ("Bürgerbus", not integrated within tariff unions), C or O. '''Always check the departure boards carefully: sometimes, especially at night or in rural areas, you have to order your bus by phone.'''

@@ Line 366: / Line 366: @@
 For non-residents, your entry forms will need to state the '''street address''' of the location where you will be staying for the first night; this should be arranged in advance. The name of your hotel, hostel, university, etc. is not sufficient; you must provide the street name and number. If it is a hotel, have a reservation under your name. If it is a private address, make sure that the people there know that they are expecting you that day, as officials may phone them and ask them for the name of the guest they are expecting. Make sure you have their contact details (especially phone numbers where they can be reached immediately), and save any text messages or e-mails in which your hosts mention inviting you to stay at their residence.
-Once you are admitted, the departure portion of your I-94 or I-94W will be stapled to your passport, if you have been issued with one. '''Keep it safe''' as you will need to give it to airline staff upon departure from the U.S. and, if you fail to turn it in, you run the risk of being thought to have overstayed.
+Once you are admitted, the departure portion of your I-94 or I-94W will be stapled to your passport, if you have been issued with one. '''Keep it safe''' as you will need to give it to airline staff upon departure from the U.S. and, if you fail to turn it in, you run the risk of being thought to have overstayed.  Most passengers who arrived by air or sea as at late May 2013 do not need to surrender their I-94 card upon departure.
 ==== At customs ====

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:18, 23 May 2013
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	A summary of the network on a "London Underground" style diagram can be found here: [http://www.maltabusroutes.com].		A summary of the network on a "London Underground" style diagram can be found here: [http://www.maltabusroutes.com].
		+
		+	Another bus option is to use the City Sightseeing guided bus tour. It offers three routes plus one ferry cruise. Check their website for more information: [http://www.citysightseeing.com.mt]. Another company that offers sightseeing tours is Malta Sightseeing: [http://www.maltasightseeing.com/]

	===By taxi===		===By taxi===

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:07, 23 May 2013
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	A summary of the network on a "London Underground" style diagram can be found here: [http://www.maltabusroutes.com].		A summary of the network on a "London Underground" style diagram can be found here: [http://www.maltabusroutes.com].
−
−	Another bus option is to use the City Sightseeing guided bus tour. It offers three routes plus one ferry cruise. Check their website for more information: [http://www.citysightseeing.com.mt]. Another company that offers sightseeing tours is Malta Sightseeing: [http://www.maltasightseeing.com/]

	===By taxi===		===By taxi===

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 *<do name="Format Collective" alt="" address="15 Peel Street, Adelaide" directions="Just off Hindley Street" phone="" url="http://format.net.au/" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">A two story performance space with a permanent zine store. Hosts small art shows, some of the more experimental gigs, discussion panels and performance art. Much of this is concentrated in the yearly Format Festival which is on at the same time as the Fringe Festival and is considered a more experimental alternative, although there are things on all year round. Known for its hipsters, Japanese beer, and nostalgic games of four-square.</do>
 *<do name="Marksman Indoor Firing Range" alt="" address="163 Franklin Street ADELAIDE SA 5000" directions="" phone="8231 4888" url="http://www.marksmans.com.au/home.php" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Marksman's is a state of the art security training & indoor handgun range. It offers courses in security etc. But the main attraction for most people is the indoor firing range, available to the public. It offers many different shooting packages, as well as being very good value. The staff are friendly and it's good fun. Bookings are best made a few weeks prior.</do>
 ==Buy==

@@ Line 187: / Line 187: @@
 <!-- A maximum of nine cities can be listed here, as per [http://wikitravel.org/en/Wikitravel:Geographical_hierarchy#Dividing_geographical_units.] It makes sense to stick to the state capitals -->
 * [[Canberra]] — the purpose-built national capital of Australia
-* [[Adelaide]] — the City of Churches, a relaxed South Australian alternative to the big eastern cities
+* [[Adelaide]] — the wine capitol of the world, a relaxed South Australian alternative to the big eastern cities
 * [[Brisbane]] — capital of sun-drenched Queensland and gateway to beautiful sandy beaches
 * [[Cairns]] — gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, Daintree National Park, and many beautiful beaches and resorts; a great place for people to getaway to and relax

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:36, 22 May 2013
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	==Respect==		==Respect==
		+
		+	* Don't associate the country with the European Union, or at least don't tell Belgian people about it. Although the EU has chosen to put most of its headquarters in Belgium, it doesn't mean that Belgians have anything to do with it. Most Belgian people doesn't care about the EU any more than an other person in another country in the continent. Foreigner's perception of Belgium as being 'the EU country' is not only strange to Belgians but also very offensive to them because it sounds like you bypass them to focus on a organization in which they are just one country amongst 27. You wouldn't call the United States 'the UN country' just because the UN has its headquarters in New-York, so don't do the same to Belgium.

	* Belgians don't like to talk about their income or politics. You must also avoid asking people about their views on religion.		* Belgians don't like to talk about their income or politics. You must also avoid asking people about their views on religion.

@@ Line 338: / Line 338: @@
 *'''Police Museum'''&mdash; Also located on Flinders Street, see over 150 years of stories and displays of crime, justice, courage, forensic techniques and examples of how police are making Victoria a safer place to live.
 *'''Shrine of Remembrance'''&mdash; Located on St Kilda Road, Major War Memorial with unique Ray of Light demonstration every half hour. Also offering panoramic views of Melbourne parks from rooftop balcony.
-*'''The Yarra'''&mdash; famous as the "river that flows upside down"(because of it's brown coloration) the Yarra winds its way through the heart of Melbourne with beautiful walks, enjoyable boat trips, and frequent opportunities to picnic or use the public coin-operated BBQs for the full Aussie eating experience.
+*'''The Yarra'''&mdash; famous as the "river that flows upside down"(because of it's brown coloration) the Yarra winds its way through the heart of Melbourne with beautiful walks, enjoyable boat trips, and frequent opportunities to picnic or use the public free BBQs along the riverside by the botanical gardens for the full Aussie eating experience.
 ===Carlton===

