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Urban backpacking

Urban backpacking is a form of budget travel focusing on flexibility and low cost, usually sleeping in hostels and other budget accommodation.

For information on travelling through uninhabited areas, sleeping in tents or cabins, see wilderness backpacking.

Understand
In this context, the term "backpacker" refers to a budget traveler, gap-year traveler, or student who is spending an extended period of time overseas, possibly working or volunteering.

Backpackers take their name from the large rucksacks they typically use to carry their belongings while traveling. They generally favor an independent and grassroots style of travel, staying in hostels with dormitory-style facilities or in other types of low-budget accommodation.

Destinations
Backpackers know no borders and can be found travelling all parts of the globe. Famous destinations have long included Australia and New Zealand, Western and Central Europe, South America, India, and Southeast Asia.

Newer backpacker hotspots include Eastern Europe, China, Korea and Japan. China can be extremely difficult without a local knowledge or language skills. In Africa a popular route is from Nairobi to Cape Town (or for the more experienced: Cairo to Cape Town).

Get around
Backpacking works best in areas where public transportation is readily available, both between cities and within them (such as much of Europe). Where private automobiles dominate (as in much of North America) or transport in general is sketchy (as in much of the developing world), you'll depend more on hitchhiking to get from place to place, which can be less dependable and less safe.

Backpackers are renowned for their desire to travel large distances at the least expense possible. Popular means of travel include:
 * Rail is often convenient for both short and longer journeys. Try to plan your journey to avoid very busy trains, as trains can be full with passengers standing close together. Some trains require seat reservation, and you may need some planning to avoid a surcharge or to get a ticket before they are sold out. On a quieter train there is often plenty of room for luggage and a chance to walk around during the trip. In some countries train tickets are cheaper when bought well in advance.
 * Ferries are a normal part of voyages in some parts of the world, such as for islands in the Gulf of Thailand
 * Local buses are useful for getting the last few miles to your destination. Longer distance buses and coaches provide an alternative to rail journeys, sometimes saving money, often at the expense of comfort. In some countries long distance services require reservations and every passenger has a seat and cannot be as packed as buses and trains without mandatory reservation.
 * Backpacker tours mean you will be travelling with like-minded folks, but you are less likely to meet locals than on a bus or train.
 * Hop-on hop-off transport

Wear
You might not be able to carry more than a few days' worth of clothing, due to limited storage space, and laundry facilities where you're staying could be expensive or non-existent (or at least difficult to find).

To address the concern, many backpackers will bring a few pairs of "quick-dry" or "travel" underwear which is designed to be washed in the sink and hung up to dry overnight. If you have access to a sink every day, you could get away with packing only two pieces of underwear! Pack detergent in a small container, or buy some at your destination in single-use or travel-size packaging. Single-serve detergent sachets are very common in developing countries. In a pinch, normal bathroom soap can be used.

Other essential pieces of clothing include:

 * Trousers. There are many fairly conservative countries (or cultures within countries) where wearing shorts in public is not well looked upon, and even in places where shorts are accepted, wearing shorts is a dead giveaway that you are a tourist. Also, many traditional places of worship such as Buddhist temples or Christian cathedrals require visitors to cover their thighs. A dress gives less protection against mosquitoes and the like, but may be more comfortable in hot climates.
 * Long-sleeved shirt. Similar to above, cathedrals and temples may not allow entry if you're showing your shoulders. Also useful for preventing sunburn and mosquito bites.
 * Cargo pants. Pockets are handy. Also, you can get cargo pants that are easy to wash and dry (jeans, on the other hand, take forever to dry) and have a zipper around the leg which allows you to convert pants into shorts very quickly. For the maximum utility out of one piece of clothing this would be a good option to explore.
 * Black shoes. They're not great to hike around in, but some nightclubs have a strict dress code and you won't be able to get in without them.
 * Party shirt. Like the black shoes, have one piece of clothing for a night on the town.
 * Pyjamas or clothes that can be used as such; you will probably often use lodging with shared bedrooms (dorms) or shared bathrooms.

All that said, the most important rule when it comes to clothing is to pack smart. You're not preparing for a disaster, nor are you out to impress anyone with your wardrobe (except for the party shirt). Take as few pieces of clothing as possible, and reuse them as often as possible. You also don't need to carry everything from home: if you are travelling to a low-income country, chances are you find better clothes for a cheaper price at your destination. Just pack what you need until you know enough to do the shopping.

See also the Packing List travel topic.

Carry
Unlike the business traveller who can expect his upmarket hotel to provide full services, you need to carry:
 * a towel and soap
 * a clothes line for your laundry
 * a padlock for lockers
 * linen – in some parts of the world many hostels do not provide bed sheets or charge for providing them.

A sarong is lightweight and remarkably versatile – beach blanket, wrap, furniture cover.

Eat
Backpackers often purchase ingredients locally and cook their own meals, as this is the cheapest option. Many hostels have well-equipped kitchens for this purpose. Kitchen etiquette demands:

 * Don't dominate shared resources, such as refrigerator space, stove space, pots, etc.
 * Don't steal shared cookware.
 * Wash pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc. immediately after you use them.
 * If you have food, utensils, or anything else you don't need anymore, consider donating them.
 * Write your name (and date) on anything you put in a shared refrigerator, and don't leave it there to get moldy.

Some hostels provide food to their guests, usually a simple buffet breakfast. This may be included in the price of a bed, or it may be an additional purchase.

Backpackers also patronize street vendors and inexpensive restaurants. Some establishments give discounts to guests of nearby hostels.

Drink
Backpackers all over the world are generally renowned for their drinking of alcoholic beverages. However, this is usually limited to local beer and other cheap drinks. Don't overdo it, and respect local customs.

In some areas tap water or water in the wild are unsafe. Plan how to cope. Have refillable bottles for when you get to a good source, and be considerate if you have to use bottled water. In some regions tea is readily available, and as it has been boiled, it may be much safer than water.

Sleep
Backpackers favour cheap hostel, B&B and hotel accommodation. Other popular ways of travelling and saving on accommodation costs include all inclusive coach tours, camping and hiring a campervan.

Accommodation standards in the backpacker price range vary for each region of the world. Europe, New Zealand and Australia have some of the best types of backpacker hostels, whilst the USA is gradually embracing the backpacking culture and outside of major tourist cities, motel accommodation is more common.

Asia is relatively cheap and backpackers favour staying in hotels or local homestays.

South Africa has a high standard when it comes to backpackers. They are very popular amongst young travellers who come to South Africa. Most of the backpackers are found in Cape Town and along the garden route. They are seen as very safe and secure and a great place to meet new people.

Lodging
Youth hostels and budget hotels are the best bets for inexpensive accommodation in much of the world. Hostels are dorm style accommodations ranging anywhere from private rooms to sleeping 16+bed sleepers. You may give up some privacy with shared bathrooms and even shared rooms, but it also gives you a chance to meet fellow travelers. Backpacking has traditionally been very basic, but more "resort-like" purpose-built-residences also known as "flashpackers" have emerged.

Camping
Bringing a tent and camping out can bring a backpacking trip down from "affordable" to "cheap". One problem is that campsites tend to be on the outskirts of cities, or downright away from cities, far from sights you might want to see, and may not be served well by local public transportation. They often have all the natural charm of a parking lot and all the modern comforts of – a parking lot. OK, usually with a group bathroom and showers, laundry facilities of some kind, and maybe a place to get snacks. In many places, most of your camping neighbors will be car/caravan/camper users, but some sites will have an area set aside for tents. Ask about rates before booking a stay; they may charge you as much for your 2-person tent as for a 30-foot RV.

Stay safe
See staying safe.

See also pickpockets and common scams for information on security measures.

Stay healthy
Most backpacks and some clothing should be treated with insecticide to reduce risk of various annoyances and of infections spread by bugs.

title: Urban backpacking


text:
Urban camping in Japan

Unauthorized camping outside of a campground in Japan is not illegal, but it is a gray area activity. In some areas it is prohibited by ordinance. If you don't follow the rules, you are not welcomed by the locals. Also, you may be questioned by the police or reported to them.

Japan is usually perceived as a very expensive country to visit; however, it is actually very possible to travel in Japan on a very tight budget. Perhaps the biggest way of massively cutting down your expenses is to do urban camping. Coupled with hitchhiking, you can effectively reduce your travel costs to food and admission fees alone.

