Traveling to Macedonia? Few interesting Facts... |
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| DJ_SHEMA | developed by two Macedonian brothers, St Cyril (thus - Cyrillic) and St Methodius. The alphabet is used in almost all Eastern Europe including Russia. • Accommodations at charming smaller hotels are exceedingly reasonable, the staff will speak some degree of English and often German… and you will be treated well. • You can dine reasonably and exceedingly well on a small budget here! Macedonian "pizza" is terrific and comes in more varieties than one could imagine – all of which are superb! • There are between two and three thousand documented archeological sites in Macedonia – nearly all are in need of professional attention, exploration and verification. What an adventure this would be, to be part of this effort! • Lake Matka is only 45 minutes or so outside of Skopje – it's the favorite escape of the City's residents during the heat of summer, and is delightful with high cliffs surrounding it… • A hike up Mount Vodno is exhilarating and rich in culture and history… There are small churches on the way up, and many other sights, besides the natural beauty…and there is St. Panteljmon Monastery: a jewel among jewels! • Kale Fortress is undergoing reconstruction and is an excellent visit… • The Old Bazaar area is the nearest you'll get to Istanbul this side of the Bosporus… spend more than one day there, please! • Lake Ohrid is said to be more beautiful than Lake Tahoe in the U.S. – find out for yourself! • The Macedonian language is primarily phonetic: if you can read the Cyrillic alphabet, you can say the word (as long as you know which syllable to stress!) • Macedonian handmade ice cream is – beyond description for DELICIOUS! • This is a "caf#233; society": innumerable coffees are consumed, every topic on earth is discussed, and they are "the place" to meet and socialize at all hours of the day and evening! • History and culture are so rich here, you could "overdose" on it! • Every area of the Republic offers new delights – don't hesitate to visit them all! • Heraklea, founded by Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, near Bitola, is designated as a historical site under United Nations protection. • In July, Galicnik has its wedding festival – no way to describe it – COME AND SEE! • If you adore the outdoors, you will adore this country! • In May, Macedonia is nearly covered in brilliant red poppies – and you can get the freshest strawberries on earth! • The only guidebook currently available in the U.S. is "Macedonia: the Bradt Travel Guide" by Thammy Evans (2004.) • For a different experience, it is possible to stay IN monasteries in Macedonia… reasonably, too. • Yes, there is a McDonald's in Skopje (if utter American desperation strikes). Feelings are mixed about this… • Macedonia is MANAGEABLE: you can get to so many areas of the country in very short periods of time. Driving here is… maniacal, but the bus services are good, and in the capital, Skopje, taxis cost between $1 and $4 to take you anywhere (the average is around $2), and tips are appreciated as the price of fuel rises. Private drivers are available for hire, too – the cost is not too steep. • Day trips from Skopje are available to Bitola, Ohrid, Mavrova/Galicnik, Debar and its monastery, Krushevo (site of the historic Krushevo Republic), Stobi and elsewhere. The small buses are air-conditioned usually, and guides speak English – other languages can be arranged in many cases, especially French, Italian and German. • Bakeries offer phenomenal pastries and take-away slices of Macedonian items that can be a whole lunch (spinach-feta "pie" with flaky layers of thin dough, for example – which is all of about 70 cents for a full lunch or dinner portion!) • Skopje has the largest population of Roma in Macedonia – over 20,000 live in an area north of the city center. • There are thermal springs throughout various regions of Macedonia… ah! • Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle… • The father of the modern Turkish nation Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in Salonika and went to the Military Academy in Bitola. • Skopje has suffered quite a few devastating earthquakes throughout history, the biggest ones in 518 and in 1963, leveling most of the city. • Tsar Samoil fought the Byzantines for control of Macedonia in the 10th Century • More than one legend links the origin of the name Macedonia to Noah's grandchildren. • Hundreds of thousands Macedonians have left the country over the last 150 years. • Some peaks in Macedonia are visited only by chamois, wolves, and eagles. • Southeastern Europe's East-West and North-South highways cross in Macedonia. At MCIC: Find out about the Culture and Art of Macedonia Visit amazing tourist spots like Ohrid, Matka, Prespa, etc.. Attend Opera Evenings Go to a Fiesta of the Macedonian Creative Spirit Book a hotel View the beautiful countrysides Soak your feet in thermal spas Ride a helicopter over Macedonia Buy concert and summer festival tickets Celebrate creativity with MCIC! http://www.macedonia.co.uk/ |
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| zlotty_co_380 | Travel Advice Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia overall This Advice is current for Thursday, 01 June 2006. Be alert to own security, Exercise caution , High degree of caution, Reconsider your need to travel, Do not travel Region bordering Serbia and Montenegro province of Kosovo Be alert to own security , Exercise caution , High degree of caution , Reconsider your need to travel, Do not travel Summary We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the risk of civil unrest. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks. We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the region bordering the Serbia and Montenegro province of Kosovo including adjacent areas of southern Serbia because of the high threat of inter-ethnic violence. Australia has a Consulate in Skopje headed by an Honorary Consul which provides limited consular assistance. The Australian Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro provides full consular assistance to Australians in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas: organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your polic register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it#65533;s reissued. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On this page: Summary Safety and Security Local Laws Entry and Exit Requirements Health Issues Where to Get Help Safety and Security Terrorism Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers. Civil Unrest/Political Tension We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the risk of civil unrest. