Wikitravel - Changes related to "Main Page" [en]

Barcelona

2013-05-22T14:12:58Z

Undo revision 2040073 by 83.57.10.43 (talk) Undid Touting.

Barcelona

2013-05-22T10:34:33Z

‎By bike:

Jerusalem

2013-05-22T10:26:17Z

Barcelona

2013-05-22T10:14:17Z

‎By bike:

Japan

2013-05-22T01:27:25Z

‎Buy:

Turkey

2013-05-22T00:27:22Z

at least Constantinople deserves a mention

Turkey

2013-05-21T23:10:00Z

Superfluous in the country article, the ancient city names should be mentioned in each city article.

Barcelona

2013-05-21T22:21:25Z

let's keep TOC on the left side and picture on the right side- it used to be this way, plus I get approval voices from the community

Spain

2013-05-21T21:22:56Z

‎By boat:

Barcelona

2013-05-21T17:34:34Z

Frank, sorry, but this picture will be on the right side, just as it used to be for months there

Barcelona

2013-05-21T17:33:08Z

please view this on a narrow laptop screen while not logged in (ie with adverts displayed) and then try and maintain that this "looks better". Look a the edit history and you will see that this is justified exception to our ip policy, [[User:IBAlex}}

Barcelona

2013-05-21T17:27:58Z

looks better

Japan

2013-05-21T17:20:38Z

‎Buy

Rio de Janeiro

2013-05-21T17:14:31Z

‎By bus:

Japan

2013-05-21T17:00:27Z

‎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

Barcelona

2013-05-21T13:06:40Z

Mgic word __TOC__ forces display of ToC at particular position and NOT "photos on the right side" so undid revision 2039433 by IBAlex

Barcelona

2013-05-21T00:58:23Z

please put the photos on the right side. thank you!

Barcelona

2013-05-20T23:41:02Z

‎Taxis and transfer services: Removed Commercial SPAM from new, unknown, not-locally-based, German site: easyprivatetaxi.com

Trekking in Nepal

2013-05-20T17:30:49Z

‎Understand:

United States of America

2013-05-20T13:16:48Z

Why was this deleted? Valuable information

Marrakech

2013-05-20T11:19:27Z

Listings looks like an add please read trough our policies here

Travel topics

2013-05-20T05:37:56Z

‎Cope:

United States of America

2013-05-20T02:58:55Z

‎Climate:

Israel

2013-05-20T00:54:05Z

We use the common English names for localities on the English Wikitravel

Israel

2013-05-20T00:42:34Z

‎Occupied Territories:

Israel

2013-05-20T00:33:38Z

‎Disputed Territories:

Japan

2013-05-19T22:58:16Z

‎Other things:

Previous Destinations of the month

2013-05-19T22:21:32Z

Why was this deleted?

Marrakech

2013-05-19T21:35:09Z

added listing Ali

Turkey

2013-05-19T19:54:08Z

‎Cities: Adding Latinized Greek/Historic English Names. Many of these names are still well known in English, and not always recognizable as their Turkish counterparts

Previous Destinations of the month

2013-05-19T05:04:15Z

‎2012:

Saudi Arabia

2013-05-19T03:21:14Z

‎Eat:

Europe

2013-05-18T22:14:31Z

‎By ship:

Europe

2013-05-18T22:10:26Z

‎Regions: Not every country has its own language, eg, Switzerland; rm link to disamb pg

Barcelona

2013-05-18T20:24:05Z

‎By bike: correct external links format

@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 ===By bike===
 *[http://www.bornbikebarcelona.com Bornbike Rental & Tours]. Bikes for €6. They offer guided city tours such as the Gothic to Modernism Tour, Beach Tour, Montjuïc Tour, and the Tapas Tour.
 *[http://www.barcelonetabikes.com  Barceloneta Bikes]. One of the cheapest places to rent a bike in the city. Very close to the harbour and the beaches, this company has different kinds of bikes you can choose to rent, but it doesn't organize tours.

@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 ===By bike===
 *[http://www.bornbikebarcelona.com Bornbike Rental & Tours]. Bikes for €6. They offer guided city tours such as the Gothic to Modernism Tour, Beach Tour, Montjuïc Tour, and the Tapas Tour.
 *[http://www.barcelonetabikes.com  Barceloneta Bikes]. One of the cheapest places to rent a bike in the city. Very close to the harbour and the beaches, this company has different kinds of bikes you can choose to rent, but it doesn't organize tours.