However, you are generally not allowed to camp in parks or other government-controlled areas outside of campgrounds, so you'll have to look for private land to camp on. Permission is required. It can be very time-consuming to find a place where you can camp and get permission to do so.

First and foremost, keep in mind that if given freedom of choice, the Japanese would prefer to have their parks unoccupied by itinerant sleepers and sightseers who cannot afford a decent hotel room. If you get permission from the owners to camp, that makes everyone much more tolerant of you. If you don't get a permit, don't camp unless you really must; you are indeed doing an activity that stands on the margins of society, and so you should strive to be as discreet and respectful as possible when camping, so as to give the idea that you are a respectful traveler rather than a rude foreigner trying to freeload off Japan and its people.

Prepare
If you choose to do urban camping, you will obviously need a tent, a sleeping bag and ideally a sleeping mat. You will need to carry all your stuff all day and every day, so a good expedition backpack is also essential (around 60L is a good size). Because you always carry everything, it is to your advantage to bring the lightest stuff you can find, and carry very few clothes and non-essential items, as it makes a much bigger difference than in regular backpacking.

Understand
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, and Japan already has its own of people (usually students and drunks) sleeping in, on benches, etc., called nojuku. On top of this, in major urban centers (such as Tokyo) there are many homeless people who sleep in public parks. Although it is often misunderstood, the true meaning of "nojuku (野宿)" is to sleep outdoors without a tent, and if you pitch a tent, it becomes "yaei (野営)". Even in government, nojuku seems to refer to someone not using a tent. In Japan, homeless people are also called "nojuku sha (nojuku people)". Nojuku means to sleep outdoors without having a choice, such as because you missed the last train. But it's often the case that neither you nor homeless people are allowed to camp. Think of the fact that nojuku is not banned as a relief measure for those forced into homelessness, not as a relief measure for travel.

There are campsites in the cities as well, so take advantage of them. If you want a safe and free camping experience without breaking the rules, use one of the few places with free campgrounds. The main spots you will be looking for when urban camping are public parks, but camping is allowed in few parks or other public places. The ordinary park is not designed for camping. Also, even if camping is possible, parks, mountains, vacant lots and any other land is owned, so a permit to camp is required. Use of facilities for unauthorized camping may result in fines according to the facility's terms of use. Moreover, in some areas it is illegal to camp even with the owner's permission, due to the Natural Parks Act (Shizen Kouen Hou 自然公園法) and other laws. If you must camp, be aware of the bylaws and be sure to ask for permission.

Also be aware that bonfires are not allowed outside of dedicated campsites. If you start a fire, you may be punished by law. It is possible to have a bonfire at a campsite, but many places require a bonfire stand.

There is a historical notion that rivers (in the River Act, a river is defined as a Class A river and a Class B river [including river management facilities for rivers]) are free to be used (they are the land of the entire nation and therefore cannot be excluded by any particular owner). It is mistakenly believed in Japan that it is okay to camp anywhere along or near any river because of this. In fact, everyone is allowed to use the river beach, which is a natural area, and you are responsible for any accidents that occur. No unauthorized bonfires are allowed there either. Most managed areas, such as river management facilities and parks, are either prohibited for camping or require a permit from the owner. Also, camping is not allowed in protected ecological areas, even on river beaches. Since the beginning of 2000, there has been an increase in heavy rainfall and rising rivers, so take extra care when camping on river banks.

Some general tips to remember:

 * The most important thing is not being invisible; it is not disturbing other people who might be there. That should be your main goal. You WILL be seen; people WILL take pictures of your tent while you are trying to sleep; get used to it.
 * Many times, when you wake up, you will see people: a group doing morning exercise, an old man sweeping leaves just beside your tent, a guy practicing his karate, etc. Do not ignore these people; greet them with a friendly ohayo gozaimasu! ("Good morning!"), answer their questions, etc. Japanese people are very friendly and curious, and you will surely be asked many questions about where you come from, and maybe even offered coffee!
 * Try not to pollute the park with your trash, use toilets whenever possible, etc. Urban camping is only possible because of the kindness and tolerance of people: keep this in mind, always.
 * The first thing you should always do when arriving in a town or city you are planning to stay in is to go to the main train station, which will almost always have a tourist office inside or nearby. There, you can get a free map; tourist offices are also very useful in general, people there are very helpful if you want to find an internet cafe, a laundromat, a public bath/onsen, etc.
 * A method which also works in a lot of cases (especially if you don't have a map of the area) is to find a convenience store (which should not be hard); inside, there are often atlases of the general area you are in. However, convenience stores do not always have these atlases for sale, or they are sometimes sealed (but there are so many convenience stores everywhere that you should be able to find one that has them).
 * At first urban camping will obviously be a little intimidating, especially in Tokyo, but stick with it and you will learn that it is actually quite easy and even fun once you've done it a few times! Everywhere you go, you will see potential camping spots, and you will have unlimited freedom in where you want to go.
 * A very good book you can buy in Japan is Japan Compact Atlas (コンパクト日本地図帳, 2023ed.:ISBN:978-4398200983), it's very very small (A5 size, perfect for backpacking), contains maps of all of Japan, by prefecture, and 67 major cities. It is an invaluable resource if you plan on traveling a lot (absolutely necessary if you hitchhike). You can find it in many bookstores, it's ¥1320, a bargain considering area-specific atlases are around ¥3000 and are much bigger and more cumbersome. The only drawback is that it's in Japanese, but it's still very helpful. All the main train stations (which almost always have the name of the city itself) are in hiragana, a syllabary used in Japanese that you can actually learn to read quite easily (as opposed to kanji). A larger edition (A4 size) is also available (Global Mapple日本地図帳) at \2090.

Below are some more area-specific tips.

Tokyo
You'd probably want to camp in the parks because of the high cost of lodging in Tokyo, but most of the parks in Tokyo are outlawed by ordinances (条例 jōrei) of the prefecture or respective wards administering the parks, which prohibits camping. However, that doesn't mean you can't camp in Tokyo. Of course you can camp in camping grounds.

Other cities
Most cities do not have the handy street corner maps like in Tokyo, so the first thing you should do when arriving in any city is get a map from the tourist office in the train station. Also, like in all cities, in the train stations there are maps of the immediate surroundings.

You can also do the convenience stores' atlases method, but it's usually not necessary, you will probably be fine with a paper map (from the tourist station) and the train stations' maps.

Rural areas
There are a few other ways to sleep in rural areas.

 * Even though temples close for the night, it is usually possible to sleep in the parking lot of the temples (if it is a rural temple). If you arrive at a temple and there is someone there (a monk or someone tending the grounds), you can ask them if there is anywhere you can sleep. Sometimes, they will direct you to the parking lot and they will let you use the temple's facilities. If they tell you that you cannot sleep there, be respectful and don't sleep in the parking lot.
 * Michi-no-eki (meaning "Road Station") are rest stops on the side of the road all over Japan. There are always toilets, vending machines, etc. You can almost always find rest huts there. Some michi-no-eki are open 24 hr so you can sometimes sleep inside. Sleeping in Michi-no-eki is not allowed in principle, but there are some places where it is possible so you need to check in advance.
 * If there is really nothing available, you can usually sleep in empty, out-of-the-way parking lots. If you use it without permission, you may be fined under parking rules. Always ask permission.
 * Note that fields are private property and by sleeping there you also destroy people's fields, which is not very nice. If you want to use private land, get permission from the landowner.

Sleep
Here's a list of places where you can camp for free.

''Caution. This may include places where the rules prohibit overnight stays and tent-pitching. In parks and other government-controlled areas, people are generally not allowed to camp outside of campgrounds. Please get permission from the management to camp to avoid trouble.'' A person writing may be introducing you to a place where you have broken the rules. Even if you are able to camp with permission on private property, etc., it is not a place to stay and should not be listed. It is an annoying and ungrateful act. Be sure to check that the terms and conditions of the location state that camping is available. You can also avoid problems if you allow other readers to review the terms of service.

Japanese-only site Outdoor Paradise lists more than 300 free campgrounds in Japan.

Stay healthy
Obviously, when you camp everywhere you do not have always access to showers or washing machines, as you would if sleeping in a hostel.