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 The '''United Kingdom of [http://www.visitbritain.com/ Great Britain] and [http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/ Northern Ireland'''] (the ''United Kingdom'' or the ''UK'') is a constitutional monarchy comprising much of the [[Britain and Ireland|British Isles]].
-This Union is more than 200 years old and comprises four constituent nations: [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]], and [[Northern Ireland]]. It occupies all of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland and most of the remaining British Isles. It is important to remember that the [[Republic of Ireland]] is a completely separate country to the United Kingdom, seceding from the Union and gaining its independence in 1922. The [[Isle of Man]] and the various [[Channel Islands (United Kingdom)|Channel Islands]] are "crown dependencies", possessing their own legislative bodies with the assent of the Crown. They are not part of the United Kingdom, nor of the EU, but are not sovereign nations in their own right either. The UK has [[Ireland]], [[France]], [[Belgium]] and [[Netherlands]] as its nearest neighbours.
+This Union is more than 300 years old and comprises four constituent nations: [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]], and [[Northern Ireland]]. It occupies all of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland and most of the remaining British Isles. It is important to remember that the [[Republic of Ireland]] is a completely separate country to the United Kingdom, seceding from the Union and gaining its independence in 1922. The [[Isle of Man]] and the various [[Channel Islands (United Kingdom)|Channel Islands]] are "crown dependencies", possessing their own legislative bodies with the assent of the Crown. They are not part of the United Kingdom, nor of the EU, but are not sovereign nations in their own right either. The UK has [[Ireland]], [[France]], [[Belgium]] and [[Netherlands]] as its nearest neighbours.
 The 'Great' in Great Britain (''Britannia Major'' in Roman times; ''Grande-Bretagne'' in French) is to distinguish it from the other, smaller "Britain": [[Brittany]] (''Britannia Minor''; ''Bretagne'') in northwestern [[France]].

@@ Line 682: / Line 682: @@
 Japan is fundamentally a '''cash''' society. Although most stores and hotels serving foreign customers take '''credit cards''', many businesses such as cafés, bars, grocery stores, and even smaller hotels and inns ''do not''. Even businesses that do take cards often have a minimum charge as well as a surcharge, although this practice is disappearing. The most popular credit card in Japan is JCB, and due to an alliance between Discover and JCB, Discover cards can be used anywhere that accepts JCB. This means that Discover cards are more widely accepted than Visa/Mastercard/American Express. Most merchants are not familiar with this, but it will work if you can convince them to try!
-The Japanese usually carry around large quantities of cash — it is quite safe to do so and is almost a necessity, especially in smaller towns and more isolated areas. In major convenience store chains and at many vending machines and public transportation ticket barriers, people can also used a number of RFID-based payment systems like Suica, Pasmo, QuickPay, Eddy and others in Tokyo. These are generally credit-card sized charge cards that can be recharged in exchange for cash (in 1000 yen increments), either at metro ticket vending machines or at covenience store cash registers for no additional fee. A Pasmo card is a very convenient way to pay for everyday purchases and can be obtained for a 500 yen deposit and the initial charge amount from ticket vending machines at Tokyo subway stations. The remaining charge and half of the deposit is refunded upon returning the card to station staff. Note that some of these systems like Suica and Pasmo were intended primarily for public transport use and cannot be used in other regions of Japan, which might have their own incompatible equivalents.
+The Japanese usually carry around large quantities of cash — it is quite safe to do so and is almost a necessity, especially in smaller towns and more isolated areas. In major convenience store chains and at many vending machines and public transportation ticket barriers, people can also used a number of '''NFC-based payment systems''' like Suica, Pasmo, QuickPay, Eddy and others in Tokyo. These are generally credit-card sized charge cards that can be recharged in exchange for cash (in 1000 yen increments), either at metro ticket vending machines or at covenience store cash registers for no additional fee. A '''Pasmo''' card is a very convenient way to pay for everyday purchases and can be obtained for a 500 yen deposit and the initial charge amount from ticket vending machines at Tokyo subway stations. The remaining charge and half of the deposit is refunded upon returning the card to station staff. Note that some of these systems like Suica and Pasmo were intended primarily for public transport use and cannot be used in other regions of Japan, which might have their own incompatible equivalents.
 Some people also use '''mobile phones''' to pay for their purchases where the mobile phone either has a built-in chip that allows it to function like a stored value card (e.g. Suica) or like credit cards whereby the cost is billed to them with their mobile phone bill. However, a Japanese phone and SIM card is required to make use of this service so it's typically not available to foreigners on short visits. If you already have a Japanese phone, be aware that initializing the prepaid card on a rental SIM will incur data charges, though this will most likely be less than the cost of a physical card. This can be avoided by using WiFi. Mobile phone-based stored value systems can be charged either by credit card or at convenience store cash registers.

@@ Line 159: / Line 159: @@
 * [[Chania]] — second largest city on Crete surrounded with beaches and the [[Samaria National Park]]
 * [[Chersonissos]] — party capital of Crete in the summer
-* [[Heraklion|Heraclion]] — Crete's largest city and main hub with the archaeological site of Cnossus
+* [[Heraklion]] — Crete's largest city and main hub with the archaeological site of Knossos
 * [[Patra]] — known for the wines it produces
 * [[Larissa]] — the country's fourth largest city
 * [[Rhodes (city)|Rhodes]] — magnificent city with impressive medieval structures, nightlife and beaches
-* [[Thessaloniki]]/Salonica — the country's prime city in the Macedonia region
+* [[Thessaloniki]] — the country's prime city in the Macedonia region
 * [[Volos]] — coastal port city with nice museums and architecture

@@ Line 207: / Line 207: @@
 If you would like to bareboat anywhere in Spain, including the Balearic or Canary Islands, a US Coast Guard License is the only acceptable certification needed by Americans to bareboat. For everyone else, a RYA Yacht Master Certification or International Certificate of Competence will normally do.
 Although a skipper may be required, a hostess/chef may or may not be necessary. Dining out is strong part of Spanish custom and tradition. If you are planning on docking in a port and exploring fabulous bars and restaurants a hostess/cook may just be useful for serving drinks and making beds. Extra crew can take up valuable room on a tight ship.
 Luxury yachts in Spain [http://alquilerdeyatesenibiza.com], - Yacht charter and sailing, one of the worlds largest acht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to crewed in Spain. Operating from nine offices worldwide (USA, Spain, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Honk Kong and Dubai)