@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 The airport, referred to by locals as Natbag - its initials in Hebrew - comprises all the usual amenities expected from a first class airport and contains one of the world's largest duty-free shopping malls for an airport of its size. Ben Gurion Airport acts as the base for '''El Al''' [http://www.elal.co.il/], Israel's national airline, and is also served by over 50 international air carriers. Travel from the airport to the centre of Jerusalem takes 40-50 minutes and depending on traffic conditions often more. It is advisable to budget at least an additional 2 hours on top of your pre-flight check-in time to ensure timely arrival and completion of security procedures.
-Security is extremely stringent at Ben-Gurion Airport, and is especially suspicious of travelers with Muslim names or visas from Islamic countries in their passports. Expect to be stopped and questioned for several hours if this is the case, both on the way in and on the way out. It would be wise to have some phone numbers of local contacts for security officials to call to verify your reasons for visiting.  The airport prides itself in being one of the most secure in the world.  It achieves this through a number of means.  The most evident for travelers will be the pre-check-in security check. (optional, should you go through it, you will be escorted to skip regular security check). On joining the queue for this security check, a security official will ask you several questions.  Based on these (and what appears to be racial profiling) and a brief inspection of your passport, you will be assigned a number from 1 to 6.  1 signifies the lowest security concern and 6 the highest.  Foreigners will typically get between a 3 and a 6.  Age, appearance, stamps from Arab countries, evidence of visits to the Palestinian territory and other vague factors will be taken into account. Depending on the number you get (stuck on your passport and luggage), the security check is more or less thorough. Travelers who have visited the Palestinian territory will almost certainly receive a 5 or 6 (but there is no need for this; you can get 5 if you have never been to Israel before, and are of European descent). With a 5 or a 6, you can expect every single item of luggage to be taken from you bag and inspected in detail.  Security officials have been known to check individual bank-notes. With a 6 (but sometimes even 5 if they have time), you can also expect to be taken to a cubicle and asked to remove your belt, shoes and have a personal inspection.  If your clothes contain any metal that would set off a detector (such as studs in your jeans or a zip) even if plainly visible on the outside, you will be asked to remove the item of clothing.  Travelers are regularly prevented from taking mobile phones, laptops and even shoes in their hand-luggage, although there is no consistency with reports of one policy one week and another the next week.  Arguing about such invasive checks is almost always fruitless and security reasons are the only ones that are ever cited. Though encouraging tourism, Israeli authorities would answer to criticism by angry travelers that Israel is not a usual destination, and that people who are looking for sun with no security checks should rather head to Canary Islands. This summary is based on personal experiences.
+Security is extremely stringent at Ben-Gurion Airport, and is especially suspicious of travelers with Muslim names or visas from Islamic countries in their passports. Expect to be stopped and questioned for several hours if this is the case, both on the way in and on the way out. It would be wise to have some phone numbers of local contacts for security officials to call to verify your reasons for visiting.  The airport prides itself in being one of the most secure in the world.  It achieves this through a number of means.  The most evident for travelers will be the pre-check-in security check. (optional, should you go through it, you will be escorted to skip regular security check). On joining the queue for this security check, a security official will ask you several questions.  Based on these (and what appears to be racial profiling) and a brief inspection of your passport, you will be assigned a number from 1 to 6.  1 signifies the lowest security concern and 6 the highest.  Foreigners will typically get between a 3 and a 6.  Age, appearance, stamps from Arab countries, evidence of visits to the Palestinian territory and other vague factors will be taken into account. Depending on the number you get (stuck on your passport and luggage), the security check is more or less thorough. Travelers who have visited the Palestinian territory will almost certainly receive a 5 or 6 (but there is no need for this; you can get 5 if you have never been to Israel before, and are of European descent). With a 5 or a 6, you can expect every single item of luggage to be taken from you bag and inspected in detail.  Security officials have been known to check individual bank-notes. With a 6 (but sometimes even 5 if they have time), you can also expect to be taken to a cubicle and asked to remove your belt, shoes and have a personal inspection.  If your clothes contain any metal that would set off a detector (such as studs in your jeans or a zip) even if plainly visible on the outside, you will be asked to remove the item of clothing.  Travelers are regularly prevented from taking mobile phones, laptops and even shoes in their hand-luggage, although there is no consistency with reports of one policy one week and another the next week.  Arguing about such invasive checks is almost always fruitless and security reasons are the only ones that are ever cited. Though encouraging tourism, Israeli authorities would answer to criticism by irate travelers that Israel is not a usual destination, and that people who are looking for sun with no security checks should rather head to Canary Islands. This summary is based on personal experiences.
 Getting to and from Jerusalem.  The 'Nesher' shared taxi service (02 623 1231 - Hebrew and English) is a 14-seater minibus that runs approximately hourly services to the airport - ₪61.80 one way per person.  You must reserve your seat in advance by phone and you will be picked up from your hotel or a chosen location (they have been known to refuse to pick up from some East Jerusalem neighborhoods, so check with your hotel or take a taxi to the Jerusalem hotel where they normally pick up without a problem).  Be on time - they don't wait.  You will be dropped at Terminal 3 in the airport.  For the journey to Jerusalem, you will find them waiting outside the arrivals hall (they are signed from inside).  Tell the driver where you want to be dropped.  Again they should drop you at your hotel, but have been known to avoid parts of East Jerusalem.  The rate is fixed, but it is worth double-checking as it has recently increased.
@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 Expect your taxi to be stopped on the way to the airport - have your passports, tickets, and answers for some questions (how long have you been to Israel, where are you going...) ready.
-The Egged bus service does not go directly from Jerusalem to the Terminal. You should take bus #947 to Airport City (Kiryat Sde Hateufa) and take a suttle bus to the terminal (free in conjunction with a bus ticket).
+The Egged bus service does not go directly from Jerusalem to the Terminal. You should take bus #947 to Airport City (Kiryat Sde Hateufa) and take a shuttle bus to the terminal (free in conjunction with a bus ticket).
 The train does not run from Jerusalem to the airport.