Washing yourself
For washing yourself, there are a few methods.

Public parks and toilets
If the weather is warm, you can wash in public parks, using available water. The disabled toilets are spacious and convenient, but they are intended for the disabled, so please do not use them if you are not disabled.

Public baths and onsen
If it's cold outside or you do not want to wash in public parks or toilets, you can go to onsen (hot springs) or sento (public baths). In practice there is no real difference between the two, so just ask for the cheapest (they are usually around ¥400).

Internet cafes
In the big internet cafes (such as Manboo Cafe or Media Cafe Popeye) there are sometimes showers available. They are usually free (if you also use the computers) but there is sometimes a fee. By the way, do not hesitate to take advantage of almost all Internet Cafes' "unlimited free drinks" policy!

Washing your clothes
You can wash your clothes by hand or find laundromats, which can be found pretty much anywhere - more than 50,000 exist in total. Some of them are open 24 hours.

Stay safe
If a situation arises where you have to sleep in the park for a reason (last train, etc.), nojuku is allowed. If you want to sleep in nojuku, do not pitch a tent. Using a tent is not nojuku and may be a violation of the ordinance. The police are the only people who are likely to wake you up. They will care most about checking your identity to determine whether you are illegally living in the country. If they see you sleeping during the night, they will most likely wait until morning to tell you to leave. In Tokyo, if you sleep in the big homeless spots, you should pack up by 06:30. After this hour it is likely that the police will come to tell you to leave, but nothing worse will happen. Everywhere else, if policemen see you they may tell you to leave. Some parks also have security guards, who will also usually wait until morning to tell you to leave if you are not out soon enough in the morning. You may also be approached by the police in the same way, even if you are camping on private property or other property with permission. If so, be respectful.

Camping provides the greatest amount of freedom. Just make sure to follow the rules without fail.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Urban camping in Japan


text:
Urbex

Urbex, or Urban Exploring, is the exploration of abandoned and non-public urban locations.

Understand
Urbex is most commonly understood as the exploration of parts of cities that no-one visits, be it abandoned buildings, steam tunnels, metro systems, or even dangerous underground locations such as sewers. Infiltration, which involves exploring used/inhabited (but not necessarily public) areas, is often lumped in with urbex, but it tends to attract a different crowd. Virtually any building can be an infiltration "destination", but the most popular are architecturally interesting commercial buildings, industrial sites and hotels.

Whilst urbex has gained a notorious reputation of being illegal (such as requiring by definition trespassing), the bulk of exploration happens in places no-one cares about (which explains both their abandonment and/or the fact that no-one bothered to lock them up or even post a no trespassing sign). Although some urban exploration does indeed occur in areas that are legally off-limits, few "practitioners" would ever recommend that you do this.

However, many individuals and organizations involved in the genuine research, documentation and recording of older (and abandoned) buildings, works and infrastructure strongly advocate against "casual" urbex, preferring that those who are interested join specialist organizations that have built up appropriate access procedures and goodwill with site owners.

Novelty, thrill seeking, boredom, and photography are the main reasons urbex expeditions occur. Urbex opens up a whole new field of sightseeing, and makes for good stories. Many explorers find the forgotten, abandoned, and otherwise undiscovered places to have a certain beauty not to be found elsewhere—hence the popularity with photographers and fans of architecture. Infiltration is popular too for thrill seeking, but is more valued for aesthetic and other pleasures that would otherwise be off-limits. Visitors to ghost towns and abandoned structures inevitably wonder what these places must have been like in their heyday.

Especially in big cities, evacuated buildings get scheduled for demolition. These might draw interest, especially by photographers, for a last chance to see them standing.

Regions
Urbex sites exist almost anywhere in the world. However, as a general rule, the interesting nature of a site will be based on a few key factors:
 * Age of local modern culture - A recently modernised country such as Australia for example is naturally going to be lacking in ancient catacombs.
 * History - A country with a turbulent past may have military ruins, a country in the former Soviet bloc may have communist factories, economic strife coupled with lax zoning regulations may give rise to abandoned hotels. Urbex is as much about delving into the past as it is exploring the present.
 * Natural biomes - The nature of the local plant life. A region hospitable towards vines, creepers and weeds may make for a more atmospheric explore than a desert... but not always.

Australia

 * Strict urban planning (urban zoning) regulations and exponential urban sprawl throughout the country's entire modern history has left Australian abandonments somewhat scarce, but not completely absent. Do not expect to stumble upon any long-lost historic sites however, as some states have a reputation for perhaps overuse of historical preservation laws: quite willing to even list an entire building as state or national protected (and thus maintained) on account of a single chimney.
 * Draining, the somewhat dangerous exploration of public works is rather popular on the east coast.
 * While the number of relics of the Sydney Monorail, a monorail than ran within Sydney CBD before its demolition in 2013 is few, One Dixon Street Shopping Centre in Chinatown is a rare case where much of the old monorail has been untouched. It mostly lies abandoned today, with the few that dare to creep getting an insight of what Sydney looked like in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Europe
The Cold War from 1945 to 1991 left behind military installations, bomb shelters and a partly fortified border called the Iron Curtain.

Armenia

 * Orkov Telescope — abandoned Soviet-era radio telescope.

Germany

 * Prora — at the Baltic Sea coast lies Hitler's beach resort for 20,000 guests which was completed but never put to use.

Hungary

 * Kelenföld Power Plant — one of the most popular urbex destinations. An amazing power plant erected at the beginning of the 20th century has a control room with art deco roof. Very popular with urban explorers.
 * Red Star Train Graveyard — located on the Hungarian railway area train graveyard is a popular goal for the train lovers. You can find here locomotives from the communist era. The most spectacular object of this place is a Red Star Train with The Magyar Államvasutak (MÁV) Steam Locomotive. The landmark is equipped with MÁV-424. Red Star Train is called “The Buffalo” and it has two chimneys and a 2′D axle layout (4-8-0 in Whyte notation).

Romania

 * Exploring abandoned communist-era factories in Iaşi

Japan

 * Referred to locally as haikyo (廃墟), one can explore mostly abandoned 80s-90s bubble-era service industry facilities (mostly hotels), plus the odd wartime relic (coastal military tunnels). Due to the high levels of respect in Japanese culture plus a cultural regard for beauty in decay, the community is a bit more open in Japan (there are some crossovers with cosplaying), but do not abuse this privilege. Books about urbex are popular enough to have a dedicated shelf in the larger Shinjuku shops. haikyo.org is a great bilingual source for urbex in Japan.

South Korea

 * Local sites predominantly are recently abandoned. What sets South Korea apart are the high numbers of entire abandoned neighbourhoods. Modern Korean urban geography consists of many skyscraper apartment block communities which contrast sharply with the former small low-rise neighbourhoods of 2-storey concrete houses and alleyway-sized streets. As such, urbex sites pop up and vanish regularly as the chaebol companies slowly buy up entire suburbs in preparation for urban renewal. Despite once being famed for the "rotting theme parks of East Asia", the vast majority of these have in fact been utterly levelled in the name of rapid progress. In contrast to South Korea's neighbours, urbex is not seen favourably by residents.

United States of America
The decline of public transportation since the 1950s, and the decline of heavy manufacturing since the 1970s have left many American cities with lots of abandoned infrastructure dating back to those eras, particularly in what is today called the "Rust Belt", comprising most of the Midwest and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.
 * Gary, Indiana
 * Buffalo
 * Detroit
 * Pittsburgh
 * Chicago
 * Los Angeles
 * New York City — One of the former great industrial cities, remnants of old streetcar depots, factories and piers can be found around the city. Perhaps the most famous urbex destinations are the old Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn and the former smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island.

Respect
As abandoned sites, by their nature, are not kept up by anyone, it is essential that an urbexer leave them as they are found for the next visitor to prevent a slow but steady decay. That means:

 * Do not remove anything from the site.
 * Do not move things needlessly. If something is moved for a photo, move it back before departing.
 * Do not leave windows open or doors ajar where this could expose the site to the elements, causing further damage.
 * Do not litter.
 * Removing even moss from a wall or weeds, vines and creepers is frowned upon as this can negatively impact a future photo shoot.

