Wikitravel - Changes related to "Sochi" [en]

Vilnius

2013-05-23T09:06:42Z

Show changes

Dushanbe

2013-05-22T05:44:16Z

‎Embassies:

Japan

2013-05-22T01:27:25Z

‎Buy:

Turkey

2013-05-22T00:27:22Z

at least Constantinople deserves a mention

Greece

2013-05-21T23:20:32Z

No need to Latinize original Greek names.

Turkey

2013-05-21T23:10:00Z

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

Lithuania

2013-05-21T21:14:05Z

‎Respect:

Lithuania

2013-05-21T18:55:40Z

‎Natural danger:

Japan

2013-05-21T17:20:38Z

‎Buy

Lithuania

2013-05-21T16:26:21Z

‎Natural danger:

Lithuania

2013-05-21T15:58:19Z

‎Natural danger:

Show changes

Armenia

2013-05-20T20:27:57Z

‎By taxi or car:

Saint Petersburg

2013-05-20T17:08:58Z

Reverted edits by IBAlex (Talk) to last version by 217.66.152.216

Georgia (country)

2013-05-20T14:49:06Z

‎By plane:

Krasnoyarsk

2013-05-20T14:03:02Z

‎Drink:

Russia

2013-05-20T12:52:42Z

Undo revision 2038749 by 24.15.67.92 (talk)

Odessa

2013-05-20T12:52:14Z

‎By bus:

Krasnoyarsk

2013-05-20T04:43:13Z

‎Splurge:

Russia

2013-05-19T23:26:51Z

Japan

2013-05-19T22:58:16Z

‎Other things:

Greece

2013-05-19T19:56:40Z

‎Cities: Salonica is still well known in English

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

Perm

2013-05-19T12:49:25Z

updated listing Texture

Krasnoyarsk

2013-05-19T09:31:11Z

Removed personal text and a touty listing

Tashkent

2013-05-19T07:34:42Z

‎Domestic:

Krasnoyarsk

2013-05-19T03:55:02Z

‎Get around:

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

Europe

2013-05-18T18:20:01Z

‎Music:

Greece

2013-05-18T18:15:06Z

‎Water:

Europe

2013-05-18T16:55:37Z

Vienna

2013-05-18T15:59:10Z

‎From Hungary:

Saint Petersburg

2013-05-18T14:32:12Z

‎By taxi:

Japan

2013-05-18T07:11:23Z

‎Further reading:

Novosibirsk

2013-05-18T05:07:37Z

‎Where to Eat:

Lithuania

2013-05-17T20:39:50Z

Safety and Health + "good external links"

Show changes

@@ Line 108: / Line 108: @@
 ===Embassies===
-* <listing name="Embassy of Uzbekistan" alt="" directions="Note that the embassy is no longer behind Hotel Avesto but in a new location: Take the small street off to the west from Rudaki just north of the medical center and one block south of the Chinese embassy and walk until the bend." address="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9:00-12:00" price="65 USD">Visas to Uzbekistan can be obtained here. You need to bring a passport size photo, a copy of your passport (and maybe a copy of your Tajik visa) in addition to your passport. Some nationalities (including Finnish), need to bring an invitation. The visa is issued on the same day you submitted your application so that the processing takes, depending on how busy it is at the embassy, about an hour. The staff is neither friendly nor helpful. Limited English, but one staff speaks basic German.</listing>
+* <listing name="Embassy of Uzbekistan" alt="" directions="Note that the embassy is no longer behind Hotel Avesto but in a new location: take Sanoi Street to the west from Rudaki just south of the Medical Institute. Sanoi Street is between the MedInstitute and the Tajik Matlubot, one block south of the Chinese embassy. Walk until the bend where you see soldiers guarding the building." address="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9:00-12:00" price="65 USD">Visas to Uzbekistan can be obtained here. You need to bring a passport size photo, a copy of your passport (and maybe a copy of your Tajik visa) in addition to your passport. Some nationalities (including Finnish), need to bring an invitation. The visa is issued on the same day you submitted your application so that the processing takes, depending on how busy it is at the embassy, about an hour. The staff is neither friendly nor helpful. Limited English, but one staff speaks basic German.</listing>
 * [[Image:us-flag.png|20px]] <listing name="United States" phone="[992] (37) 229 20 00" fax="[992] (37) 229 20 50, 236 04 30" email="usembassydushanbe@state.gov" url="http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/"></listing>
 * [[Image:uk-flag.png|20px]] <listing name="United Kingdom" address="65 Mirzo Tursunzade Street

@@ 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 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 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==

@@ Line 569: / Line 569: @@
 Lithuanians are a Baltic nation; however, it's common for tourists to think that they are somehow connected with Russians.
-Lithuanians form their own distinct ethnic group and speak their own language (Lithuanian), which is one of the oldest Indo-European languages, belonging to the Baltic ('''not''' the Slavic) branch of Indo-European languages (although Lithuanian and Latvian have some common similarities with Finnish or Estonian languages).
+Lithuanians form their own distinct ethnic group and speak their own language (Lithuanian), which is one of the most archaic Indo-European languages, belonging to the Baltic ('''not''' the Slavic) branch of Indo-European languages (although Lithuanian and Latvian have some common similarities with Finnish or Estonian languages).
 It is a notoriously difficult language to master, but learning how to greet locals in their own language can go a long way. They will appreciate your efforts in Lithuanian.