@@ Line 676: / Line 676: @@
 The Japanese currency is the '''Japanese yen''', abbreviated ¥ (or '''JPY''' in foreign exchange contexts).  As of July 2012, the yen hovers at around 79 to the US dollar, although the yen has drastically weakened to the rate of roughly 93 yen to the US dollar as of February 2013.  The symbol 円 (pronounced ''en'') is used in the Japanese language itself.
-* '''Coins''': 1 (silver), 5 (gold with a center hole), 10 (copper), 50 (silver with a center hole), 100 (silver), and 500 yen. There are two ¥500 coins, distinguishable by their color. (The new ones are gold, the old ones are silver).
+* '''Coins''': 1 (silver), 5 (gold with a center hole), 10 (copper), 50 (silver with a center hole), 100 (silver), and 500 yen. There are two ¥500 coins, distinguishable by their color. (The new ones are gold, the old ones are silver). Except for the 5 yen coin, all coins have their value in Arabic numerals on them. If you can't find the value, it's the 5 yen coin.
-* '''Bills''': 1,000 (blue), 2,000 (green), 5,000 (purple), and 10,000 yen (brown). ¥2,000 bills are rare. New designs for all the bills except ¥2,000 were introduced in November 2004, so there are now two versions in circulation. Most merchants will not object to receiving a ¥10,000 bill even for a small purchase.
+* '''Bills''': 1,000 (blue), 2,000 (green), 5,000 (purple), and 10,000 yen (brown). New designs for all the bills except ¥2,000 were introduced in November 2004, so there are now two versions in circulation, although you are unlikely to see anything but the new 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen bills and will probably not see the 2,000 yen bill at all. Due to its extreme rarity a 2,000 yen bill might be thought of as a collector's item. Most merchants will not object to receiving a ¥10,000 bill even for a small purchase.
-Japan is still fundamentally a '''cash''' society. Although most stores and hotels serving foreign customers take '''credit cards''', many businesses such as cafés, bars, grocery stores, and even smaller hotels and inns ''do not''. Even businesses that do take cards often have a minimum charge as well as a surcharge, although this practice is disappearing. The most popular credit card in Japan is JCB, and due to an alliance between Discover and JCB, Discover cards can be used anywhere that accepts JCB. This means that Discover cards are more widely accepted than Visa/Mastercard/American Express. Most merchants are not familiar with this, but it will work if you can convince them to try!
+Japan is fundamentally a '''cash''' society. Although most stores and hotels serving foreign customers take '''credit cards''', many businesses such as cafés, bars, grocery stores, and even smaller hotels and inns ''do not''. Even businesses that do take cards often have a minimum charge as well as a surcharge, although this practice is disappearing. The most popular credit card in Japan is JCB, and due to an alliance between Discover and JCB, Discover cards can be used anywhere that accepts JCB. This means that Discover cards are more widely accepted than Visa/Mastercard/American Express. Most merchants are not familiar with this, but it will work if you can convince them to try!
-The Japanese usually carry around large quantities of cash — it is quite safe to do so and is almost a necessity, especially in smaller towns and more isolated areas. In many cities, the Japanese can also use '''mobile phones''' to pay for their purchases where mobile phones function like credit cards and the cost is billed to them with their mobile phone bill. However, a Japanese phone and SIM card is required to make use of this service so it's typically not available to foreigners on short visits. If you already have a Japanese phone, be aware that initializing the prepaid card on a rental SIM will incur data charges, though this will most likely be less than the cost of a physical card. This can be avoided by using WiFi.
+The Japanese usually carry around large quantities of cash — it is quite safe to do so and is almost a necessity, especially in smaller towns and more isolated areas. In major convenience store chains and at many vending machines and public transportation ticket barriers, people can also used a number of RFID-based payment systems like Suica, Pasmo, QuickPay, Eddy and others in Tokyo. These are generally credit-card sized charge cards that can be recharged in exchange for cash (in 1000 yen increments), either at metro ticket vending machines or at covenience store cash registers for no additional fee. A Pasmo card is a very convenient way to pay for everyday purchases and can be obtained for a 500 yen deposit and the initial charge amount from ticket vending machines at Tokyo subway stations. The remaining charge and half of the deposit is refunded upon returning the card to station staff. Note that some of these systems like Suica and Pasmo were intended primarily for public transport use and cannot be used in other regions of Japan, which might have their own incompatible equivalents.
 Almost any major bank in Japan will provide foreign '''currency exchange''' from US dollars (cash and traveller's checks). Rates are basically the same whichever bank you choose. Having to wait 15-30 min, depending on how busy the branch gets, is not unusual. Other currencies accepted are euros; Swiss francs; Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand dollars; and British pounds. Among other Asian currencies, Singapore dollars seem to be the most widely accepted, followed by the Korean won and Chinese yuan.
@@ Line 690: / Line 692: @@
 Japanese ATMs, known locally as '''cash corners''' (キャッシュコーナー ''kyasshu kōnā''), generally ''do not'' accept foreign cards and the availability of credit card advances, known as '''cashing''' (キャッシング ''kyasshingu''), is spotty. The major exceptions are:
-* Over 12,000 Japanese '''7-Eleven stores''' [http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/index2.html] with ATMs accept foreign cards for cash withdrawals. Accepted cards include Mastercard, Maestro, Visa, American Express, JCB and UnionPay, and ATM cards with the Cirrus and Plus logos. These are the most useful as they are everywhere and are accessible 24/7.
+* Over 12,000 Japanese '''7-Eleven stores''' [http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/index2.html] with ATMs accept foreign cards for cash withdrawals. Accepted cards include Visa, American Express, Discover, Diner's Club, JCB and UnionPay, and ATM cards with the Cirrus and Plus logos. These are the most useful as they are everywhere and are accessible 24/7. However, as Seven Bank's website mentions, the presence of one or more of the above-mentioned logos does not guarantee your card will be accepted. It is best to use this as a "might work" option and to bring a credit card to use at a JP Bank ATM.
-* '''JP Bank''' (ゆうちょ ''Yū-cho''), formerly the Postal Savings Bank and hence found in almost every post office, which in turn has a branch in almost every village. Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English as well as Japanese. Plus, Cirrus, Visa Electron, Maestro, and UnionPay are accepted, and you can do credit card advances on Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Diners Club. Your PIN must be 6 digits or less.
+* '''JP Bank''' (ゆうちょ ''Yū-cho''), formerly the Postal Savings Bank and hence found in almost every post office, which in turn has a branch in almost every village. Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English as well as Japanese. Plus, Cirrus, Visa Electron, Maestro, and UnionPay are accepted, and you can do credit card advances on Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Diners Club. Your PIN must be 6 digits or less. You might have to select the English menu in order to use foreign cards.