Some sites, whose locations often but not always remain a closely guarded secret, are contenders for future historical preservation, or in a few odd cases even potential UNESCO World Heritage rating. Archaeological sites often omit specific location from their public entries on historic registers to prevent the historical record from being damaged or destroyed.

If you are exploring an abandoned business or theme park, then a single business card or flyer (in cases only when there is an entire room full of them: more common than you'd think) is sometimes deemed an exception to this rule by specific urbexer enclaves, but not by the broader community as it can constitute theft. Plus, for a popular site, that room full of discarded cards—a bizarre sight in itself -- can whittle down very rapidly.

This is largely the reason why giving out maps and directions to a site in public is taboo within the community. Unless the experienced urbexer has been able to meet, talk to, and sufficiently understand the potential recipient of information, there is no way to ensure that they are not a vandal or treasure hunter. It only takes a single undignified urbexer to at best, ruin a site, at worst, erase a piece of history.

For photographers annotating photographs, in keeping with this guideline, the norm is to just state the name (often an exonym) for the site and details down to country or sometimes state/province/prefecture level. For sites of extraordinary historical value or fragility, and little fame, no detail apart from an exonym is the norm.

Take only photographs, leave only footprints, and avoid the latter if you can.

Urbex
Safety is or should be the number one preoccupation of any exploration. Urbex trips are often fraught with danger. Abandoned buildings or entire ghost towns are abandoned for a reason. Decrepit floors and stairs might collapse under your weight, a brush against rusty metal could give you tetanus, you might run into a gang that's been playing around in the place, encounters with wild animals, etc. Another risk in old buildings is the use (or disturbance) of materials whose use is for good reason no longer allowed, asbestos and lead (in paint) being two specific examples. On the upside, law enforcement is unlikely to care too much about your being there. At worst you would probably get a fine, and be allowed to walk out on your own.

Underground urbex suffers from several physical threats—again, crumbling infrastructure can be your enemy, as well as resident weirdos and animals, but there are extra dangers from steam vents, electricity, flash floods, and poisonous gases. Make sure you know what you are doing. Abandoned mines are a particularly dangerous maze of cramped, dark tunnels with sections submerged in water and vertical shafts with deadly drops. Rock may be crumbling; wooden structures which once supported the tunnels may be rotting. Cave-ins, falls, contaminated mine water and poisonous gas are hazards.

Danger from law enforcement has increased exponentially in the United States and several other countries following major terrorist attacks. If you are found on camera to be sneaking around subway tunnels, you may find yourself arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity: that's far worse than a fine for trespassing!

A good place to check for legal dangers is to review details of your intended country's freedom to wander.

There are universally recommended steps to keep yourself safe while exploring, and you would be a fool not to follow them. Don't ever do it alone. Make sure that someone else knows what you are doing, and plan to check in with them at set times. Bring a phone, light source with multiple batteries, hard hat if appropriate, heavy duty boots, and some water and food. If trying something new, do research first either on the chosen site, or at least on the type of site... and lastly, if it rains, no drains!

Infiltration
Wandering around non-public or otherwise off-limits area of otherwise inhabited sites or buildings (without authorization or consent) may entail far less physical danger, but an exponentially increased chance of discovery and trouble with law enforcement, site operators or other authorities.

Government buildings, airports, sea-ports, as well as rail and transit infrastructure (examples being tracks, depots, rail-yards, plant rooms and car-sheds), are exceptionally paranoid due to perceived threats from terrorism. Industrial sites have also become quite paranoid. You will end up in jail (potentially for an extended period) if discovered. In some countries and even some specific sites, it is worth considering individual staff, law enforcement, and "security" can be very direct in ensuring the integrity of their sites.

Staff and "security" can also be somewhat direct in respect of hotels and commercial buildings, even if the concerns are motivated by more concerns about potential criminal intent, than ongoing terrorism concerns. Whilst many may respond with a demand to leave the building or a request to pay a fine, others will have no hesitation in calling law enforcement.

Even in heavy-traffic areas which are clearly open to the public (such as banks and subway/metro stations), you may be challenged if you attempt to take photographs, or make notes about certain things.

Abandoned buildings might be claimed by squatters, homeless people and even people on the run from the law, who see explorers as intruders.

Read
Access All Areas - Ninjalicious, the widely-accepted "definitive" guidebook to urbex, including sections on theory, technique, safety and ethics.

title: Urbex


text:
Urbino

The Duke of Urbino built one of the largest palaces in medieval Italy. Today, from the park above Urbino, one can really visualize a fairytale like Cinderella. The city is situated in the Marche region and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Get in
Buses run frequently from the train station in Pesaro (about a 45 min ride).

By car
Distances to Urbino: Rome 270 km, Rimini 60 km, Ancona 100 km, Arezzo 110 km. There is a large parking lot at Borgo Mercantile, tel. +39 0722 2196

Get around
There are taxi stands at Piazza della Repubblica, tel. +39 0722 2550 and Borgo Mercantile, tel +39 0722 327949

Do
Sip a cappuccino in the Piazza della Republica, at the center of town. Visit the town museum, which is free and open on weekdays. The Duke's palace is also open to visitors and costs four Euro. It is filled with medieval paintings and statues, but all descriptions are in Italian. Don't miss the basement servant quarters and remember to bring a sweater because it is kept very cold.

The Bosom Pub is a hot spot for students and often has drink specials. It is especially busy Thursday nights. They play a mixture of Italian and American music.

Every Saturday there is a market where you can find just about anythings for a decently low price. This includes clothing, shoes, bedding, fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat. There is also an antique market the first Sunday of every month all other Sundays almost all shops will be closed. All shops are also closed daily between 2-4

Learn
Urbino is also well known for its Italian language schools and several prestigious universities.

 * Centro Studi Italiani Italian language school and Italian culture courses for international students. School of Italian for foreigners that offers language courses and opera singers courses. The courses are known and acknowledged by foreign universities.

Buy
There is a market on Sat Mornings along Viale Buozzi.

Eat
Opposite the Duomo, go to the Piquero Pub to have a drink with local students. Situated in a cellar, it always provides great atmosphere. Crescias are an Urbino specialty. try one with Prosciutto Crudo and formaggio.

Budget

 * Agriturismo Bellavista, Via Sant'Egidio, 25, Urbino (PU) close to village Torre, Tel: 0722.340172 Fax: 0722.340172, double bedroom 45 Euro

Cope

 * Tourist Information, Borgo Mercantile, tel +39 0722 2631
 * Municipal Police, Via Gagarin 4, tel. +39 0722 309300
 * Carabinieri, Via S:Provinciale feltresca, 9, tel. +39 0722 378900
 * Polizia Stradale, Via Sasso, 78, tel. +39 0722 350592
 * Fire brigade (Vigili del Fueco), Via G. da Montefeltro, tel. +39 0722 4828
 * Hospital (Ospdeale civile), Via B.da Miontefeltro, tel. +39 0722 3011
 * First Aid (Pronto Soccorso), tel. +39 0722 301272
 * Post office. Via BRamante 28, tel. +39 0722 37791
 * Italian Automobile Club (A.C.I. - Automobile Club Italiano), Via Sasso, 55. tel. +39 0722 320568

title: Urbino


text:
Urdu phrasebook

Urdu (اُردُو) is a living language of the Indian subcontinent, spoken by 100 million people world-wide. It is the national lingua franca of Pakistan and an official language of several Indian states. It is also often spoken and well understood in parts of the Middle East with large South Asian communities.

Urdu is closely related to Hindi; speakers of these two languages generally understand each other very well, which makes Hindi movies popular in Pakistan and Pakistani singers in India. However, Urdu has some vocabulary borrowed from Persian, Arabic, and Turkish which is not found in Hindi; these words are usually used at academic levels. Together, Hindi and Urdu are called the Hindustani language, and when combined, constitute one of the most spoken languages in the world and according to some estimates, ranke second or third. The writing systems of the two languages are completely different as Urdu is written in a modified version of the Persian and Arabic writing system known as Nast'alīq (نستعليق) and one who learns to read and write Urdu script can read and write Arabic and Persian to a great extent, whereas Hindi uses a totally different script, Devanagari, which is indigenous to India. Urdu is written right-to-left like Arabic or Persian, while Hindi is written left-to-right. Dakini is a dialect of Urdu with fewer Arabic and Persian loanwords and is spoken in the Muslim enclaves of the Deccan (India).