@@ Line 191: / Line 191: @@
 ===By bike===
 *[http://www.bajabikes.eu/en/highlights-in-barcelona-bike-tour Baja Bikes]. Guided bike tours in English, Dutch, German and English. A 3&nbsp;hr bike tour which includes all the highlights of Barcelona!
 *[http://www.barcelonetabikes.com  Barceloneta Bikes]. One of the cheapest places to rent a bike in the city. Very close to the harbour and the beaches, this company has different kinds of bikes you can choose to rent, but it doesn't organize tours.
@@ Line 203: / Line 205: @@
 *[http://www.bikinginbarcelona.net  Biking in Barcelona]. Backed by Biciclot, a co-operative that promotes the use of bicycles in Barcelona. They offer high-quality tours for groups (from 12 to more than 100 people), private groups or individuals, as well as bike rentals.
 *[http://www.budgetbikes.eu Budget Bikes]. With top quality Dutch bicycles on hire, Budget Bikes offers good group reductions as well.

@@ 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 136: / Line 136: @@
 * [[Bursa]] — the first capital of the Ottoman Empire
 * [[Edirne]] — the second capital of the Ottoman Empire
-* [[Istanbul]] — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
+* [[Istanbul]] (Constantinople) — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
 * [[Izmir]] — Turkey's third largest city
 * [[Konya]] — a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi's tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes

@@ Line 131: / Line 131: @@
 ==Cities==
 <!-- This is meant to be a representative list of no more than NINE cities. If you feel that there should be a change of cities displayed in this list, please discuss your proposal first on this article's discussionpage.  -->
-* [[Ankara]] (Ancyra/Angora) — the capital of Turkey and its second largest city
+* [[Ankara]] — the capital of Turkey and its second largest city
-* [[Antalya]] (Attalea) — the fastest growing city, hub to an array of beach resorts
+* [[Antalya]] — the fastest growing city, hub to an array of beach resorts
-* [[Bodrum]] (Halicarnassus) — a trendy coastal town in the Southern Aegean which turns into a crowded city in season when it serves as a playground for Turkish and international holidaymakers alike, featuring a citadel, Roman ruins, trendy clubs and a number of villages surrounding the peninsula each with a different character from classy to rustic
+* [[Bodrum]] — a trendy coastal town in the Southern Aegean which turns into a crowded city in season when it serves as a playground for Turkish and international holidaymakers alike, featuring a citadel, Roman ruins, trendy clubs and a number of villages surrounding the peninsula each with a different character from classy to rustic
-* [[Bursa]] (Prousa) — the first capital of the Ottoman Empire
+* [[Bursa]] — the first capital of the Ottoman Empire
-* [[Edirne]] (Adrianople) — the second capital of the Ottoman Empire
+* [[Edirne]] — the second capital of the Ottoman Empire
-* [[Istanbul]] (Constantinople/Byzantium/Stamboul) — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
+* [[Istanbul]] — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
-* [[Izmir]] (Smyrna) — Turkey's third largest city
+* [[Izmir]] — Turkey's third largest city
-* [[Konya]] (Iconium) — a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi's tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes
+* [[Konya]] — a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi's tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes
-* [[Trabzon]] (Trebizond) — the wonderful Sümela Monastery is just outside the city and it is a great gateway to exploring the Turkish Northeast
+* [[Trabzon]] — the wonderful Sümela Monastery is just outside the city and it is a great gateway to exploring the Turkish Northeast
-* [[Urfa]] (Edessa)— magical city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly locals at the gates of Eastern World; where Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian cultures mingle
+* [[Urfa]] — magical city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly locals at the gates of Eastern World; where Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian cultures mingle
 ==Other destinations==