@@ Line 520: / Line 520: @@
 * If bitten by a dog or a wild animal, seek medical attention immediately; ''emergency phone number:'' '''112'''.
 *In some parts of the country, particularly in pastures, forest outskirts and meadows with a high grass, there is a low risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccination is advised at least 2 weeks before you plan out-door activities in a wild nature. Risky areas (mostly agricultural areas of pastures with some woodland) are annually updated on the [http://www.erke.lt/s/show/6/Erkinio-encefalito-paplitimo-žemėlapiai map of the prevalence of encephalitis-infected ticks]. The risk of Lyme disease is similarly low, vaccination is not available. Prevention: avoid high grass areas and wear long trousers and appropriate shoes.
-* The main wild animals that transmit rabies are raccoon dog and red fox. All occurrences of this horrible disease are '''FATAL''', but a prior course of vaccination and proper emergency prophylactic treatment may buy you 12 hours before proper its onset. Plan your activities in the forest accordingly.
+* The main wild animals that transmit rabies are raccoon dog and red fox. All occurrences of this horrible disease are '''FATAL''', but a prior course of vaccination and proper emergency prophylactic treatment may buy you 12 hours before proper its onset. Plan your activities in the forest accordingly. Oral vaccination of wildlife is regularly carried out since 2006 up to date. According to [http://vmvt.lt/ State Food and Veterinary Service] the number of infected animals has significantly decreased; all infected animals occur in the eastern districts of the country, supposedly from Belarus. State Food and Veterinary Service regularly informs that if rabies vaccine bait is found, leave it alone and do not touch it.
 * There is a one species of poisonous snake, the European adder, which has a distinct dark zig-zag on its pale back. Poisonous insects are bees, wasps and bumblebees. The only poisonous plant is Sosnowsky's Hogweed, an invasive plant which appeared in Lithuania in c.&nbsp;1950. Since 1990 it has quickly spread all over the country and in 2001 it was included in the list of malicious animals and plants. The plant is 3–5&nbsp;m in height, the leaves are 50–60&nbsp;cm long and its all parts are extremely toxic; skin contact causes severe chemical burns (up to 3rd degree) and skin necrosis.

@@ 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 518: / Line 518: @@
 ===Natural danger===
-* If bitten by a dog or a wild animal, seek medical attention immediately, emergency phone number '''112'''.
+* If bitten by a dog or a wild animal, seek medical attention immediately; ''emergency phone number:'' '''112'''.
-*In some parts of the country, particulary in pastures, forest outskirts and meadows with a high grass, there is a low risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccination is advised at least 2 weeks before you plan out-door activities in a wild nature. Risky areas (mostly agricultural areas of pastures with some woodland) are annually updated on the [http://www.erke.lt/s/show/6/Erkinio-encefalito-paplitimo-žemėlapiai  map of prevalence of encephalitis-infected ticks]. The risk of Lyme disease is similarly low, vaccination is not available. Prevention: avoid high grass areas and wear long trousers and appropriate shoes.
+*In some parts of the country, particularly in pastures, forest outskirts and meadows with a high grass, there is a low risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccination is advised at least 2 weeks before you plan out-door activities in a wild nature. Risky areas (mostly agricultural areas of pastures with some woodland) are annually updated on the [http://www.erke.lt/s/show/6/Erkinio-encefalito-paplitimo-žemėlapiai map of the prevalence of encephalitis-infected ticks]. The risk of Lyme disease is similarly low, vaccination is not available. Prevention: avoid high grass areas and wear long trousers and appropriate shoes.
-* The main wild animals that transmit rabies are raccoon dog and red fox. Serious cases of this disease are very rare, but you should be aware if you plan your activities in the forest.
+* The main wild animals that transmit rabies are raccoon dog and red fox. All occurrences of this horrible disease are '''FATAL''', but a prior course of vaccination and proper emergency prophylactic treatment may buy you 12 hours before proper its onset. Plan your activities in the forest accordingly.
-* There is a one species of poisonous snake, the European adder, which has a distinct dark zig-zag on its pale back. Poisonous insects are bees, wasps and bumblebees. The only poisonous plant is Sosnowsky's Hogweed, invasive plant which appeared in Lithuania in c.&nbsp;1950. Since 1990 it quickly spread all over the country, in 2001 it was included in the list of malicious animals and plants. The plant is 3–5&nbsp;m in height, the leaves are 50–60&nbsp;cm long, its all parts are extremely toxic, skin contact causes severe chemical burns (up to 3rd degree) and skin necrosis.
+* There is a one species of poisonous snake, the European adder, which has a distinct dark zig-zag on its pale back. Poisonous insects are bees, wasps and bumblebees. The only poisonous plant is Sosnowsky's Hogweed, an invasive plant which appeared in Lithuania in c.&nbsp;1950. Since 1990 it has quickly spread all over the country and in 2001 it was included in the list of malicious animals and plants. The plant is 3–5&nbsp;m in height, the leaves are 50–60&nbsp;cm long and its all parts are extremely toxic; skin contact causes severe chemical burns (up to 3rd degree) and skin necrosis.
 ==Stay healthy==