Urdu emerged during Muslim rule in Central and Southern Asia where Persian was the official language. The word Urdu is itself derived from the Turkish word ordu, ultimately derived from the Mongolian word "horde." In addition to vocabulary, Urdu also adopted the Persian use of the enclitic ezāfe and most poets used takhallus (noms de plume). Urdu is renowned for its poetic tradition dating back to Mughal times when, as mentioned, Persian was the court language; thus the reason why Persian vocabulary and elements are so notable. A mixture of Urdu and Hindi, called Hindustani, is the form heard in most Bollywood films, that try to appeal to the widest audience possible.

Pronunciation guide
Urdu, as mentioned earlier, is written in a modified Perso-Arabic script called abjad. An abjad does not write short vowels, except at the beginning of a word with alif' serving as a place holder. This can make it frustrating for the learner as the words I and in are both written ميں in Urdu. Urdu is also written in a stylized form of the Arabic script called nast'alīq (نستعليق). Developed in Persia, it is still used for religious and poetic calligraphy in Iran today, while Urdu still uses it as its standard script. Therefore, if you want to read an Urdu newspaper, street sign, etc. you will have to learn to read nastaliq, which can prove difficult for the beginner. As a result, a simpler style called Nas kh (نسخ), as used in other languages using the Arabic abjad will be used for two reasons: 1. to ease the learner into nastaliq, and 2. because Unicode does not support nast'aliq. Vowel diacritics do exist, mostly used to modify the alif vowel holder at the beginning of a word but also used for educational purposes, in the Qur'ān, and for clarifying ambiguous spellings.

The Arabic system of writing is cursive. Most letters have four forms. Others, which do not attach to the letter coming next to them, have only two. These forms are quite self-explanatory: initial, medial, final, and isolated. When written alone letters are written in their isolated form. Example:

 * پ + ا + ك + س + ت + ا + ن

when these isolated letters are joined together they look like this:

 * پاكستان, Pākistān

Vowels
At the beginning of a word alif serves as a placeholder for the diacritical mark. Due to directional issues with unicode the medial/final occurs before the initial example, when they should appear after, i.e., to the left of the letter. A final ﻪ is sometimes used do represent an inherent 'a' at the end of a word (c.f. Arabic usage). When choṭī ye and baṛī ye occur in the middle, both take the ﻴ form. For further reference, in Urdu transliteration ai is ae and au is ao.

Grammar
There are two genders in Urdu: masculine and feminine. Those nouns ending in aa are normally masculine whereas nouns ending in ii are usually feminine, such as:

Phrase list
See Pseudo-phoneticization guide for guidance on the phoneticizations below

Basics

 * Hello. : السلام علیکم (as-SALAAM alaykum)
 * How are you?
 * (آپ کا) کیا حال ہے؟ (AAP KAA) KYAA HAAL HAI?
 * آپ کیسے ہیں؟ (AAP kay-SAY HAI?)

 * Fine, thank you.
 * میں ٹھیک ہوں، الحمد اللہ۔ (maIN Theek hoo, al-hamdulillah)

 * What is your name? : آپ كا كيا نام ہے؟ (AAP KAA KIYAA NAAM hai?)
 * My name is ______ . : ميرا نام ______ ہے۔ (Mera naam ______ hai.)
 * Nice to meet you. : آپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی۔ (AAP se mil kar xushi houee)
 * Please. : برائے مہربانی۔ (Ba-raa-ay may-har-baa-ni)
 * Thank you. : شکریہ۔ (SHukriyaa)
 * Yes. : جی/ہاں۔ (Jee/Haa)
 * No / not. : نہیں۔ (Nahee)
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : سنئے۔ (Sun-ni-ay)
 * Excuse me. ("begging pardon") : گستاخی معاف۔ (Gus-taa-khi maaf)
 * I'm sorry. : معاف کیجئے۔ (Maaf kee-jee-ay)
 * Goodbye. : خدا حافظ۔ (Khud-da Haa-fiz)
 * I can't speak Urdu [well]. : مجھے اردو ٹھیک سے بولنے نہیں آتی ہے۔ (Muj-ay Urdu theek se bool-nay nahi aa-ti hai.)
 * Do you speak English? : آپ انگلش/انگریزی بولتے ہے؟ (Aap Ang-ray-zi/English bool-tay hai?)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : کیا یہاں كسى كو انگریزی بولنے آتى ہے؟ (Kya ya-haa kisi ko Ang-ray-zi/English bool-nay aa-ti hai?)
 * Help! : مدد۔ ("Ma-dad")
 * Look out! : خیال کریں۔ (Kha-ay-aal Kar-ray)
 * Good morning. : صبح بخیر۔ (Subah ba-khayr)
 * Good evening. : شام بخیر۔ (Shaam ba-khayr)
 * Good night. : شب بخیر۔ (Shab ba-khayr)
 * I don't understand. : مجھے سمجھ نہیں آیا۔ (Muj-hay sam-maj nahi aaya)
 * Where is the toilet? : غسل خانه كہاں پر ہے؟ (Ghusal-khaana kahaa hai?)

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : مجھے اکیلا چھوڑ دیں۔ (Mujhey akela choor dain.)
 * Don't touch me! : مجھے ہاتھ مت لگائیں۔ (Mujhey haath mat lagayay)
 * I'll call the police. : میں پولیس کو کال کروں گا/کروں گی۔ (Mai police ko call karoon ga/karoon gi)
 * Police. : پولیس۔ ("Police")
 * Stop! Thief! : !رکو! چور (Rukko! Choor!)
 * I need your help. : مجھے آپ کی مدد چاہئے۔ (Mujhey apki mad-dat chahie.)
 * It's an emergency. : ایمرجنسی ہے۔ (Emergency hai.)
 * I'm lost. : میں گم ہو گیا ہوں۔ (Mein ghum ho gaya hoon.)
 * I lost my bag. : میرا بیگ گم ہوگیا ہے۔ (Mera bag ghum ho gaya hai.)
 * I lost my wallet. : میرا بٹوہ گم ہوگیا ہے۔ (Mera battwa ghum ho gaya hai.)
 * I'm sick. : میں بیمار ہوں۔ (Mein bimaar hoon.)
 * I've been injured. : میں زخمی ہوگیا ہوں۔ (Mein zakhmi ho gaya hoo.)
 * I need a doctor. : مجھے ڈاکٹر کی ضرورت ہے۔ (Mujhe doctor ki zaroorat hai.)
 * Can I use your phone? : کیا میں آپکا فون استعمال کرسکتا ہوں؟ (Kya mein apka phone istamaal kar sakta hoo?)

Numbers

 * 1 : ایک (Aik)
 * 2 : دو (Dou)
 * 3 : تین (Teen)
 * 4 : چار (Chaar)
 * 5 : پانچ (Panch)
 * 6 : چھ (Chay)
 * 7 : سات (Saat)
 * 8 : آٹھ (Aath)
 * 9 : نو (Nau)
 * 10 : دس (Dass)
 * 11 : گیارہ (Gayara)
 * 12 : بارہ (Baara)
 * 13 : تیرہ (Tayra)
 * 14 : چودہ (Chooda)
 * 15 : پندرہ (Pandra)
 * 16 : سولہ (Soola)
 * 17 : سترہ (Sattra)
 * 18 : اٹھارہ (Athaara)
 * 19 : انیس (Unees)
 * 20 : بیس (Bees)
 * 21 : اکیس (Ikees)
 * 22 : بائیس (Baees)
 * 23 : تیئیس (Taees)
 * 30 : تیس (Tees)
 * 40 : چالیس (Chalees)
 * 50 : پچاس (Pachaas)
 * 60 : ساٹھ (Saath)
 * 70 : ستر (Sattar)
 * 80 : اسی (Assi)
 * 90 : نوے (Nawway)
 * 100 : ایک سو (Aik sou)
 * 200 : دو سو (Dou sou)
 * 300 : تین سو (Teen sou)
 * 1000 : ایک ہزار (Aik hazaar)
 * 2000 : دو ہزار (Dou hazaar)
 * 1,000,000 : دس لاکھ (Das lakh)
 * 100,000,000 : دس کڑوڑ (Das karore)
 * 1,000,000,000 : اﺭﺏ (Arab)
 * 100,000,000,000 : کھڑب (Kharrab)
 * number ______ (train, bus, etc.) : (نمبر ______ (ٹرین، بس، وغیرہ (Number ______ (train, bus, waghairah))
 * Half : آدھا (Aadha)
 * Less : کم (Kam)
 * More : زیادہ (Ziyada)