 * '''Citibank''', which has a limited network (see [http://www.citibank.co.jp/en/banking/branch_atm here] for a list) but does have ATMs at the major airports.
@@ Line 734: / Line 736: @@
 '''Prepaid electronic cards''' are quite popular in Japan for small purchases. There are cards for train fares, convenience store purchases, and public telephones, though they aren't interchangeable.
-There is a '''5% consumption tax''' on all sales in Japan. As of April 2004, the tax must now be included in all displayed prices (which is why so many prices are awkward amounts like ¥105 or ¥525), but some stores still ''also'' display tax-excluded prices, so pay attention.  The word ''zeinuki'' (税抜) means tax-excluded, ''zeikomi'' (税込) means tax-included. If you cannot find out any words in the price card, most of them are tax-included.
+There is a '''5% consumption tax''' on all sales in Japan. As of April 2004, the tax must now be included in all displayed prices, which is why so many prices are awkward amounts like ¥105 (including so-called 100 yen stores) or ¥525, but some stores still ''also'' display tax-excluded prices, so pay attention.  The word ''zeinuki'' (税抜) means tax-excluded, ''zeikomi'' (税込) means tax-included. If you cannot find out any words in the price card, most of them are tax-included.
 Always keep a sizeable stack of reserve money in Japan, as if you run out for any reason (wallet stolen, credit card blocked, etc), it can be difficult to have any wired to you.  Western Union has a very limited presence even in the larger metropolitan areas (their agreement with Suruga Bank ended in 2009, and they have just started a new agreement with Daikokuya as of April 2011), banks will not allow you to open accounts without local ID, and even international postal money orders require proof of a residential address in Japan.
@@ Line 747: / Line 749: @@
 Japan has a reputation for being extremely expensive &mdash; and it can be. However, many things have become significantly cheaper in the last decade. Japan need not be outrageously expensive if you plan carefully and in fact, is probably cheaper than [[Australia]] and most European Union countries for basic expenses. For long-distance travel, in particular, the Japan Rail Pass, Japan Bus Pass, and Visit Japan flights (see [[#Get around|Get around]]) can save you a bundle.
-As rough guidelines, you will find it very difficult to travel on less than ¥5,000 per day (but if you plan carefully, it is certainly possible) and you can expect a degree of comfort only if you pay 10,000. Staying in posh hotels, eating fancy meals or just traveling long-distance will easily double this yet again. Typical prices for moderate budget travel would be ¥5,000 for hotel, ¥2,000 for meals, and ¥2,000 again for entry fees and local transport.
+As rough guidelines, you will find it possible to travel on less than ¥5,000 per day, especially if you do not have expensive tastes, are willing to stay in hostels rather than hotels, and make no use of taxis, high-speed airport connections or the Shinkansen. Staying in posh hotels, eating fancy meals or just traveling long-distance will easily double this. Typical prices for moderate budget travel would be ¥5,000 for a hotel or ¥2,500 for a hostel, ¥2,000 for meals, and ¥2,000 again for entry fees and local transport.
-However, if you find yourself a little short on cash, you can get your essential items in one of the many ¥100 shops (百円ショップ ''hyaku-en shoppu'') located in most cities. '''Daiso''' [http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english/index.html] is the Japan's largest ¥100 shop chain, with 2,500 shops across Japan. Other large chains are '''Can Do''' (キャンドゥ), '''Seria''' (セリア), and '''Silk''' (シルク). There are also convenience-store-like ¥100 shops such as ''SHOP99'' and ''Lawson Store 100'' where you can buy sandwiches, drinks, and vegetables in addition to selected ¥100 items.
+However, if you find yourself a little short on cash, you can get your essential items in one of the many ¥100 shops (百円店 ''hyaku-en ten'') located in most cities. '''Daiso''' [http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english/index.html] is the Japan's largest ¥100 shop chain, with 2,500 shops across Japan. Other large chains are '''Can Do''' (キャンドゥ), '''Seria''' (セリア), and '''Silk''' (シルク). There are also convenience-store-like ¥100 shops such as ''SHOP99'' and ''Lawson Store 100'' where you can buy sandwiches, drinks, and vegetables in addition to selected ¥100 items.
 ====Tips for budget shopping====
@@ Line 763: / Line 765: @@
 When making tax free purchases or tax refund claims, counter staff would staple a piece of paper in your passport, which you should keep with you until you leave Japan. This piece of paper is to be surrendered to the customs counter at your point of departure just before you pass through immigration and checks may be done to ensure that you are bringing the items out of Japan.
-Despite the saying that Japanese cities never sleep, retail hours are surprisingly limited. Opening hours of most shops are typically 10AM-8PM, though most shops are open on weekends and public holidays except New Year, and close on one day a week. Restaurants typically stay open until late at night, though smoking would usually be allowed after 8PM so those who can't stand cigarette smoke should have your meals before then.
+Despite the saying that Japanese cities never sleep, retail hours are surprisingly limited by North American standards. Opening hours of most shops are typically 10AM-8PM, though most shops are open on weekends and public holidays except New Year, and close on one day a week. Restaurants typically stay open until late at night, though smoking would usually be allowed after 8PM so those who can't stand cigarette smoke should have your meals before then.
-However, you will always find something you could need to buy at any time of day. Japan is crawling with 24/7 convenience stores (コンビニ ''konbini''), such as 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson, Circle K, and Sunkus. They often offer a much wider range of products than convenience stores in the US or Europe, sometimes have a small ATM and are often open all day all week! Many convenience stores also offer services such as fax, ''takkyubin'' luggage delivery, a limited range of postal services, payment services for bills (including topping up international phone cards such as Brastel) and some online retailers (e.g. Amazon.jp), and ticket sales for events, concerts and cinemas.
+However, you will always find something you could need to buy at any time of day. Japan is crawling with 24/7 convenience stores (コンビニ ''konbini''), such as 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson, Circle K, and Sunkus. In central Tokyo you will never be more than 400 meters away from a convenience store. They often offer a much wider range of products than convenience stores in the US or Europe, often have a small ATM and are often open all day all week (unless they are part of a larger mall that has a closing hour)! Many convenience stores also offer services such as fax, ''takkyubin'' luggage delivery, a range of non-international postal services, payment services for bills (including topping up international phone cards such as Brastel) and some online retailers (e.g. Amazon.jp), and ticket sales for events, concerts and cinemas.
 Of course, establishments related to night life such as karaoke lounges and bars stay open well into the night: even in small towns it is easy to find an izakaya open until 5 am. Pachinko parlours are obliged to close at 11 pm.