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:21, 21 May 2013
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		+	__TOC__
	[[Image:La_Rambla_Barcelona.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.6\|View of La Rambla, Barcelona]]		[[Image:La_Rambla_Barcelona.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.6\|View of La Rambla, Barcelona]]
	{{printDistricts}}		{{printDistricts}}

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 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 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:La_Rambla_Barcelona.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|View of La Rambla, Barcelona]]
+[[Image:La_Rambla_Barcelona.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|View of La Rambla, Barcelona]]
 {{printDistricts}}
 '''Barcelona''' is [[Spain]]'s second largest city, with a population of nearly one and half million people (nearly five million in the metropolitan area) and the capital and largest city of [[Catalonia]].

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 * '''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 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.
@@ Line 736: / 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 749: / 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 765: / 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 110: / Line 110: @@
 Some bus stops in the South Zone are equipped with a shelter and a bench, but sometimes, far from tourist areas, they are less obvious and have no signs at all - you might have to ask. As a general rule in most parts of Brazil, buses stop only when you hail them, by extending the arm. If you don't hail and there are no passengers waiting to get off, the bus simply won't stop. The same can be said if you are on the bus wanting to get off at a particular stop. You should know the surroundings or the name of the intersection of the area you are going, or inquire to the employee operating the turnstile, so you can signal to the driver that you want to get off, or he may not stop! There are no schedules or timetables, but there is an invaluable book called Ruas de Rio de Janeiro (The streets of Rio de Janeiro) that has maps of Rio and lists bus routes by bus line. Although it does not list the exact schedule of arrivals and departures, it lists the bus stops, and one can easily orient oneself and navigate the city using it. Usually buses run at least every 15 minutes. However, they can run just once an hour or more infrequently late at night or in remote areas of town. Google Maps and the Maps app also has the Rio bus system in it, allowing you to plug your location and destination with step-by-step instructions.
-There are a baffling 1000+ bus lines in Rio (including variants), covering nearly all of the city, operated by about a dozen independent operations. (At least 6 operations ply the streets of Copacabana and Ipanema.) The [http://www.rioonibus.com] website contains a catalog of the lines, but is of little help unless you know the line number or can enter exact street names. Many lines differ only a few streets from each other in their itineraries, and some even have variants within the same line. Bus lines with a * or a letter means that this bus has a variant. It means that there may be a bus with the same name, same number, same origin, even same destination but with a complete different route. Lines are numbered according to the general route they serve:
+There are a baffling 1000+ bus lines in Rio (including variants), covering nearly all of the city, operated by about a dozen independent operations. (At least 6 operations ply the streets of Copacabana and Ipanema.) The [http://www.rioonibus.com] website contains a catalog of the lines, but is of little help unless you know the line number or can enter exact street names. The website VaDeOnibus [http://www.vadeonibus.com.br] contains a route planner: you can enter two addresses and it gives you the buslines that go between them, including their time tables. Many lines differ only a few streets from each other in their itineraries, and some even have variants within the same line. Bus lines with a * or a letter means that this bus has a variant. It means that there may be a bus with the same name, same number, same origin, even same destination but with a complete different route. Lines are numbered according to the general route they serve:
 * beginning with 1 - South Zone/Downtown
 * beginning with 2 - North Zone/Downtown

@@ 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!
-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 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).

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:06, 21 May 2013
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	This had the effect of changing the city in ways that are still felt today with neighbourhoods renovated (and in some cases levelled) and the intense focus of modern design permeating all aspects of life in Barcelona from public buildings to something as simple as a park bench or an event poster.		This had the effect of changing the city in ways that are still felt today with neighbourhoods renovated (and in some cases levelled) and the intense focus of modern design permeating all aspects of life in Barcelona from public buildings to something as simple as a park bench or an event poster.