@@ Line 151: / Line 151: @@
 For the average western tourist, you can hire a taxi to go most anywhere in the country on very short notice. If you have decided to travel heavy by bringing big bags, then going by taxi will be the best option. Prices are about 100 drams (33 US cents) per km. Most taxis do not have meters though, so you should negotiate a price before you leave. Anyway, taxi is a good option in longer trips, especially if you don't like waiting a minibus for hours.
-You can rent cars, but if you are used to driving in the West and have not driven outside of America, Western or Central Europe, you should hire a driver when you rent your car. Driving in Armenia for the average tourist can be a different undertaking. But if you decide to rent a car, there are a growing number of car rental companies, including SIXT (office at Zvartnots airport), Europacar, Hertz and others throughout the central Yerevan.
+You can rent cars, but if you are used to driving in the West and have not driven outside of America, Western or Central Europe, you should hire a driver when you rent your car. Driving in Armenia for the average tourist can be a different undertaking. But if you decide to rent a car, there are a growing number of car rental companies, including SIXT (office at Zvartnots airport), Europacar, Hertz, Naniko rent a car and others throughout the central Yerevan.
 Most main roads around Yerevan are in decent to fair shape with some being in unusually good condition. When you travel north (Dilidjan) or south (Jermuk), roads are less maintained and rather bumpy and you can feel it especially when using public transport! (Minibuses are often in bad condition too) Pot holes are very much a part of the experience and can test your driving skills. Be careful and consider getting an all wheel drive or sport utility vehicle when renting if available.

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@@ Line 160: / Line 160: @@
 ===By plane===
-There are flights to Tbilisi from a number of European, North American and Asian cities, including London (bmi [http://www.flybmi.com]), Paris (Georgian Airways [http://www.airzena.com/]), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Warsaw (LOT Airlines), Kiev (Georgian Airways),  Munich (Lufthansa), Athens (Georgian Airways), Riga (airBaltic, [http://www.airbaltic.com]), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Prague (Czech Airlines). Just recently, KLM cancelled their flights to Tbilisi but you can fly with Georgian Airways from/to [[Amsterdam]]. Belavia (Belarusian National Airlines [http://www.belavia.by]) is now offering daily direct flights from Minsk to Tbilisi at great rates, and there are plenty of connecting flights from European cities to Minsk, e.g. from Amsterdam (transit visa is not required if you fly to Georgia).
+There are flights to Tbilisi from a number of European, North American and Asian cities, including London British Airways (http://www.ba.com/, Paris (Georgian Airways [http://www.airzena.com/]), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Warsaw (LOT Airlines), Kiev (Georgian Airways),  Munich (Lufthansa), Athens (Georgian Airways), Riga (airBaltic, [http://www.airbaltic.com]), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Prague (Czech Airlines). Just recently, KLM cancelled their flights to Tbilisi but you can fly with Georgian Airways from/to [[Amsterdam]]. Belavia (Belarusian National Airlines [http://www.belavia.by]) is now offering daily direct flights from Minsk to Tbilisi at great rates, and there are plenty of connecting flights from European cities to Minsk, e.g. from Amsterdam (transit visa is not required if you fly to Georgia).
 Please note that Georgian Airways (AirZena) [http://www.airzena.com/] has many flights from many different cities. See also airBaltic for cheap flights to many European destinations.