Time

 * time : وقت (Waqt)
 * now : ابھی (Abhi)
 * later : بعد میں (Baad mein)
 * before : پہلے (Pehley)
 * morning : صبح (Subah)
 * noon : دو پہر (Dou pehar)
 * afternoon : سہہ پہر (Seh pehar)
 * evening : شام (Shaam)
 * night : رات (Raat)

Clock time

 * one o'clock AM : صبح کے ایک بجے (Subah ke eik bajey)
 * two o'clock AM : صبح کے دو بجے (Subah ke doo bajey)
 * noon : دوپہر (Do-pehar)
 * one o'clock PM : رات کے ایک بجے (Raat ke eik bajey)
 * two o'clock PM : رات کے دو بجے (Raat ke doo bajey.)
 * midnight : آدھی رات (Aadhi raat)

Duration

 * minute(s) : منٹ (minute)
 * hour(s) : گھنٹہ (Ghanta)
 * day(s) : دن (Din)
 * week(s) : ہفتہ (Hafta)
 * month(s) : مہینہ (Maheena)
 * year(s) : سال (Saal)

Days

 * today : آج (Aaj)
 * yesterday : گزشتہ کل / کل (Kal/ Guzishta kal)
 * tomorrow : کل / آنے والا کل (Kal/ Aaney wala kal)
 * this week : اس ہفتے (Iss hafte)
 * last week : پچھلے ہفتے (Guzishta hafte/ Pichley haftey)
 * next week : اگلے ہفتے (Aynda hafte/ Agley haftey)
 * Sunday : اتوار (Itwaar)
 * Monday : پیر (Peer)
 * Tuesday : منگل (Mangal)
 * Wednesday : بدھ (Budh)
 * Thursday : جمعرات (Jum'eh'raat)
 * Friday : جمعہ (Jum'a)
 * Saturday : ہفتہ/سنیچر (Haftah/Saneechar)

Months

 * January : جنوری (Jann-warri)
 * February : فروری (Farr-warri)
 * March : مارچ (March)
 * April : اپریل (Aprail)
 * May : مئی (Mayi)
 * June : جون (Joon)
 * July : جولائی (Julaayi)
 * August : اگست (Agast)
 * September : ستمبر (Sitambar)
 * October : اکتوبر (Aktobar)
 * November : نومبر (Novambar)
 * December : دسمبر (Disambar)

Calendar
In Pakistan and other Urdu speaking place, two calendars are used: the Gregorian and the Islamic. Months of Gregorian calendar are used as these are in English so the Islamic will be discussed. The Islamic calendar is a lunar Calendar. Months are usually 29-30 days long. The Calendar dates from the hijra, or migration, of the Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The abbreviation for Muslim dates is AH (anno Hegiræ). When writing in Urdu, the word ہجری, hijrī should precede/ follow the date.

Colors

 * black: کالا (Kaala)
 * white : سفيد (Sufaid)
 * gray : سرمئی (Sur-mai)
 * red : لال (Laal)
 * blue : نیلا (Neela)
 * yellow : پیلا (Peela)
 * green : ہرا (Harra)
 * orange : نارنجى (Naran-ji)
 * purple : جامنی (Jam-ni)
 * brown : خاکی (Khaaki)
 * indigo : اودا (Ooda)
 * violet : بیگنی (Beygani)

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to ______? : کی ٹکٹ کتنے کی ہے؟ ______ (______ ki ticket kit-nay ki hai?)
 * One ticket to ______, please. : برائے مہربانی، ______ کے لیئے ایک ٹکٹ۔ (Baraayay meharbaani ______ kay liye aik ticket)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : یہ ٹرین/بس کہاں جاتی ہے؟ (Yeh train/bus kahaa jati hai?)
 * Where is the train/bus to ______? : کی ٹرین/بس کہاں ہے؟ ______ (______ ki train/bus kahaa hai?)
 * Does this train/bus stop in ______? : کیا یہ ٹرین/بس ______ رکتی ہے؟ (Kya yeh train/bus ______ rukti hai?)
 * When does the train/bus for ______ leave? : کیلیئے ٹرین/بس کب نکلتی ہے؟ ______ (______ kay liye train/bus kub nikal-ti hai?)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in ______? : یہ ٹرین/بس ______ کب پہنچے گی؟ (Yeh train/bus ______ kab pohanchay gi?)

Directions

 * How do I get to ______ ? : میں ______ کیسے جاؤں؟ (Main ______ kaisay jaoo?)
 * ...the train station? : ٹرین اسٹیشن؟... (...train station)
 * ...the bus station? : بس اسٹیشن؟... (...bus station)
 * ...the airport? : ہوائی اڈا؟... (...hawwai adda)
 * ...downtown? : اندرونِ شہر؟... (...androon-e-shehar)
 * ...the youth hostel? : مُسافِر خانہ؟... (...musafir khana)
 * ...the ______ hotel? : ہوٹل؟ ______... (...hotel)
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : امريکی/کینیڈی/آسٹريلوی/برطانوی سفارتخانہ؟... (...Amriki, Canadi, Austrailwi, Bartanwi sifarat khana)
 * Where are there a lot of... : ...وہاں جہاں بہت سارے (Waha jaha buhat saaray...)
 * ...hotels? : ہوٹلز؟... (...hotels)
 * ...restaurants? : ریستورانز؟... (...restaurants)
 * ...sites to see? : گھومنے کی جگہیں؟... (...Ghoomnay ki jag-hay)
 * Can you show me on the map? : کیا آپ مجھے نقشے میں دکھا سکتے ہے؟ (Kya aap mujhay nakshay mai dikha saktay hai?)
 * street : گلی (galli)
 * Turn left. : بائیں طرف مڑیں (Baa-yay taraf murray)
 * Turn right. : دائیں طرف مڑیں (Daa-yay taraf murray)
 * left : بائیں (baa-yay)
 * right : دائیں (Daa-yay)
 * straight ahead : بالکل سیدھا (Bilkul seedha)
 * towards the ______ : کی طرف ______ (______ ki taraf)
 * past the ______ : کے بعد ______ (______ kay baad)
 * before the ______ : سے پہلے ______ (______ say pehlay)
 * Watch for the ______. : کو دیکھئے گا۔ ______ (______ ko day-khi-yay ga)
 * intersection : چوراہا (Choo-raha)
 * north : شمال (Shummal)
 * south : جنوب (Janoob)
 * east : مشرق (Mashriq)
 * west : مغرب (Maghrib)
 * uphill : چڑھائی (Char-hayi)
 * downhill : ڈھلوان (Dhal-waan)

Taxi

 * Taxi! : !ٹیکسی (Taxi)
 * Take me to ______, please. : برائے مہربانی، مجھے ______ لے چلے۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, mujhay ______ lay chal-lay)
 * How much does it cost to get to ______? : پر جانے کا کتنا کرایہ ہوگا؟ ______ (______ par janay ka kitna karaya hoo ga?)
 * Take me there, please. : برائے مہربانی، مجھے وہاں لے چلے۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, mujhe waha lay chal-lay)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : کیا آپ کے پاس کمرے دستیاب ہیں؟ (Kya aap kay pass kamray dastiaab hai?)
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : ایک/دو افراد کے لیئے کمرے کا کرایا کتنا ہوگا؟ (Aik/do afraad kay liye kamray ka kiraya kitna hoga?)
 * Does the room come with... : ...کیا کمرے میں (Kya kamray may)
 * ...bedsheets? : بیڈ کی چادر ہے؟... (Bed ki chaadar hai?)
 * ...a bathroom? : غسل خانہ ہے؟ (Ghussal khana hai?)
 * ...a telephone? : ٹیلیفون ہے؟ (Telephone hai?)
 * ...a TV? : ٹی وی ہے؟ (TV hai?)
 * May I see the room first? : کیا میں پہلے کمرہ دیکھ لوں؟ (Kya mein pehlay kamra daikh sakta hoo?)
 * Do you have anything quieter? :
 * ...bigger? : بڑا (barra)
 * ...cleaner? : صاف (saaf)
 * ...cheaper? : سستا (sasta)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ٹھیک ہے، میں یہ لیتا <لیتی> ہوں۔ (theek hai, mein yeh laitah hoo)
 * I will stay for ______ night(s). : میں ______ رات کیلیئے رکوں گا (Mein ______ raat kay liye rukko ga.)
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : کیا آپ کوئی اور ہوٹل تجویز کرسکتے ہے؟ (Kya aap koi aur hotel tajweez kar saktay hai?)
 * Do you have a safe? : کیا آپ کے پاس تجوری ہے؟ (Kya aap kay pas tajoori hai?)
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : کیا ناشتہ/کھانا شامل ہے؟ (Kya nashta/khana shamil hai?)
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : ناشتہ/کھانا کا وقت کب ہے؟ (Nashtay/Khanay ka waqt kub hai?)
 * Please clean my room. : برائے مہربانی، میرا کمرہ صاف کردیں۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, mera kamra saaf kar dein.)
 * Can you wake me at ______? : کیا آپ مجھے ______ بجے اٹھا دینگے؟ (Kya aap mujhay ______ bajjay utha dain-gay?)
 * I want to check out. : مجھے چیک آوٹ کرنا ہے۔ (Mujhay check out karna hai)