		+	__TOC__
	For visitors, this has translated into the very modern, yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where the new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the ancient.		For visitors, this has translated into the very modern, yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where the new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the ancient.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:41, 20 May 2013
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	*[http://www.barcelonaairporttaxis.com Barcelona Airport Taxis] offers a taxi (up to 4 people) for €59 and a microbus (up to 7 people) for €79		*[http://www.barcelonaairporttaxis.com Barcelona Airport Taxis] offers a taxi (up to 4 people) for €59 and a microbus (up to 7 people) for €79
−	*[https://easyprivatetaxi.com Easy Private Taxi] offers a car (up to 4 people) for €40 and a minibus (up to 8 people) for €60

	====Nearby airports====		====Nearby airports====

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 20 May 2013
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	* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.		* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.
−	*<see name="Ali" alt="Karaoui " address="Merzouga " directions="Marrakech" phone="00212670137673" url="http://moroccotravel-click.com/" hours="8" price="200" lat="" long="800">Welcome to Morocco, Your adventure morocco tours start here !
−
−	~~Discover with us the majestic Atlas Mountains with its canyons, valleys and rivers, as well as the grandeur and the calm of the Sahara Desert until reach the wonderful Atlantic Coast.~~
−
−	~~We offer you routes in 4x4 in order to twist over all the wonderful Moroccan nature and where you could live in person the nomads’ traditions and its amazing culture.~~
−	~~We have different kind of routes so you could adapt them depending on your needs.~~
−	~~We are looking forward to meet you very soon!~~
−	~~</see>~~
−

	==Do==		==Do==

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:58, 21 May 2013
Line 9:		Line 9:
	This had the effect of changing the city in ways that are still felt today with neighbourhoods renovated (and in some cases levelled) and the intense focus of modern design permeating all aspects of life in Barcelona from public buildings to something as simple as a park bench or an event poster.		This had the effect of changing the city in ways that are still felt today with neighbourhoods renovated (and in some cases levelled) and the intense focus of modern design permeating all aspects of life in Barcelona from public buildings to something as simple as a park bench or an event poster.

−	~~__TOC__~~
	For visitors, this has translated into the very modern, yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where the new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the ancient.		For visitors, this has translated into the very modern, yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where the new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the ancient.

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 ==Understand==
-[[Nepal]] has some of the best trekking in the world, to and around several of the world's highest mountains, including [[Khumbu|Mount Everest]]. Many people visit the country just to trek and the tourism industry is well prepared to facilitate all manner of trekking styles and destinations. On the one hand you could spend a year planning an expedition to wild and lofty places; on the other you could land in Kathmandu with no plans and be on the trail to [[Everest_Base_Camp_Trek|Everest Base Camp (EBC)]] in a matter of days.
+[[Nepal]] has some of the best trekking in the world and several of the world's highest mountains, including [[Khumbu|Mount Everest]]. Many people visit the country just to trek and the tourism industry is well prepared to facilitate all manner of trekking styles and destinations. On the one hand you could spend a year planning an expedition to wild and lofty places; on the other you could land in Kathmandu with no plans and be on the trail to [[Everest_Base_Camp_Trek|Everest Base Camp (EBC)]] in a matter of days.
 [[File:Everest base camp.jpg|center|800px]]
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 [[File:Pokhara Annapurna Range.jpg|center|700px]]
 == Types of Trekking ==