@@ Line 903: / Line 903: @@
 ===Major U.S. retail chains===
-According to Deloitte, the largest fashion goods retailer in both the U.S. and the entire world is Macy's, Inc., which operates over 800 Macy's midrange department stores in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam, plus a smaller number of upscale Bloomingdale's stores. In other words, nearly every mall you visit will have a Macy's.
+According to Deloitte, the largest fashion goods retailer in both the U.S. and the entire world is Macy's, Inc., which operates over 800 Macy's midrange department stores in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam, plus a smaller number of upscale Bloomingdale's stores.
 Nordstrom is another upscale department store that is also found in most states. Other midrange stores include Kohl's, Sears, and JCPenney, while the lower end is dominated by Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Old Navy. General discount stores like Walmart, Target, and Kmart are ubiquitous. Many discount stores have either a small grocery section or a full supermarket; in fact, Walmart is the country's largest seller of groceries, as well as being its largest retail chain. The two largest supermarket chains are Kroger and Safeway, but both operate under legacy regional nameplates in many states. The dominant warehouse club chain is Costco, whose biggest competitor is Sam's Club (operated by Walmart).

@@ Line 130: / Line 130: @@
 Malta's white taxis are the ones you can pick you up off the street. They have meters that are uniformly ignored, figure on €15 for short hops and not much more than €35 for a trip across the island. There are now Gov't approved fares for taxis from the airport ranging from €10 to 30.
-For cheaper airport transfers and local taxis try using one of the local "Black cab" taxi firms such as [http://www.activecabsmalta.com Active Cabs]  Taxi by Sean Taxi Service,  Peppin Transport (Cheaper Online Prices), Malta Airport Cabs [http://www.malta-airport-taxis.co.uk] or Malta Taxi Online. Their rates are normally lower than white taxis  but their services must be prebooked (at least fifteen minutes' notice).
+For cheaper airport transfers and local taxis try using one of the local "Black cab" taxi firms such as [https://easyprivatetaxi.com/book/malta/gozo/185 Easy PrivateTaxi], [http://www.activecabsmalta.com Active Cabs]  Taxi by Sean Taxi Service,  [http://www.peppintransport.com Peppin Transport] (Cheaper Online Prices), Malta Airport Cabs [http://www.malta-airport-taxis.co.uk] or Malta Taxi Online. Their rates are normally lower than white taxis  but their services must be prebooked (at least fifteen minutes' notice). The approx. cost of a transfer from Malta Airport to Valletta is €15-18 for a sedan and €17-25 for a minibus.
 If you would like a taxi tour, it is a good idea to book it in advance with an agreed price and arrange to be picked up from your hotel or apartment. The tours are best kept short, around 3 to 4 hours should do it. In a car you will be able to cover [[Mdina]], Rabat, Mosta, Valletta and the Blue Grotto. However, some people say that when visiting historical sights it is best to also hire a licensed tourist guide (who will wear their license while on tour) and accuse taxi drivers of often giving inaccurate information.

@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 *'''McDonald's''', '''KFC''' and '''Hungry Jacks''' are all located on Penola road between Commercial Street and Jubliee Highway and are in walking distance of each other. '''Subway''' is located on Commercial St East and in the Lakes Village. '''Red Rooster''' is located on Jubliee Highway East. McDonald's in the only 24-hour restaurant in town.
-*'''Domino's Pizza''' is in the Woolworths Petrol Station, opposite the Federal Hotel. '''Pinky's Pizza''' can be found on Commercial street East. '''Pizza Haven''' is on Commercial street West and has the best take away pizza. They also have a drive thru.
+*'''Domino's Pizza''' is in the Woolworths Petrol Station, opposite the Federal Hotel. '''Pinky's Pizza''' can be found on Commercial street East. '''Paradise Pizza's''' is on Commercial street West and has the best take away pizza. They also have a drive thru.
 *For late night snacks, the '''Cave Garden Deli''' is open late on Saturday nights. It is next to the Cave Gardens sinkhole in town. they also sell Domino's pizza (but be warned, it's a bit chewy at 4am). The '''24 Hour Mobil''' on Commercial street East/Crouch street does Boss Dogs and besides McDonald's are probably the only source of food in the wee hours.

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 Australia is highly urbanised with most of the population heavily concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts. Most of the inland areas of the country are semi-arid. The most-populous states are [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] and [[New South Wales]], but by far the largest in land area is [[Western Australia]].
-Australia has an area of 7,682,300 square kilometres (2,966,152 mi²) and the distances between cities and towns is easy to underestimate.
+Australia has an area of 7,682,300 square kilometres (2,966,152&nbsp;mi²) and the distances between cities and towns is easy to underestimate.
 Australia has large areas that have been deforested for agricultural purposes, but many native forest areas survive in extensive national parks and other undeveloped areas.  Long-term Australian concerns include salinity, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 *'''School of the Air Broken Hill''' Lane St, Broken Hill (08) 8087 3565 Runs regular tourist sessions at 8:15am CST each morning, during the school term. In the session you will be able to talk with a teacher, watch an information DVD and sit in on a live lesson with the students. Book at the Broken Hill Visitors Centre.
 *'''Two-up School at Musos''' Around midnight on Friday and Saturday night at the Musicians Club.
 *'''Pony, Horse Trail Rides & carriage rides '''. There's plenty to do for the whole family at The Silver City Cobb & Co Stagecoach Stop at 383 Brookfield Av (Silverton Rd) the edge of town. Kids can have pony rides while bigger kids can experience trail riding or supervised horse rides, for those that can't ride you can have riding lessons or a coach ride.http://www.meanders.biz/