@@ Line 139: / Line 139: @@
 * '''Cafe Krem''' pr Mira 10, open 24h, English Menu, good for having breakfast.
 *'''Trattoria Formaggi''',  on the ground floor Октябрьская Hotel, 15 Mira Prospekt. This is an *excellent* Italian restaurant, with English speaking waiters, excellent food and service. Menus with mouth-watering pictures. Try the Mediterranean Olives as starter!
 ==Drink==
@@ Line 145: / Line 146: @@
 *'''Che Guevara Bar''' (Бар Че Гевара), Profsoyuzov St. (ул. Профсоюзов) 3, building 1/35, near the Krasnoyarsk railway station.
-* 'Koloradsky Papa' (Колорадский Папа) Krasnoyarsky Rabochy (пр. Красноярский рабочий, 160e
+* ''''Koloradsky Papa'''' (Колорадский Папа) Krasnoyarsky Rabochy (пр. Красноярский рабочий, 160e
-*  Harley's , Molokova 56 (Молокова)
+*  '''Harley's''' , Molokova 56 (Молокова)
-* The XXX , Karla Marksa (Карла Маркса), 95 building 1
+* '''The XXX''' , Karla Marksa (Карла Маркса), 95 building 1
-* Sterling * (Стерлинг) , Vzletnaya, 12 (Взлетная)
+* '''Sterling''' * (Стерлинг) , Vzletnaya, 12 (Взлетная)
-*Music bar LOFT*  Uritzkogo, 94 (Урицкого)
+*'''Music bar LOFT'''*  Uritzkogo, 94 (Урицкого)
 Most cinemas have night clubs as well. Actually, it quite difficult to find several adjacent blocks without at least one night club or disco.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 region3description= Home to the former imperial capital [[Saint Petersburg]] also known as ''Northern capital''. It combines some beautiful landscapes of large lakes Ladoga and Onega, medieval forts of [[Pskov Oblast]] with the lacustrine region of [[Karelia]] and provides a gate for the country to enter Scandinavian territories.|
-region4name=[[Kaliningrad Oblast]] (Formerly East Prussia, Germany) |
+region4name=[[Kaliningrad Oblast]]  |
 region4color=#cc6262  |
 region4items=often considered as a part of [[Northwestern Russia]] |
-region4description= The only exclave of Russia, the Kaliningrad oblast (aka Königsberg) was stolen from Germany after World War II, and all the inhabitants brutally raped, murder, and expelled,. |
+region4description= The only exclave of Russia, the Kaliningrad oblast allows a gate for Russia to share borders with [[Poland]] and [[Lithuania]], and is a key site for where the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held. |
 region5name=[[Southern Russia]]  |

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 Buses provide connection to [[Moldova]], either through [[Transnistria]] or directly to the right-bank part of Moldova. An average trip to [[Chişinău]] takes about 5 hours and costs around €6 one-way. Domestic buses are plenty and usually cheap.
-Tickets for coaches to travel to Ukraine, you can buy online -  [http://skybus.kiev.ua/across.html]
+Tickets for coaches to travel to Ukraine, you can buy online -  [http://skybus.kiev.ua/en/across.html]
 Autolux [http://autolux.ua/] offers comfortable bus connections from Kyiv to Odessa and back 6 times per day. You will arrive at the bus station and the ticket now costs 150 or 200 UAH one way (20 or 25 USD). You may also use this bus to get to Odessa directly from Kyiv Boryspil airport [http://skybus.kiev.ua], in that case it will cost 190 or 240 UAH. Some of the buses are extra-comfortable, hence the difference in price. You may check the schedule on their website, it's in Russian, Ukrainian and English. In any case you'll get air conditioning, comfortable seats and some hot tea or water if you'll ask. Unfortunately, they like to turn on some loud Russian movies which are impossible to turn off, so bring an mp3-player and some headphones.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:34, 19 May 2013
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	===Domestic===		===Domestic===
		+
		+	To [[Samarkand]] there is a fast train that now leaves daily at 8AM arriving [[Samarkand]] at about 10:10AM. On Saturday and Sunday there is a second train that leaves [[Tashkent]] at 7AM arriving [[Samarkand]] at 9:10AM. The return train is at 5PM and 6PM, arriving back to [[Tashkent]] around 7:10 and 8:10PM respectively.