@@ 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 121: / Line 121: @@
 }}
-===Occupied Territories===
+===Disputed Territories===
 {{Regionlist
@@ Line 132: / Line 132: @@
 | region2color=#8E908D
 | region2items=
-| region2description=Two physically separate territories, the Judea and Samaria in the east in the Jordan Valley and the [[Gaza|Gaza Strip]] in the southwest along the Mediterranean coast. Internationally recognized as part of the '''State of Palestine''' by the UN, government services (security, medical service, etc.) are provided by Israel, the Palestinian Authority (as of 2013, The state of Palestine), or a combination, depending on the exact location as a result of the Oslo Accords.
+| region2description=Two physically separate territories, the [[West Bank]] in the east in the Jordan Valley and the [[Gaza|Gaza Strip]] in the southwest along the Mediterranean coast. Internationally recognized as part of the '''State of Palestine''' by the UN, government services (security, medical service, etc.) are provided by Israel, the Palestinian Authority (as of 2013, The state of Palestine), or a combination, depending on the exact location as a result of the Oslo Accords.
 }}
@@ Line 174: / Line 174: @@
 [[Image:BenGuArr.jpg|thumb|Ben Gurion International Airport is the main entry point for most visitors to Israel.]]
-Many countries have a Visa Waiver program with Israel which allows their citizens to visit Israel without a visa arranged in advance.  Before embarking on a trip, visitors desiring to stop in Israel on their way to other destinations must check if they need a prearranged tourist visa.  The list of countries below specifies from which countries tourists are required to present a prearranged visa.  All Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine-readable passport at the port of entry  in order to enter Israel without a prearranged visa; otherwise a visa is required.  This applies to tourists arriving with a passage card from [http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/05664082-4C0C-4C2E-A593-C9D0C0B20C2A/0/VisaRequirements.pdf  countries with a Waiver Program].
+Many countries have a Visa Waiver program with Israel which allows their citizens to visit Israel without a visa arranged in advance.  Before embarking on a trip, visitors desiring to stop in Israel on their way to other destinations must check if they need a prearranged tourist visa.  The list of countries below specifies from which countries tourists are required to present a prearranged visa.  All Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine-readable passport at the port of entry  in order to enter Israel without a prearranged visa; otherwise a visa is required.  This applies to tourists arriving with a passage card from [http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/05664082-4C0C-4C2E-A593-C9D0C0B20C2A/0/VisaRequirements.pdf countries with a Waiver Program].
-If you're in Israel on a tourist visa (B2) and decide to renew your visa for a longer term, you may do so at the [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Consular_affairs/Visas.htm Ministry of the Interior Visa office].  In Tel Aviv, it is located at 125 Derech Menachem Begin on the second floor.  The office opens Su-W 08:00-12:00.  Alternately, citizens from most European and North American countries can renew their visas by crossing into Jordan and returning to Israel at the Arava border crossing near Eilat, or by crossing into Egypt and returning to Israel at the Taba crossing.
+If you're in Israel on a tourist visa (B2) and decide to renew your visa for a longer term, you may do so at the [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Consular_affairs/Visas.htm Ministry of the Interior Visa office]. In Tel Aviv, it is located at 125 Derech Menachem Begin on the second floor.  The office opens Su-W 08:00-12:00.  Alternately, citizens from most European and North American countries can renew their visas by crossing into Jordan and returning to Israel at the Arava border crossing near Eilat, or by crossing into Egypt and returning to Israel at the Taba crossing.
 ===By Plane===
@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 ===By Road===
 There are five border crossings that can be reached by road.  There are two on the Egyptian border and three on the Jordanian border.  There are no border crossings accessible to tourists with either Syria or Lebanon.  All border crossings have extensive security measures in place to ensure the safety of both Israelis and tourists.
 Border Crossings with [[Jordan]]:
-'''Allenby/King Hussein Bridge:''' Is located just north of the Dead Sea, in the center of the country.  This crossing is the the shortest way between the capitals, [[Amman]] and [[Jerusalem]], and is the busiest land crossing.  The crossing is open from 8:00 - 00:00 Sunday through Thursday, and 8:00 - 15:00 Friday and Saturday.  The crossing only closes for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice.[http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Alenbi/]
+'''Allenby/King Hussein Bridge:''' Is located just north of the Dead Sea, in the center of the country.  This crossing is the the shortest way between the capitals, [[Amman]] and [[Jerusalem]], and is the busiest land crossing.  The crossing is open Su-Th 08:00-00:00, and F-Sa 08:00-15:00.  The crossing only closes for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and Eid al-Adha, the [http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Alenbi/ Feast of the Sacrifice.]
 '''Jordan River:''' This crossing is located just south of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias.  The crossing is open from 6:30 - 21:00 Sunday through Thursday, and 8:00 - 20:00 Friday and Saturday.  Entry into the crossing for processing will end at 19:00 on Fridays to ensure that the crossing closes on time.  The crossing only closes for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and Id al-Hijara, the Muslim New Year.[http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/NeharYarden/]

@@ 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 36: / Line 36: @@
 | valign="top" | [[File:Rovaniemi pajakyla 2.jpg|thumb| [[Rovaniemi]], [[Finland]]]]
 |-
+! July
 ! August
 ! September