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 [[Image:Grand Tetons Wyoming USA.jpg|thumb|[[Grand Teton National Park|Grand Tetons]], [[Rocky Mountains (United States of America)|Rocky Mountains]], [[Wyoming]] ]]
 ===History===
@@ Line 73: / Line 90: @@
 During the latter half of the 20th century, U.S. retailers pioneered many innovative concepts that later spread around the world, including inventory bar codes to ease the tedium of accurately tallying purchases, "big box" chain stores, factory outlet stores, warehouse club stores, and modern shopping centers.  American consumer culture, as well as Hollywood movies and many forms of popular music, books, and art, all established the United States as the cultural center of the world.  American universities benefited dramatically from the "military-industrial complex" that developed during the Cold War and became the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, rivaled only by a handful of universities in Europe and Asia.
 ===Culture===

@@ Line 187: / Line 187: @@
 * [[Laundry]]
 * [[Naturism|Naturism/Nudism]]
 * [[Respect]]
 * [[Smoking]]

@@ Line 1,534: / Line 1,534: @@
 * As in [[Germany]], '''World War II''' is a touchy and complicated topic.
-* Like in [[India]] and [[China]], swastikas are Buddhist symbols representing good luck and do not represent Nazism or anti-Semitism. As such, Western visitors should not feel offended seeing a swastika in Buddhist temples or in their host's home.
+* Like in [[India]], [[China]] and [[Taiwan], swastikas are Buddhist symbols representing good luck and do not represent Nazism or anti-Semitism. As such, Western visitors should not feel offended seeing a swastika in Buddhist temples or in their host's home.
 ===Gay and lesbian travelers===

@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 ===Museums and galleries===
-[[Image:Adelaide.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Adelaide from the Torrens]]
+[[Image:Adelaide.JPG|thumb|Adelaide from the Torrens]]
-*'''Adelaide Zoo''', [http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo] Frome Road (''Adelaide and Monarto Zoo''). Daily 09:30-17:00 (including Christmas). The only place in Australia and one of only a few in the world to see giant pandas.
+*[http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo Adelaide Zoo] (''Adelaide and Monarto Zoo''), Frome Rd. Daily 09:30-17:00 (including Christmas). The only place in Australia and one of only a few in the world to see giant pandas.
 *[http://www.history.sa.gov.au/migration/migration.htm Migration Museum], Kintore Ave (''Behind the State Library''). Daily 10:00-17:00 but closed Good Friday and 25 Dec. Learn about the history of different migrants across the centuries and South Australia's heritage and present as a state of migrants.
@@ Line 171: / Line 171: @@
 * '''Gawler Museum''', via Gawler train line.
-* <see name="HMS Buffalo" alt="" address="Cnr Adelphi Terrace/Anzac Hwy" directions="Glenelg, northern end of the beach" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8294 7000" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.thebuffalo.com.au/" hours="" price="">An exact replica of the ship that brought the first free settlers to South Australia in 1833. Small museum and restaurant.</see>
+* <see name="HMS Buffalo" alt="" address="Cnr Adelphi Terrace/Anzac Hwy" directions="Glenelg, northern end of the beach" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8294-7000" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.thebuffalo.com.au/" hours="" price="">An exact replica of the ship that brought the first free settlers to South Australia in 1833. Small museum and restaurant.</see>
-* '''South Australian Maritime Museum''', 126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide. ☎+61 8 82076255. [http://maritime.historysa.com.au/collections/port-adelaide-nautical-museum] $8.50, concession $6.50, child $3.50, family $22 (2 adults &amp; up to 5 children). 10am-5pm. Australia's oldest maritime museum. Learn all about ships and wrecks and Port Adelaide's dolphins in an atmospheric historical building.
+*[http://maritime.historysa.com.au/collections/port-adelaide-nautical-museum South Australian Maritime Museum], 126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide. ☎+61 8 8207-6255.  $8.50, concession $6.50, child $3.50, family $22 (2 adults &amp; up to 5 children). Daily 10:00-17:00. Australia's oldest maritime museum. Learn all about ships and wrecks and Port Adelaide's dolphins in an atmospheric historical building.
-*[http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm National Motor Museum], Birdwood. Large automotive museum collection less than 1 hr drive from the city centre.
+*[http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm National Motor Museum], Birdwood. Large automotive museum collection less than 1&nbsp;hr drive from the city centre.
-* <see name="National Wine Centre" alt="" address="Cnr of Botanic and Hackney Rd, Hackney" directions="" phone="+61 8 8303 3355" email="nwc.info@adelaide.edu.au" fax="+61 8 8303 7444" url="http://www.wineaustralia.com.au/" hours="M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su &amp; public holidays 10AM-5PM. Tours &amp; tastings 10AM-5PM" price=""></see>
+* <see name="National Wine Centre" alt="" address="Cnr of Botanic and Hackney Rd, Hackney" directions="" phone="+61 8 8303-3355" email="nwc.info@adelaide.edu.au" fax="+61 8 8303 7444" url="http://www.wineaustralia.com.au/" hours="M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa-Su &amp; public holidays 11:00-17:00. Tours &amp; tastings 10:00-17:00" price=""></see>
 *[http://www.fbga.asn.au/Bicon.htm  Bicentennial Conservatory]. The largest single span conservatory in the southern hemisphere.