	On Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat and Sun train no 2 leaves [[Tashkent]] at 7AM and arrives at [[Samarkand]] at 10.50AM, train no 1 leaves [[Samarkand]] at 5PM, arriving in [[Tashkent]] at 8.50PM. Train no 50 leaves [[Tashkent]] every day at 7PM, arriving at [[Samarkand]] at 11.55PM, Train no 49 leaves [[Samarkand]] daily at 7AM, arriving in [[Tashkent]] at 10.55AM next moring,.		On Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat and Sun train no 2 leaves [[Tashkent]] at 7AM and arrives at [[Samarkand]] at 10.50AM, train no 1 leaves [[Samarkand]] at 5PM, arriving in [[Tashkent]] at 8.50PM. Train no 50 leaves [[Tashkent]] every day at 7PM, arriving at [[Samarkand]] at 11.55PM, Train no 49 leaves [[Samarkand]] daily at 7AM, arriving in [[Tashkent]] at 10.55AM next moring,.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:07, 18 May 2013
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	==Eat==		==Eat==
		+	There are plenty of good cafes and restaurants around the city, where you can get quality, non expensive food and drink. Most of the best cafes in the city are chains, and you will find five or six other branches around. Most are located around Lenin Square, and will be in the big shopping centres. The most popular choice of food in Novosibirsk is Italian or Sushi, however you can find places with Russian food, and there are also a few well known fast food chains. You can generally get a good meal with wine for under 500 rubles, but look out for the Business Lunch menu, found in all cafes from 12pm -4pm. Portion sizes the same, but prices are very low. Starter, main and wine can be bought for 200-250 rubles.
		+
		+	== [[Italian]] ==
		+	'''Perchini (Перчини)''' Over looking Lenin Square. Free WiFi. During summer there is also a rooftop bar which is open from 9th May. They don't speak much English, but the menu is in Russian and English and has pictures. They serve good pizza, pasta ranging from 200-400 rubles. Business Lunch 10am-4pm - small pizza or normal sized pasta for 115 rubles.
		+
		+	'''Il Patio (IL Патио)''' Next to Lenin Square. Smoking upstairs, downstairs non smoking. Free WiFi. Service in this branch is excellent, and there are some waitresses with really good English. The menu is all in Russian but you will find the usual classic dishes. Recommended is the lasagne, and the pizza is really good quality. Business Lunch 12pm -4pm - full sized pizza or pasta for 150 rubles or a combination menu.
		+
		+	== [[Sushi]] ==
		+	'''Riba Ris (Риба Рис)''' Lenina Street next to Lenin Square. Large menu, all tables are booths - remember to push the button for service! And the waiting staff wear red beanie hats with big eyes on top. Menu is in Russian but lots of pictures. 8 pieces of sushi cost between 120-300 rubles.
		+
		+	== [[Russian]] ==
		+	'''Shashlikof (ШашлыкоFF)''' Found all over the city - Lenina Street, Krasnyy Prospekt etc. Fun cafe, music, cheap prices, always busy, so for a Friday/Saturday night always book a table. Speciality is Shashlik - barbecued meat on a stick, which you can have with a choice of potato or salad.
		+
		+	'''Buffet No 1''' Lenina Street. USSR recreation cafe serving traditional food from that time. No table service, but very cute, retro style. And prices are very cheap. Breakfast costs no more than 100 rubles.
		+
		+	== British/American ==
		+	'''People's Bar and Grill''' Very popular on Friday and Saturday evenings, so book tables if you plan to visit. A very general menu, burgers, wraps, pasta, pizza, sushi, fajitas and cocktails. Recommended is the chocolate fondant for dessert. Lively atmosphere, loud music, great service, and a good place to come for an evening.
		+
		+	== [[Fast Food]] ==
		+	'''KFC''' All of your fried chicken favourites!
		+
		+	'''Carls Junior''' The closest equivalent you will get to McDonalds. Found on Lenina Street, Aura or Sibirian Mall with a large choice of burgers. Classic Kombo meal starts at 150 rubles.
		+
		+	'''New York Pizza'''
		+
		+	== [[Cafes]] ==
		+	'''Travelers Coffee''' Good selection of tea and coffee. They have an English menu if you ask. Some light snacks - sandwiches, wraps, and cheesecakes, muffins and cookies. Free WiFi and plug sockets for your laptop. Very good service.
		+
		+	'''Coffee House''' Good coffee and tea. Cakes are nice. Food reasonable.

	==Drink==		==Drink==

@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 * '''Center''' (Центр), Mira street (''near the Technological University campus'').   Serves European food.
 * '''Bavaria'''' (Бавария), on the Square near the Opera Theater.  German cuisine.
-* '''Balkan Grill''' (Балкан Гриль) is behind Krasnoyarsk Opera theater, serves delicious authentic! cuisine of South-Eastern
+* '''Balkan Grill''' (Балкан Гриль) is behind Krasnoyarsk Opera theater, serves delicious authentic! cuisine of South-Eastern Europe.
 Europe.
 * '''New York''' right in the center next to the Hotel Krasnoyarsk. English Menu, good food, nice and beautiful people.
 * '''Cafe Krem''' pr Mira 10, open 24h, English Menu, good for having breakfast.
 ==Drink==