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : کیا آپ امريکی/اسٹريلوی/کینیدی ڈالرز قبول کرتے ہے؟ (Kya app Amriki/Austrailwi/Canadi dallarz kabool kartay hai?)
 * Do you accept British pounds? : کیا آپ برطانوی پونڈز قبول کرتے ہے؟ (Kya app Bartanwi poondz kabool kartay hai?)
 * Do you accept credit cards? : کیا آپ کریڈٹ کارڈ قبول کرتے ہے؟ (Kya app credit card kabool kartay hai?)
 * Can you change money for me? : کیا آپ میرے لیئے پیسے تبدیل کرسکتے ہیں؟ (Kya app mere liye paisay tabdeel kar saktay hai?)
 * Where can I get money changed? : میں پیسے کہاں سے تبدیل کرواسکتا ہوں؟ (Mein paisay kahaa se tabdeel karwa sakta hoo?)
 * Can you change a traveler's cheque for me? : کیا آپ میرے لیئے ٹریولر چیک تبدیل کرسکتے ہے؟ (Kya aap mere liye traveler cheque tabdeel kar saktay hai?)
 * Where can I get a traveler's cheque changed? : میں ٹریولر چیک کہاں سے تبدیل کرواسکتا ہوں؟ (Mein travel cheque kaha se tabdeel karwa sakta hoo? )
 * What is the exchange rate? : ایکسچینج ریٹ کیا ہے؟ (Exchange rate kya hai?)
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : اے ٹی ایم مشین کہاں ہے؟ (ATM machine kahaa hai?)

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : برائے مہربانی، ایک/دو آفراد کے لئے میز۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, aik/do afraad kay liye maize.)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : برائے مہربانی، کیا میں مینیو دیکھ سکتا ہوں؟ (Baraayay meharbaani, kya mein menu daikh sakta hoo?)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : کیا میں کچن دیکھ سکتا ہوں؟ (Kya mein kichen daikh sakta hoo?)
 * Is there a house specialty? : کیا کچھ خاص/اسپیشل ہے؟ (Kya kuch khaas/especial hai?)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : میں صرف سبزی کھاتا ہوں۔ (Mein sirf sabzi khaata hoo.)
 * I don't eat pork. : میں سور کا گوشت نہیں کھاتا۔ (Mein soor ka ghost nahi khaata.)
 * I don't eat beef. : میں بڑا گوشت نہیں کھاتا۔ (Mein barra ghost nahi khaata.)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : (برائے مہربانی، کیا آپ زرا ہلکا پھلکا بنائے گے؟ (کم تیل/مکھن/چربی (Baraayay meharbaani, kya app zarra halka phulka bana-yey gay? (kam tail, makhan, charbi))
 * fixed-price meal : ایک دام (aik daam)
 * breakfast : ناشتہ (nashta)
 * lunch : کھانا (khaana)
 * tea (meal) : چائے (cha-yay)
 * supper : شام کا کھانا (shaam ka khana)
 * I want ______. : مجھے ______ چاہیئے (mujhay ______ chahiye)
 * I want a dish containing ______. : مجے ایسا کھانا چاہیئے جس میں ______ ہوں۔ (mujhay aisa khaana chahiye jis may ______ hoo.)
 * chicken : مرغ (murr-gh)
 * beef : بڑا گوشت (barra ghosht)
 * fish : مچھلی (machli)
 * cheese : پنیر (paneer)
 * eggs : انڈے (an-day)
 * salad : سلاد (salaad)
 * (fresh) vegetables : تازہ سبزیاں (taaza sabziaa)
 * (fresh) fruit : تازہ پھل (taaza phall)
 * bread : ڈبل روٹی (dabbal rooti)
 * toast : ٹوسٹ (toost)
 * noodles : نوڈلز (noo-delz)
 * rice : چاول (chaa-wal)
 * beans : لوبیا (loobia)
 * May I have a glass of ______? : کیا مجھے ______ کا ایک گلاس مل سکتا ہے؟ (Kya mujhay ______ ka aik glaas mil sakta hai?)
 * May I have a cup of ______? : کیا مجھے ______ کا ایک کپ مل سکتا ہے؟ (Kya mujhay ______ ka aik cup mil sakta hai?)
 * May I have a bottle of ______? : کیا مجھے ______ کی ایک بوتل مل سکتی ہے؟ (Kya mujhay ______ ki aik botal mil sakti hai?)
 * coffee : کوفی (kofi)
 * tea (drink) : چائے (chaa-yay)
 * juice : شربت/جوس (sharbat/joos)
 * water : پانی (paani)
 * beer : بيئر (bee-ar)
 * May I have some ______? : کیا مجھے تھورا ______ مل سکتا ہے؟ (Kya mujhay thoora ______ mil sakta hai?)
 * salt : نمک (nim-mak)
 * black pepper : کالی مرچ (kaali mirch)
 * butter : مکھن (makhan)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): سنیئے، ویٹر؟ (suniye, way-tar?)
 * I'm finished. : میں کھانا کھا چکا ہوں۔ (mein khaana khaa chukka hoo)
 * It was delicious. : بہت لزیز تھا۔ (Buhat lazeez tha.)
 * Please clear the plates. : برائے مہربانی، پلیٹیں اُٹھا لیں۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, plates utha lein.)
 * The check, please. : برائے مہربانی، بل لے آیئے۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, bil lay ae-yay.)

Bars

 * Note: Alcohol is only available in some bars inside five star hotels. Availability is limited to non-Muslims holding the proper license and foreigners with passports. Bars serving drinks have English-speaking staff available.

 * Do you serve alcohol? : کیا آپ کے پاس شراب ہے؟ (Kya app kay paas sharaab hai?)
 * Is there table service? : کیا ٹیبل سروس ہے؟ (Kya taybal sarviz hai?)
 * A beer/two beers, please. : برائے مہربانی، ایک/دو بيئر دے دیجیئے۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, aik/do bee-ar day dijiye.)
 * A bottle, please. : ایک بوتل دے دیجیئے۔ (Aik bootal day dijiye.)
 * whiskey : وھسکی (wiski)
 * vodka : ووڈکا (wodka)
 * rum : رم (rum)
 * water : پانی (paani)
 * orange juice : مالٹے کا جوس (maltay ka joos)
 * Coke ("soda") : کوک (kook)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : کیا کچھ کھانے کو ہے؟ (Kya kuch khaanay ko hai?)
 * One more, please. : برائے مہربانی، ایک اور دیجیئے۔ (Baraayay meharbaani, aik aur day dijiye.)
 * When is closing time? : بند ہونے کا وقت کیا ہے؟ (band hoonay ka wakt kya hai?)