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:35, 19 May 2013
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	* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.		* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.
		+	*<see name="Ali" alt="Karaoui " address="Merzouga " directions="Marrakech" phone="00212670137673" url="http://moroccotravel-click.com/" hours="8" price="200" lat="" long="800">Welcome to Morocco, Your adventure morocco tours start here !
		+
		+	Discover with us the majestic Atlas Mountains with its canyons, valleys and rivers, as well as the grandeur and the calm of the Sahara Desert until reach the wonderful Atlantic Coast.
		+
		+	We offer you routes in 4x4 in order to twist over all the wonderful Moroccan nature and where you could live in person the nomads’ traditions and its amazing culture.
		+	We have different kind of routes so you could adapt them depending on your needs.
		+	We are looking forward to meet you very soon!
		+	</see>
		+

	==Do==		==Do==

@@ Line 268: / Line 268: @@
 ==Eat==
-Eating is one of the few pleasures permitted in Saudi Arabia, and the obesity statistics show that most Saudis indulge as much as they can.  Like all other businesses in Saudi, restaurants are supposed to close during prayer hours, which they usually only dim off the lights. Jeddah is well known for its restaurants and cafes which can be found in every corner of every street. While Riyadh restricts its cafes to malls or outside the city. Smoking is banned indoors throughout the country's major cities, this law is very strict and restaurant owners will take it seriously as it risks closing their business. Smoking is allowed in the city in open areas only, which have very pleasant cold winds in winter evenings, but humid air (in Jeddah) in summer evenings. Indoor smoking is only allowed outside major cities.
+Like all other businesses in Saudi, restaurants are supposed to close during prayer hours, which they usually only dim off the lights. Jeddah is well-known for its restaurants and cafes which can be found in every corner of every street. While Riyadh restricts its cafes to malls or outside the city. Smoking is banned indoors throughout the country's major cities, this law is very strict and restaurant owners will take it seriously as it risks closing their business. Smoking is allowed in the city in open areas only, which have very pleasant cold winds in winter evenings, but humid air (in Jeddah) in summer evenings. Indoor smoking is only allowed outside major cities.
 ===Fast food===
@@ Line 288: / Line 288: @@
 The Middle Eastern staple of ''shwarma'' (doner kebab) is widely available in dedicated little joints, with SR 3-4 being the standard price for a sandwich.  The Egyptian mashed fava bean stew ''foul'' is another cheap staple, and these shops usually also offer ''felafel'' (chickpea balls) and a range of salads and dips like ''hummus'' (chickpea paste) and ''tabbouleh'' (parsley salad).
-Finding restaurants that serve actual Saudi cuisine is surprisingly difficult, although many larger hotels have Arabic restaurants.  Your local Saudi or expatriate host may be able to show you some places or, if you're really lucky, an invitation to dinner at home.
+Finding restaurants that serve actual Saudi cuisine is surprisingly difficult, although many larger hotels have Arabic restaurants. Your local Saudi or expatriate host may be able to show you some places or if you're really lucky, an invitation to dinner at home.
 * '''Mandi''' &mdash; Chicken or mutton cooked with rice in a pot suspended above a fire.

@@ Line 273: / Line 273: @@
 ===By ship===
-It is still possible, but expensive, to do the classic transatlantic voyage between the United Kingdom and the United States. The easiest option is by the historic, and only remaining Ocean Liner operator, [http://www.cunard.com/ Cunard Line], but expect to pay US$1000-2000 for the cheapest tickets on the 6 day voyage between Southampton and New York done around 10 times per year in each direction. If your pockets are not deep enough for this price range, your only other options of crossing the North Atlantic are pretty much limited to [[Freighter travel]].
+It is still possible, but expensive, to do the classic transatlantic voyage between the United Kingdom and the United States. The easiest option is by the historic, and only remaining Ocean Liner operator, [http://www.cunard.com/ Cunard Line], but expect to pay US$1,000-2,000 for the cheapest tickets on the 6 day voyage between Southampton and New York done around 10 times per year in each direction. If your pockets are not deep enough for this price range, your only other options of crossing the North Atlantic are pretty much limited to [[Freighter travel]].
-Most major cruise ships that ply the waters of Europe during summer (June - September) also do cruises in [[Latin America]] and [[Southeast Asia]] for the rest of the year. That means those ships have a transatlantic journey twice per year, at low prices when you consider the length of the trip (at least a week). These are often called ''positioning cruises''. [http://www.cruisenetwork.com/msc-transatlantic-cruise.jsp MSC has several ships from the [[Caribbean]] to Europe at April and May].
+Most major cruise ships that ply the waters of Europe during summer (June - September) also do cruises in [[Latin America]] and [[Southeast Asia]] for the rest of the year. That means those ships have a transatlantic journey twice per year, at low prices when you consider the length of the trip (at least a week). These are often called ''positioning cruises''. [http://www.cruisenetwork.com/msc-transatlantic-cruise.jsp MSC] has several ships from the [[Caribbean]] to Europe in April and May.
 There are several lines crossing the Mediterranean, the main ports of call in North Africa is [[Tangier]] in [[Morocco]] and [[Tunis]] in [[Tunisia]] (See [[Ferries in  the Mediterranean]] for more details), but there is also a little known option of going via [[Cyprus]] where you can use [http://www.louiscruises.com Louis Cruises] crossings to [[Port Said]] in [[Egypt]] and [[Haifa]] in [[Israel]] as a regular ferry service. Keep in mind though, that you can only do this on routes out of Cyprus, and it requires special arrangements - [http://www.varianostravel.com/Cruises/ferry_service.htm Varianos Travel] in [[Nicosia]] seem to be the only tour agency offering this option.