@@ 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 44: / Line 44: @@
 ===Festivals===
-*<do name="Flahertiana" alt="International Documentary Film Festival" address="" directions="" phone="+7 (342) 241–38–02" url="http://flahertiana.ru/eng/" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Usually tooks place on October</do>
+*<do name="Flahertiana" alt="International Documentary Film Festival" address="" directions="" phone="+7 (342) 241–38–02" url="http://flahertiana.ru/eng/" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Usually takes place in October</do>
-*<do name="Texture" alt="International Film And Theatre Festival" address="" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.texturefest.ru/eng/index.php" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Usually tooks palace in September</do>
+*<do name="Texture" alt="International Film And Theatre Festival" address="" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.texturefest.ru/eng/index.php" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Usually takes place in September</do>
 *<do name="White Nights in Perm" alt="PermFest" address="" directions="" phone="+7 (342) 206 26 08" url="http://permfest.com/" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Huge festival, which first time took place in June of 2011. A lot of theatre and music performances were shown during the month</do>
 *<do name="Zhivaya Perm" alt="Live Perm" address="" directions="" phone="+7 (342) 240-36-08" url="http://zhivayaperm.ru/" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Contemporary art festival which usually tooks place in June</do>

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 There is a good network of public buses, which are quite cheap (16 rubles in January 2013, per trip, regardless the distance). In large buses the conductor walks among the passengers and gets paid once he (or, more often, she) comes by a recently entered passenger. In a minibus (''marshrutka'', маршрутка, means the ''route bus'') the conductor sits near the driver and gets paid before passengers exit (because of this the hind door is rarely opened). In a large bus the conductor can be determined by a roll of tickets in a hand, a belt purse and, if a bus is crowded, loud demands for payment. However, without a local consultant it's rather difficult to plan a way because route maps are not usually available at bus stops, though there online [http://map.yarmap.ru/krasnoyarsk map] of Krasnoyarsk in Russian :( !! .
-[Added 18 May 2013 in Krasnoyarsk...]:  Google Maps on iPhone or iPad will get you a good map of Krasnoyarsk.  There's also a good App for iPhone with all the hotels, banks, shops etc, on an app called 2GIS.  (It's in Russian, but we found we could navigate it ok..)  You can buy a Russia-wide SIM card for your smartphone or iPad for just 300-510 Roubles from those MTC shops, valid for one whole month.  Works great!
+[Added 18 May 2013 in Krasnoyarsk...]:  Google Maps on iPhone or iPad will get you a good map of Krasnoyarsk.  There's also a good App for iPhone with all the hotels, banks, shops etc, on an app called 2GIS. You can buy a Russia-wide SIM card for your smartphone or iPad for just 300-510 Roubles from those MTC shops, valid for one whole month.  Works great!
 The taxi companies are numerous and phone booking is very easy but the chance of that your English will be understood is very small. It is a very common case in Russia that a driver who wants to earn some money stops near your holdout hand. The licensed cars always have a yellow lamp on the roof with the chessboard -like ornament and advertisements with phone numbers on the sides. Half-a-city drive should not be less than 300 rubles (11 USD), if you suspect too dirty cheating, you may demonstrate your intent to complain to the driver's boss. A ride to and from the airport ranges from 900 to 1200 rubles (30-40 USD). Beware of taxi drivers that offer rides at the exit from the baggage area upon arrival, you might be robbed or ripped off.
@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 *'''The Night of Ad Eaters''' is held every year in June in the Opera and Ballet Theater (Perensona Str. 2). The collection of advertisement trailers by Jean Marie Boursicot is presented to the local elite. The tickets are usually quite expensive (100+ USD), but the event is worth of it.
 ==Learn==

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:55, 19 May 2013
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	There is a good network of public buses, which are quite cheap (16 rubles in January 2013, per trip, regardless the distance). In large buses the conductor walks among the passengers and gets paid once he (or, more often, she) comes by a recently entered passenger. In a minibus (''marshrutka'', маршрутка, means the ''route bus'') the conductor sits near the driver and gets paid before passengers exit (because of this the hind door is rarely opened). In a large bus the conductor can be determined by a roll of tickets in a hand, a belt purse and, if a bus is crowded, loud demands for payment. However, without a local consultant it's rather difficult to plan a way because route maps are not usually available at bus stops, though there online [http://map.yarmap.ru/krasnoyarsk map] of Krasnoyarsk in Russian :( !! .		There is a good network of public buses, which are quite cheap (16 rubles in January 2013, per trip, regardless the distance). In large buses the conductor walks among the passengers and gets paid once he (or, more often, she) comes by a recently entered passenger. In a minibus (''marshrutka'', маршрутка, means the ''route bus'') the conductor sits near the driver and gets paid before passengers exit (because of this the hind door is rarely opened). In a large bus the conductor can be determined by a roll of tickets in a hand, a belt purse and, if a bus is crowded, loud demands for payment. However, without a local consultant it's rather difficult to plan a way because route maps are not usually available at bus stops, though there online [http://map.yarmap.ru/krasnoyarsk map] of Krasnoyarsk in Russian :( !! .
		+
		+	[Added 18 May 2013 in Krasnoyarsk...]: Google Maps on iPhone or iPad will get you a good map of Krasnoyarsk. There's also a good App for iPhone with all the hotels, banks, shops etc, on an app called 2GIS. (It's in Russian, but we found we could navigate it ok..) You can buy a Russia-wide SIM card for your smartphone or iPad for just 300-510 Roubles from those MTC shops, valid for one whole month. Works great!