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 |timezone=UTC
 }}
-'''Portugal''' [http://www.visitportugal.com], in Southern Europe, shares the [[Iberia|Iberian peninsula]] at the western tip of [[Europe]] with [[Spain]]. Geographically and culturally somewhat isolated from its neighbor, Portugal has a rich, unique culture, lively cities and beautiful countryside. Although it was once one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, the end of dictatorship and introduction of Democracy in 1974, as well as its incorporation into the [[European Union]] in 1986, has meant significantly increased prosperity. However it may be one of the best value destinations on the Continent. This is because the country offers outstanding landscape diversity, due to its North-South disposition along the western shore of the Iberian peninsula. You can travel in a single day from green mountains in the North, covered with vines and all varieties of trees to rocky mountains, with spectacular slopes and falls in the Centre, to a near-desert landscape in the Alentejo region and finally to the glamorous beach holidays destination [[Algarve]]. The climate, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure in recent years, has also turned the country into a golfing haven. Portugal was recently named "Best Golf Destination 2008" by readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. If you want a condensed view of European landscapes, culture and way of life, Portugal might very well fit the bill.
+'''Portugal''' [http://www.visitportugal.com], in Southern Europe, shares the [[Iberia|Iberian peninsula]] at the western tip of [[Europe]] with [[Spain]]. Geographically and culturally somewhat isolated from its neighbour, Portugal has a rich, unique culture, lively cities and beautiful countryside. Although it was once one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, the end of dictatorship and introduction of Democracy in 1974, as well as its incorporation into the [[European Union]] in 1986, has meant significantly increased prosperity. However it may be one of the best value destinations on the Continent. This is because the country offers outstanding landscape diversity, due to its North-South disposition along the western shore of the Iberian peninsula. You can travel in a single day from green mountains in the North, covered with vines and all varieties of trees to rocky mountains, with spectacular slopes and falls in the Centre, to a near-desert landscape in the Alentejo region and finally to the glamorous beach holidays destination [[Algarve]]. The climate, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure in recent years, has also turned the country into a golfing haven. Portugal was recently named "Best Golf Destination 2008" by readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. If you want a condensed view of European landscapes, culture and way of life, Portugal might very well fit the bill.
 ==Understand==

@@ Line 659: / Line 659: @@
 ==Cope==
-Norway uses the '''metric''' system only. A Norwegian mile, 'mil', is exactly 10 km. Land is commonly measured in decares («dekar» or «mål»), and equals 1000 m². There is overall limited knowledge of Imperial or US measures, although most younger Norwegians will be somewhat familiar with US weight and distance measures. Few Norwegians will be able to convert from Centigrade (Celsius) to Fahrenheit, and weather forecasts use metric units. However, many modern cell-phones have conversion programmes which can be used to understand the metric system.
+===Numbers, times and dates===
-In Norwegian there is usually no concept of ground '''floor''' as in the UK (or "Erdgeschoss" in German), instead the entrance level of a building is called the first floor ("første etasje") like in the US. Levels are then counted 1, 2, 3 etc.
+Norwegians use both 24 and 12 hour system; often the 12 hour system when speaking and the 24 hour system in writing. Norwegians don't use am/pm to indicate morning or afternoon. In Norwegian "half ten" ("halv ti") means half past nine, when speaking to a person not fluent in English better not use this form to avoid misunderstanding. Dates can be seen abbreviated in a number of ways, but the order is always DATE-MONTH-YEAR, for instance 12.7.08 (or 120708, 12/7-08 or 12.07.08; the first and latter being the only ''correct'' forms) is July 12, 2008. Monday is considered the first day of the week, while Sunday is the last. In timetables, weekdays are thus often indicated by numbers 1 (Mon) through 7 (Sun). Norwegian calendars will also indicate the number of the week 1 through 53. Timetables for public transport often use the abbreviation Dx67, meaning "all days except Saturday and Sunday".
-'''First time visitors''' not familiar with the country tend plan a trip in Norway from city to city. Although Norway has many nice cities the country's main attraction is the land itself, the nature, the landscapes, the wilderness, as well as a number of man-made sights in rural districts, notably road constructions and cultural treasures such as the stave churches. Unlike many other countries in Europe, a trip to Norway should ideally be planned according to types of landscapes to visit as well as a selection of cities. Norway is wide country with long distances and complex topography, and travelers should not underestimate distances.
+Norway uses the '''metric''' system only. A Norwegian mile, ''mil'', is exactly 10 km. Land is commonly measured in decares (''dekar'' or ''mål''), and equals 1000 m². There is overall limited knowledge of Imperial or US measures, although most younger Norwegians will be somewhat familiar with US weight and distance measures. Few Norwegians will be able to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit, and weather forecasts use metric units. However, many modern cell-phones have conversion programmes which can be used to understand the metric system.
-If '''purchasing a house''' and business in Norway do check all legal documents (kjøpekontrakt/takst)and maps (grensekart) are correct. Ask for information in the native language you are used to. Make sure the Estate Agent is registered with NEF.
+In Norwegian there is usually no concept of a ''ground floor'' as in the UK (or ''Erdgeschoss'' in German); instead, the entrance level of a building is called the first floor (''første etasje'') like in the US. Levels are then counted 1, 2, 3 etc.
 ==Contact==