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 ==Regions==
-Europe consists of a diverse set of countries that each have their own identity, language and culture. Below is a rough grouping of these countries into regions:
+Europe consists of a diverse set of countries that each have their own identity and culture.
 {{Regionlist
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 |region12description=Spectacular scenery of mountains, lakes, glaciers, geysers, waterfalls and volcanoes. Finland is culturally distinct as it has a language unlike the Scandinavian languages.
 }}
 Politically, some countries are a member of the [[European Union]], a supranational and intergovernmental union that aims to integrate the states of Europe in a common political framework.

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 {{printDistricts}}
 '''Barcelona''' is [[Spain]]'s second largest city, with a population of nearly one and half million people (nearly five million in the metropolitan area) and the capital and largest city of [[Catalonia]].
 This city, located directly on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a rich history dating back at least 2,000 years when it gained prominence as a Roman town under its old name, ''Barcino''.
-In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games which brought a massive upturn in its tourism industry. This had the effect of changing the city in ways that are still felt today with neighbourhoods renovated (and in some cases levelled) and the intense focus of modern design permeating all aspects of life in Barcelona from public buildings to something as simple as a park bench or an event poster.
+In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games which brought a massive upturn in its tourism industry.
 __TOC__
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 *'''Departure gates:''' For T2, poorly conditioned at ground level (at least gate #57, sector 2A, after 23:00). T1 is hyper-modern and comfortable.
-*'''Wi-Fi''': Available throughout the airport, operated by KubiWireless [http://www.kubiwireless.com/]: 15&nbsp;min for free if you click in the blue option. Or €7.5 for 45&nbsp;min, €9 for 1&nbsp;hr, €15 for 24&nbsp;hr. You must provide a valid cell phone number, to receive the password via Text Message.
+*'''Wi-Fi''': Available throughout the airport, operated by [http://www.kubiwireless.com/ KubiWireless]. 15&nbsp;min for free if you click in the blue option. or €7.50 for 45&nbsp;min, €9 for 1&nbsp;hr, €15 for 24&nbsp;hr. You must provide a valid cell phone number, to receive the password via text message.
 =====Terminals=====
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 * The '''Barcelona ComboPass®''' [http://www.conciergerie.com/barcelona/pass/barcelona-combo-pass.php] is a combo pass deal available for periods from 2 to 5 days and includes the benefits of the Barcelona Card described above, Hop on/off Bus Turistic and Montjuic cable car.
 ===By bike===
-*[[http://www.bajabikes.eu/en/highlights-in-barcelona-bike-tour Baja Bikes]]. Guided bike tours in English, Dutch, German and English. A 3&nbsp;hr bike tour which includes all the highlights of Barcelona!
+*[http://www.bajabikes.eu/en/highlights-in-barcelona-bike-tour Baja Bikes]. Guided bike tours in English, Dutch, German and English. A 3&nbsp;hr bike tour which includes all the highlights of Barcelona!
 *[http://www.barcelonetabikes.com  Barceloneta Bikes]. One of the cheapest places to rent a bike in the city. Very close to the harbour and the beaches, this company has different kinds of bikes you can choose to rent, but it doesn't organize tours.
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 *[http://www.terradiversions.com Terra Diversions]. Bicycle hire in Barcelona city center: You can rent a bike or do a tour. Big selection of city bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, road bikes and children bikes in different sizes.
 === By car ===