	The taxi companies are numerous and phone booking is very easy but the chance of that your English will be understood is very small. It is a very common case in Russia that a driver who wants to earn some money stops near your holdout hand. The licensed cars always have a yellow lamp on the roof with the chessboard -like ornament and advertisements with phone numbers on the sides. Half-a-city drive should not be less than 300 rubles (11 USD), if you suspect too dirty cheating, you may demonstrate your intent to complain to the driver's boss. A ride to and from the airport ranges from 900 to 1200 rubles (30-40 USD). Beware of taxi drivers that offer rides at the exit from the baggage area upon arrival, you might be robbed or ripped off.		The taxi companies are numerous and phone booking is very easy but the chance of that your English will be understood is very small. It is a very common case in Russia that a driver who wants to earn some money stops near your holdout hand. The licensed cars always have a yellow lamp on the roof with the chessboard -like ornament and advertisements with phone numbers on the sides. Half-a-city drive should not be less than 300 rubles (11 USD), if you suspect too dirty cheating, you may demonstrate your intent to complain to the driver's boss. A ride to and from the airport ranges from 900 to 1200 rubles (30-40 USD). Beware of taxi drivers that offer rides at the exit from the baggage area upon arrival, you might be robbed or ripped off.

@@ 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.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 ==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
@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 |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.

@@ Line 448: / Line 448: @@
 === Music ===
-Despite an ever growing competition from the United States and nations with new found wealth, Europe is still the spiritual home of classical music and Opera, and the various European capitals are home to some amazing 'old world' opera houses, where the hundreds of years of history, often enhances the experience into something otherworldly. But if opera singers give you a headache, and you would much rather head-bang, fear not, Europe has more music festivals than your liver will ever hold up to; the '''Roskilde Festival''' [http://www.roskilde-festival.dk] in [[Roskilde]], '''Sziget fesztivál''' [http://www.sziget.hu/fesztival/?language=en] in [[Budapest/Buda|Budapest]] and finally reigning champion '''Glastonbury''' [http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/] weighing in at 195.000 drunk souls, are widely considered the 3 big ones, but many other ones are not the slightest bit small. Alternatively, there is the revival '''Woodstock''' festival in Poland, [http://www.en.wosp.org.pl/] while it doesn't boast the star-studded line-up of some commercial festivals, is great for those who want to do it on the cheap (there is no ticket to buy) and attracted 700,000 music fans in 2011.
+Despite an ever growing competition from the United States and nations with new found wealth, Europe is still the spiritual home of classical music and Opera, and the various European capitals are home to some amazing 'old world' opera houses, where the hundreds of years of history, often enhances the experience into something otherworldly. But if opera singers give you a headache, and you would much rather head-bang, fear not, Europe has more music festivals than your liver will ever hold up to; the[http://www.roskilde-festival.dk Roskilde Festival] in [[Roskilde]], the  [http://www.sziget.hu/fesztival/?language=en Sziget fesztivál] in [[Budapest/Buda|Budapest]] and, finally, the reigning champion [http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/ Glastonbury] in [[England]] weighing in at 195,000 drunk souls, are widely considered the 3 big ones, but many other ones are not the slightest bit small. Alternatively, there is the revival festival in Poland, [http://www.en.wosp.org.pl/ Woodstock] while it doesn't boast the star-studded line-up of some commercial festivals, is great for those who want to do it on the cheap (there is no ticket to buy) and attracted 700,000 music fans in 2011.
 === Sports ===

@@ Line 434: / Line 434: @@
 ===Water===
-A glass of water is traditionally served with any drink you order; one glass for each drink, especially with any form of coffee. Sometimes you even get a glass of water first an then you are asked what you want to drink! Sometimes you might as well get a bottle instead of just a glass. In touristy areas you might have to ask for a glass of water if you want one. If you don't get water with a coffee you just stepped into a tourist-trap! Also, if you did not explicitly ask for a bottle instead of a glass, and they try to charge you for it you should refuse!
+A glass of water is traditionally served with any drink you order; one glass for each drink, especially with any form of coffee. Sometimes you even get a glass of water first and then get asked what you want to drink! Sometimes you might as well get a bottle instead of just a glass. In touristy areas you might have to ask for a glass of water if you want one. If you don't get water with a coffee you just stepped into a tourist-trap! Also, if you did not explicitly ask for a bottle instead of a glass, and they try to charge you for it you should refuse!
 Tap water in most places a traveler would go today is drinkable; if in doubt, ask your hotel.  But often though technically drinkable it doesn't taste very good, especially on some small islands (as it is imported in and heavily chlorinated), and many travelers, like many Greeks, prefer to stick to bottled water. By law, water prices in shops must remain within acceptable limits (50 eurocents for 1/2 litre), making it much cheaper than in Anglosphere nations.

