單係止痛藥都成3種? 點解? 真係要咁多??
定係比小d收唔到$230!!!!!! 好貴~~~ >.<
我唔要食藥呀~~~~
2011年5月14日星期六
Travelwise: The red tape of Russian visas (BBC)
Travelwise: The red tape of Russian visas
(Richard I'Anson/LPI)
Russia is a difficult country to get into for almost every kind of passport holder. The US State Department describes the requirements for obtaining a tourist visa to Russia as “highly complex”, “restrictive” and “complicated”.
The visa agency Russian National Group is quick to point out, though, that Russia is still much easier to get into than the US. "[The] US and UK consulates have a much more complicated and long process without any guarantee that you'll get a visitor visa," said the company's president Michael Kolesnichenko.
Anil Patel, immigration consultant at Global Visas agrees. "The United States is hands down one of the most difficult countries to get into," he said. Still, he noted, "Russia is on the list, behind countries like the US and China."
"Since tourism isn't such a big thing in Russia", Patel added, "[the government] just wants to know why you want to be coming here [and] what you're going to be doing here."
This seems a reinforcing cycle, since obstacles to entry (the multi-step process could result in fees up to $450 and wait times up to one month, according to Lonely Planet) may be deterring tourists from visiting. To combat this when Russia hosts the 2018 World Cup, the government will accept ticket confirmation in lieu of visa applications, according to Kolesnichenko.
For now, though, here are the steps you will need to follow.
Step one: Obtain a letter of invitation
Before applying for a visa, you must obtain a letter of invitation written in Russian. Most hotels, hostels, tour group companies and cruise lines will provide you with such a letter, though some charge fees for the service. (We advise not paying more than 1,190 rubles). If you apply through a visa agency, such as Russian National Group or Visa to Russia, the company will take care of the invitation for you. The informational website russianvisa.org recommends using an agency that can provide you with registration (step three) in the city in which you plan on staying. The invitation should include a tourist voucher and a tourist reservation confirmation.
Step two: Submitting the visa application
If you live in a city home to a Russian consulate, you can apply in person without having to go through an agency. If not, the easiest thing to do is apply through a visa agency. Using a visa agency is definitely the safest option whether you apply in person or via mail, though. Russian National Group charges about 1,680 rubles in addition to the standard government fees. Either way, you should contact a Russian consulate in your home country to obtain the application form and to determine which documents you need to attach to that form. Usually, you will need to send in two copies of the application, the invitation in step one (including tourist voucher and reservation confirmation), your original passport (valid for at least six months longer than your intended stay) with at least two blank pages, one passport-style photo and a check including all consulate, service and expediting fees. American passport holders must pay $140 for a single-entry tourist visa, while European passport holders only have to pay 35 euro. The regular processing time is anywhere from four to 30 business days; to speed up that process, Americans can pay an extra $100 to receive their visas in three business days. To find out the fees and wait times you should expect, check with your local Russian embassy.
Step three: Registration
The purpose of registration is to notify the authorities of your accommodations during your stay. If you will be staying in Russia for longer than a week, you will need to register your visa with the government. You must do this within seven business days of landing in your destination city. (After filling out an immigration card on the plane, remember to keep your half in a safe place for your entire trip.) Registration can be done through your hotel or your visa agency. Hotels charge about 3 or 4 euro while agencies charge more like 800 rubles. If you are staying with friends or family, a Russian citizen will have to register you at the local police station or post office for about 5 euro. For a detailed account of what to expect when it comes to registering your visa, Way to Russia offers advice for various potential scenarios.
To avoid running into problems at the consulate, we recommend making two or three copies of each of your documents. In addition, allow for plenty of time between applying for your tourist visa and the date of your flight. Add at least two weeks to the expected wait time.
Since we like to see the glass as half full - (and in Russia, half full of vodka) - we think the headache of getting a visa to Russia will make the actual trip all the more enjoyable.
There are a few countries that do not require visas for travel to Russia. If you have a passport from any of the following countries, you don't have to worry about applying for a visa:
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Brazil (for stays up to 90 days during every 180-day period)
- China (for tourist groups of five to 50 people only)
- Croatia (with official invitation only)
- Cuba (for stays up to 30 days)
- Israel (for stays up to 30 days)
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Macedonia (for stays up to 90 days with official invitation only)
- Moldova
- Serbia (for stays up to 30 days for owners of new Serbian passports)
- Tajikistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela (for stays up to 90 days)
Travelwise is a BBC Travel column that goes behind the travel stories to answer common questions, satisfy uncommon curiosities and uncover some of the mystery surrounding travel. If you have a burning travel question, contact Travelwise.
「六星連珠」上演 百年一遇天文奇景
【明報專訊】每50至100年一遇的罕見天文現象「六星連珠」正在上演。由昨日（11日）起直至本月30日，於每日日出前的清晨，人們都可目睹水星、金星、木星、火星、天王星及海王星同時現身天空一隅的奇景。
持續至本月底
六星連珠現象由5月11日開始，人們可以肉眼觀察到水、金、木、火4星大約在黃道（太陽一天裏移動的軌道）上同時出現，大致在一直線軌道上變換位置和圖案。首先在5月11日清晨5時左右，4顆行星 會 在地平線上方現身，最光的金星位於中央，第二光的木星在金星左上方，而直至2014年8月前這兩顆星都不會如此接近；5月13日，水、金、木3星會組成一 個三角形；5月20日，變為火、金、水3星組成三角形；5月30日，一彎新月亦會加入群星的聚會，其後六星連珠的奇景亦將結束。雖然天王星和海王星亦會參 與此罕見現象，但由於光度較微弱，需以望遠鏡輔助才能觀察到。
澳洲 悉尼 天文台 教 育主任懷亞特（Geoffrey Wyatt）稱，雖然每數年就可觀察到2、3個行星近距離同時出現的現象，但同時看到4個行星聚集的機會特別罕有，此現象大約每50至100年才會出現一 次，而且只能在破曉時分才觀察得到。上次出現此奇景已是1910年，下回則要等到2056年。
被指末日降臨徵兆 NASA駁斥
六星連珠的天文奇景，被一些末日論者視為末日降臨前的徵兆。美國 《時 代》周刊網站指出，曾有古馬雅文明的預言，世界末日將於2012年降臨，末日論者認為六星連珠異象應在明年12月21日出現，導致地球毁滅。不過，天文學 家已表示，明年不會出現類似的行星連珠現象，美國太空總署（NASA）亦在官網發表聲明指出，「2012年地球不會發生任何壞事情」，「逾40億年來，我 們的星球一直平安無事，全球的可靠科學家沒有發現與2012年有關的威脅」。
中央社/時代/先驅太陽報
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