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 * '''North Terrace''', will take you past the Casino (Railway Station below), Parliament House, Government House, the State Library, Museum and Migration Museum (both free entry), Art Gallery (free entry), Adelaide University, University of South Australia, Ayers House (former home of Henry Ayers), Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Botanic Gardens. It is an attractive tree lined boulevard in a South Australian colonial tradition.
-* '''Catch an O-Bahn  bus''' out to the North East suburban shopping centre of Tea Tree Plaza. The O-Bahn is a 12 km (7.5 mi) long guided bus way, where special street buses run on guided tracks at up to 100 km/h.  It uses the unified metroticket system mentioned above.
+* '''Catch an O-Bahn  bus''' out to the North East suburban shopping centre of Tea Tree Plaza. The O-Bahn is a 12&nbsp;km (7.5&nbsp;mi) long guided bus way, where special street buses run on guided tracks at up to 100&nbsp;km/h.  It uses the unified metroticket system mentioned above.
 *<see name="Rundle Lantern light display" alt="" address="Cnr Rundle St and Pultney St" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">See the Rundle Lantern light display. From dusk to midnight every night with 750 light panels.</see>
@@ Line 155: / Line 155: @@
 [[Image:Adelaide.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Adelaide from the Torrens]]
-*'''Adelaide Zoo''', [http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo] Frome Road (''Adelaide and Monarto Zoo''). 9:30AM-5PM every day (including Christmas). The only place in Australia and one of only a few in the world to see giant pandas.
+*'''Adelaide Zoo''', [http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo] Frome Road (''Adelaide and Monarto Zoo''). Daily 09:30-17:00 (including Christmas). The only place in Australia and one of only a few in the world to see giant pandas.
-*'''Migration Museum''', [http://www.history.sa.gov.au/migration/migration.htm] Kintore Ave. (''Behind the State Library''). 10AM-5PM daily, closed Good Friday and 25 Dec. Learn about the history of different migrants across the centuries and South Australia's heritage and present as a state of migrants.
+*[http://www.history.sa.gov.au/migration/migration.htm Migration Museum], Kintore Ave (''Behind the State Library''). Daily 10:00-17:00 but closed Good Friday and 25 Dec. Learn about the history of different migrants across the centuries and South Australia's heritage and present as a state of migrants.
-*'''Art Gallery of South Australia''', [http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/] North Ter. (''Half way between Kintore Ave and Frome Rd, between the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide''), ☎ +61 8 8207 7000. 10AM-5PM daily, except 25 Dec.
+*[http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/ Art Gallery of South Australia], North Terrace (''Half way between Kintore Ave and Frome Rd, between the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide''), ☎ +61 8 8207 7000. Daily 10:00-17:00 but closed 25 Dec.
-*'''South Australian Museum''', [http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/page/default.asp?site=1] North Ter. (''Next to the Art Gallery of South Australia''). 10AM-5PM daily, except Good Friday and 25 Dec. Many different exhibitions, for example South Australian biodiversity, animals, Antarctic explorers, ancient Egypt, Pacific cultures.
+*[http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/page/default.asp?site=1 South Australian Museum], North Terrace (''Next to the Art Gallery of South Australia''). Daily  10:00-17:00 but closed Good Friday and 25 Dec. Many different exhibitions, for example South Australian biodiversity, animals, Antarctic explorers, ancient Egypt, Pacific cultures.
-* <see name="Port Adelaide Lighthouse" alt="" address="End of Commercial Road" directions="Close to the harbour" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8270 6255" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="M-F 10am-2pm, Su 10am-5pm" price="Free if you visit the Maritime Museum as well, otherwise $1">Constructed in 1869 and originally located at the mouth of Port River, then on South Neptune Island. Part of the Maritime Museum since 1985.</see>
+* <see name="Port Adelaide Lighthouse" alt="" address="End of Commercial Road" directions="Close to the harbour" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8270 6255" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="M-F 10:00-14:00, Su 10:00-17:00" price="Free if you visit the Maritime Museum as well, otherwise $1">Constructed in 1869 and originally located at the mouth of Port River, then on South Neptune Island. Part of the Maritime Museum since 1985.</see>
 * '''Port Adelaide Train Museum'''
-* <see name="Glenelg Museum & Bay Discovery Centre" alt="" address="Moseley Square" directions="" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8179 9508" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="10am-5pm" price="Free">Located in Gleneg's former town hall, a building from 1875. Exhibitions about Glenelg's history and the ecosystems of the region.</see>
+* <see name="Glenelg Museum & Bay Discovery Centre" alt="" address="Moseley Square" directions="" lat="" long="" phone="+61 8 8179 9508" tollfree="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="10:00-17:00" price="Free">Located in Gleneg's former town hall, a building from 1875. Exhibitions about Glenelg's history and the ecosystems of the region.</see>
 * '''Gawler Museum''', via Gawler train line.
@@ Line 175: / Line 175: @@
 * '''South Australian Maritime Museum''', 126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide. ☎+61 8 82076255. [http://maritime.historysa.com.au/collections/port-adelaide-nautical-museum] $8.50, concession $6.50, child $3.50, family $22 (2 adults &amp; up to 5 children). 10am-5pm. Australia's oldest maritime museum. Learn all about ships and wrecks and Port Adelaide's dolphins in an atmospheric historical building.
-* '''National Motor Museum''', Birdwood. [http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm]. Large automotive museum collection less than 1 hr drive from the city centre.
+*[http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm National Motor Museum], Birdwood. Large automotive museum collection less than 1 hr drive from the city centre.
 * <see name="National Wine Centre" alt="" address="Cnr of Botanic and Hackney Rd, Hackney" directions="" phone="+61 8 8303 3355" email="nwc.info@adelaide.edu.au" fax="+61 8 8303 7444" url="http://www.wineaustralia.com.au/" hours="M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su &amp; public holidays 10AM-5PM. Tours &amp; tastings 10AM-5PM" price=""></see>
-* '''Bicentennial Conservatory''', [http://www.fbga.asn.au/Bicon.htm]. The largest single span conservatory in the southern hemisphere.
+*[http://www.fbga.asn.au/Bicon.htm  Bicentennial Conservatory]. The largest single span conservatory in the southern hemisphere.
 ===National parks===
 [[image:KoalaAdelaide.jpg|thumb|200px|A Koala at Cleland Conservation Park]]
-* '''Belair National Park''' is a national park of 835 ha, 11 km (7 mi) south of Adelaide City.  Due to its history as a "Recreation Park" it has many good trails for bushwalking, as well as tennis courts and grassy areas available for hire, and a good adventure playground for children.  Old Government House, the colony's first official Vice-regal summer residence, is located within the park. [http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/belair/] A vehicle entry fee applies to cars entering the park, or else its western parts can be accessed from the Belair line train, a 35 minute journey from Adelaide city. Gates open 8AM-sunset, except 25 Dec.
+*[http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/belair/ Belair National Park] is a national park of 835 ha, 11 km (7 mi) south of Adelaide City.  Due to its history as a "Recreation Park" it has many good trails for bushwalking, as well as tennis courts and grassy areas available for hire, and a good adventure playground for children.  Old Government House, the colony's first official Vice-regal summer residence, is located within the park.  A vehicle entry fee applies to cars entering the park, or else its western parts can be accessed from the Belair line train, a 35 min journey from Adelaide city. Gates open 08:00-sunset, except 25 Dec.
 * '''Cleland Conservation Park''' [http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/clelandwildlife/Home] is a large National Park of 992 ha (2,450 a), located 20 min from Adelaide City. Although it lacks the picnic and sports facilities of Belair, Cleland offers greater opportunities for tourists to get up close and personal with Australian native fauna. Visitors can feed and wander at their leisure among kangaroos, wallabies, Emus and waterfowl. Displays of Dingoes, reptiles, Tasmanian Devils, Wombats, Echidnas and Koalas allow easy viewing access, or stroll through the aviaries. Visitors also have the rare opportunity to be photographed holding a Koala, under supervision from Parks and Wildlife Officers. There is also an Aboriginal cultural tour.