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 __TOC__
-[[File:Tour Eiffel Wikimedia Commons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Eiffel Tower in [[Berlin]]]]
+[[File:Tour Eiffel Wikimedia Commons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Eiffel Tower in [[Paris]]]]
 [http://www.visiteurope.com '''Europe''']  encompasses an area of 10,180,000 km² (3,930,000 mi²), stretching from Asia to the Atlantic, and from Africa to the Arctic. European countries welcome more than 480 million international visitors per year, more than half of the global market, and 7 of the 10 most visited countries are European nations.

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 =====From Hungary=====
-From [[Budapest]] Keleti pu (Eastern Station) buy a discounted round-trip ticket, "kirándulójegy" (excursion or 4-day ticket) for €31. It includes the return within 4 days and is valid for all public transportation in Vienna for 2 days. So its a deal even if you don't need a return ticket to Budapest. There are limited amount of SparSchiene tickets each day for €13. All tickets are valid in all trains (including the high-speed RailJet). Trains confusingly depart Budapest East (Keleti pu), most stop at Wien Meidling and then arrive at Vienna West Station (Wien West). Direct trains run every two hours. Otherwise transfer at Győr.
+From [[Budapest]] Keleti pu (Eastern Station) buy a discounted round-trip ticket, "kirándulójegy" (excursion or 4-day ticket) for €33. It includes the return within 4 days and is valid for all public transportation in Vienna for 2 days. So its a deal even if you don't need a return ticket to Budapest. There are limited amount of SparSchiene tickets each day for €13. All tickets are valid in all trains (including the high-speed RailJet). Trains confusingly depart Budapest East (Keleti pu), most stop at Wien Meidling and then arrive at Vienna West Station (Wien West). Direct trains run every two hours. Otherwise transfer at Győr.
 To Hungary the ÖBB offers tickets from €19 to Budapest as well as the EURegio ticket (Vienna to Hungary and return with 4 days); [[Mosonmagyaróvár]] €12, Győr €19, [[Tatabánya]] €25, [[Fertöszentmiklós]] €19, and [[Szombathely]] € 22 (children half-price, weekly and monthy tickets available).

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 Since July, 1 (2012) night buses have been introduced. They have the same routes as metro has, but the problem of the bridges is not resolved.
-===By route taxi===
+===By taxi===
 Route taxi (''маршрутка - marshrutka'') is sometimes the fastest way to get somewhere. Taxis are 14-20 seat vans, usually white or yellow, always with a  letter K and route number plate (K-28). Often they are small Chinese or Turkish buses. There are no regular stops; you must tell the driver when you want to get out, or wave while on the roadside to stop one. You must pay to the driver at entry, usually from 20 to 35 rubles. If you cannot reach the driver on your own, pass the money through the other passengers and be ready to pass other's money if you sit close to the driver. The ''Marshrutka'' experience may seem exciting sometimes, especially when you see some brave driver counting change while steering with his knees at 70 MPH (110 km/h). Many ''marshrutka'' drivers are illegal immigrants and speak Russian poorly (if any at all).
 Another interesting means of transportation is special taxi for tourists and visitors. The service runs 24/7 and offers English language support, low fares and online booking before landing (Pulkovo 1, 2). The service is new and operates through community friendly social networks like couchsurfing and facebook. For further information check [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=63369 Couchsurfing] or [http://www.facebook.com/spbtrans Facebook].
 ===By local train===

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 * Culture Shock: Japan (ISBN 1558688528). A part of the 'Culture Shock' series, this is an excellent overview of the culture and lifestyle of the Japanese. A good resource for a long or work-related stay in [[Japan]] or even for interaction with Japanese people.
-* All-You-Can Japan (ISBN 1453666354), by Josh Shulman is a unique travel guide to Japan that offers a wise and economical travel strategy rather than references to various points of interest. The author was born and raised in Japan, and writes this short guide in a casual, easy-to-read language.Yarrak var
+* All-You-Can Japan (ISBN 1453666354), by Josh Shulman is a unique travel guide to Japan that offers a wise and economical travel strategy rather than references to various points of interest. The author was born and raised in Japan, and writes this short guide in a casual, easy-to-read language.
 ==Regions==