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks. Despite a significant improvement in the security situation since serious inter-ethnic violence in 2001, occasional acts of inter-ethnic violence continue to occur. You should avoid demonstrations and protests as they may become violent. Region bordering Kosovo: We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the region bordering the Serbia and Montenegro province of Kosovo, including adjacent areas of southern Serbia, because of the high threat of inter-ethnic violence. The border between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo is subject to closure to all traffic at short notice. Tensions between Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia#65533;s ethnic Macedonian and ethnic Albanian communities in the region are easing. However, isolated incidents of inter-ethnic violence continue to occur. The immediate border areas beyond designated crossing points are restricted military zones. Landmines and unexploded ordnance are present in the mountainous areas bordering Kosovo. Crime Petty crime such as pick-pocketing and bag snatching occurs in large cities and at airports. Credit card fraud is widespread in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Natural Disasters The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is in an active seismic zone and is subject to earthquakes. Information on natural disasters, including earthquakes, can be obtained from the Humanitarian Early Warning Service. If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities. Money and Valuables Before you go, organise a variety of ways of accessing your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers#65533; cheques and cash. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas. The economy is cash based with euros and US dollars widely accepted. Credit cards are accepted in major hotels. Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home. While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves. As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it on-line or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible. Since 1 July 2005, Australians have been required to pay an additional fee to have their passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports. For Parents If you are planning on placing your children in schools or child care facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or child care facilities in Australia. Ideas on how to select child care providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Childwise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council. Local Laws When you are in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail. Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter. Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia. Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia. Information for Dual Nationals Males who are Australian/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia dual nationals may be subject to compulsory military service while in the country. If in doubt, check with the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia before you depart. Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals. Entry and Exit Requirements Visa conditions change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the most up to date information. You are required to declare all foreign currency on arrival in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Failure to do so may result in detention and forfeiture of undeclared funds. Foreigners in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are required to register their place of residence within 24 hours of arrival. Registration is completed as part of check-in at hotels. Foreigners staying in a private home are required to register at the nearest police station within 3 days of arrival. Failure to do so can result in fines and delays in departure. Health Issues The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza. Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about immunisations and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for staying healthy while travelling overseas. We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. Where to Get Help Australia has a Consulate in Skopje headed by an Honorary Consul. The Consulate provides limited consular assistance which does not include the issue of Australian passports. You can obtain full consular assistance from the nearest Australian Embassy which is in Serbia and Montenegro. Australian Embassy 13 Cika Ljubina 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro Telephone (381 11) 330 3400 Facsimile (381 11) 330 3409 Contact details for the Consulate are: Australian Honorary Consulate Motiva, Londonska 11 B Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Telephone (389 2) 306 1114 Facsimile (389 2) 306 1834 If you are travelling to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register on-line or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency-whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue. In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305. This Advice was issued on Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 16:57:22, EST. Za povejke informacii : http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Macedonia |
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| DJ_SHEMA | http://adventures.yahoo.com/ This month Richard Bangs Adventures sets out to explore Macedonia, to unlock a few of its treasures, and perhaps uncover some of its many mysteries. Yet few Americans can find it on a map. Some think it a prehistoric address where woolly elephants, "macedons," roamed a million years ago. Students of the Bible know it as the place where the Apostle Paul introduced Christianity to Europe. Many confuse the landlocked nation with Aegean Macedonia, the northernmost region of Greece that abuts the country, and in fact the shared name is a constant irritation between the neighboring countries. Yet for a time at least, over two millennia ago, Macedonia was the most powerful place on earth. In the fourth century B.C., the young prince Alexander set about on a campaign to conquer and unite the known world when his father, King Phillip II of Macedon, was assassinated before he could carry out the mission. With a core of some 40,000 men from the highland kingdom to the north of Greece, Alexander became the first world leader history has known. First a rebellious Greece, then Persia, then all the lands from Egypt to India fell to the sword of Alexander the Great, and no place was more feared or revered than the place from which he hailed. Macedonia Facts * Landlocked nation bordered by Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia & Montegro, and Albania * Part of former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia * Area slightly larger than Vermont * Population 2,050,554 (2006 est.) * Home of Alexander the Great * Cleopatra was descended from Macedonians * Birthplace of Cyrillic alphabet * World's first all-wireless Internet country Since then, Macedonia retreated to the footnotes of history, subsumed by one invading power after another, hidden within the borders of Yugoslavia for 47 years, and only recently revived as an independent nation in the Balkans. The old identity disputes continue — it gained admittance to the United Nations in 1993 only under the cumbersome name the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — but at last, and again, Macedonia is coming to stand on its own two feet, deep history and proud heritage. We'll explore what is perhaps the most famous unknown country on earth, from the oldest lake in Europe to just-discovered Neolithic solar observatories to Orthodox monasteries and Moslem mosques. But Macedonia isn't living in the past — it's become the one of the first entirely wireless nations on the planet, with a web of hotspots that penetrates its farthest hillside villages. So log on, tune in, and uncover with us the mysteries of Macedonia. Begin your exploration here http://adventures.yahoo.com/b/adventures/adventures7228;_ylt=Ary3LnZHXnXlcrQJiDHC0gnCW8sF |
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