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : کیا آپ کے پاس یہ میرے سائز میں موجود ہے؟ (Kya app kay pas yeh mayray size may mojood hai?)
 * How much is this? : یہ کتنے کا ہے؟ (Yeh kitnay ka hai?)
 * That's too expensive. : یہ تو بہت ہی مہنگا ہے۔ (Yeh toh buhat hi mehanga hai.)
 * Would you take _____? : کیا آپ _____ لینگے؟ (Kya aap _____ lain-gay.)
 * expensive : مہنگا (mehanga)
 * cheap : سستا (sasta)
 * I can't afford it. : میری اتنی گنجائش نہیں ہے۔ (Meri itni gunjaaish nahi hai.)
 * I don't want it. : مجھے یہ نہیں چاہیئے۔ (Mujhay yeh nahi chahiye.)
 * You're cheating me. : آپ مجھے دھوکا دے رہے ہیں۔ (aap mujhay dhookha day rahay hai.)
 * I'm not interested. : مجھے کوئی دلچسپی نہیں ہیں۔ (Mujay koi dilchaspi nahi hai.)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ٹھیک ہے، میں یہ لونگا۔ (theek hai, mei yeh loonga.)
 * Can I have a bag? : کیا مجھے ایک لفافہ مل سکتا ہے؟ (Kya mujhay aik lifafa mil sakta hai?)
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : کیا آپ بیرون ملک بھیجتے ہیں؟ (Kya aap bayroon-e-mulk bhaij-tay hai?)
 * I need... : مجہے ... کی ضرورت ہے۔ (mujhay ... ki zaroorat hai.)
 * ...toothpaste. : دانت صاف کرنے والا پیسٹ/توتھ پیسٹ۔ (daant saaf karne wala paste/tooth paste)
 * ...a toothbrush. : دانت صاف کرنے والا برش/توتھ پیسٹ۔ (daant saaf karne wala brush/tooth brush)
 * ...soap. : صابن (saabun)
 * ...shampoo. : شیمپو (shampoo)
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : درد کی دوا (dard ki dawwa (aspirin ya ibuprofen))
 * ...cold medicine. سردی کی دوا (sardi ki dawwa)
 * ...stomach medicine. : پیٹ میں درد کی دوا (pait me dard ki dawwa)
 * ...a razor. : ریزر (razor)
 * ...an umbrella. : چھتری (chhat-ri)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : دھوپ کا لوشن (dhoop ka lotion)
 * ...a postcard. : پوسٹ کارڈ (postcard)
 * ...postage stamp. : ڈاک ٹکٹ (daak ticket)
 * ...batteries. : بیٹریز (batteries)
 * ...writing paper. : لکھنے کیلئے کاغذ (likhnay ka kaghaz)
 * ...a pen. : قلم/پین (qalam/pen)
 * ...English-language books. : انگریزی زبان میں کتابیں۔ (Angrezi zubaan may kitaabay)
 * ... English-language magazines. : انگریزی زبان میں رسالے/میگزینز۔ (Angrezi zubaan may risaalay/magazines)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : انگریزی زبان میں اخبار۔ (Angrezi zubaan may akhbaar)
 * ...an English-Urdu dictionary. : انگریزی۔اردو زبان کی ڈکشنری/لغت۔ (Angrezi/Urdu zubaan ki dictionary/lughat)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : میں نے ایک گاڑی کرائے پر لینی ہے۔ (May nay aik gaari karaye par leini hai)
 * Can I get insurance? : کیا مجھے انشورنس ملے گی؟ (Kya mujhe insurance milay gi?)
 * stop (on a street sign) : رُکے (ruk-kay)
 * one way : ایک طرف (aik tar-raf)
 * no parking : نو پارکنگ/پارکنگ نہیں ہے۔ (No parking/Parking nahi hai)
 * speed limit : حد رفتار۔ (hadd raftaar)
 * gas (petrol) station : گیس (پیٹرول) اسٹیشن۔ (gas (petrol) station)
 * petrol : پیٹرول (petrol)
 * diesel : ڈیزل (diesel)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : میں نے کچھ غلط نہیں کیا ہے۔ (May nay kuch ghalat nahi kia hai.)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : وہ ایک غلط فہمی تھی۔ (Woh aik ghalat fehmi thi.)
 * Where are you taking me? : آپ مجھے کہاں لے جارہے ہیں؟ (aap mujhay kahaa lay jaa rahay hai?)
 * Am I under arrest? : کیا میں گرفتار ہوگیا ہوں؟ (Kya may girf-taar ho gaya hoo?)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : میں ایک امريکی/اسٹريلوی/برطانوی/کینیدی شہری ہوں۔ (May aik Amriki/Austrailwi/Bartanwi/Canadi shehri hoo.)
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : مجھے امريکی/اسٹريلوی/برطانوی/کینیدی سفارتخانے سے رابطہ کرنا ہے۔ (Mujhay Amriki/Austrailwi/Bartanwi/Canadi sifarat khanay say raabta karna hai.)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : مجھے ایک وکیل سے رابطہ کرنا ہے۔ (Mujhay aik wakeel say raabta karna hai.)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : کیا میں ابھی جرمانہ ادا کرسکتا ہوں؟ (Kya may abhi jurmaana adda kar sakta hoo)

title: Urdu phrasebook


text:
Ureshino

Ureshino (嬉野市) is a city known for hot springs in Saga Prefecture, Japan.

Tourist information sites

 * The city government's official site has a Japanese-only tourism section with integrated Google Translate.

 * The onsen area's tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site also with integrated Google Translate.

See

 * Hizen Yume Kaido

Go next

 * Takeo
 * Kashima
 * Omura
 * Hasami
 * Kawatana
 * Higashisonosogi
 * Shiroishi
 * Isahaya
 * Arita

title: Ureshino


text:
Urfa

`Urfa (also Şanlıurfa, formerly Edessa) is a city in Southeastern Anatolia, and the provincial capital of Şanlıurfa Province. The modern city of Urfa is situated about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. It has a rapidly growing population.

Urfa has many excellent old buildings and plenty of connections with the Old Testament and Islamic tradition. The general vibe is absolutely Middle Eastern, with all those traditional yellow stone, arched architecture, people of both genders in traditional Middle Eastern attire, and so on. When approaching from the west, the city certainly feels like the gates of the eastern world. People are extremely friendly, and the bazaar is great.

Understand

In 1984, Urfa was renamed Şanlıurfa (i.e. "Glorious Urfa"), due to its resistance to the invading French troops after the Ottoman Empire lost World War I. This is how it is shown on maps and highway signs. Şanlıurfa is usually abbreviated to Ş.Urfa on non-official signs, such as those on buses or restaurants. However, colloquially and locally, the city is still almost always referred to Urfa.

Climate
Like most of Southeastern Turkey, Urfa's climate is semi-arid and subcontinental; extremely hot and dry summers, cool to chilly, occasionally rainy, and sporadically snowy winters.

Summers are hot, but saying just that is definitely an understatement; the heat in Urfa is a lot more intense than the moderately hot Central Anatolia or even the hot and humid Mediterranean, and it is incomparable to the tepid warmth of Istanbul or the rest of Northern Turkey. Urfa's average summer temperatures are above 38°C (100°F). To put this further into perspective, most of Istanbul and the Black Sea coast have never, in a hundred years of records, reached this temperature, and most of Western Europe has only reached it once or twice. This means that what for most temperate climates would be a historic heatwave, is an average summer day in Urfa. Other than that, summers feature cloudless skies and very little rain, as usual with the south of Turkey.

Spring and fall are both mild to warm (except for September, which is still hot), and are the ideal times to go.

Winters are somewhat chilly, with regular frosts. Rain is occasional, but can sometimes get heavy, especially in the transition to spring. Snow sometimes falls, but temperatures quickly recover after a snowy period.

Because of its higher temperatures, the storm season (called Kırkikindi) of continental Anatolia arrives earlier in Urfa, taking place around March and April. These showers and thunderstorms can sometimes cause delays and minor damage, but any major damage or very heavy rain is rare.

By bus
Buses connect to most big and regional cities, such as Gaziantep to west and Mardin to east (both routes take around 4 hours, and cost 25 TL). Free transfers to and from the bus station provide by some accommodation choices. The bus station is outside of the city center. There is a bus running from the main bus station in the center to the otogar, which takes about 30 minutes exit the otogar and take any bus running to the left that goes to "belediye" (1TL). From here either take bus R1 (0.50 TL) to the Bazaar, or walk down Ataturk Blvd to the Bazaar. A taxi costs about 20 TL.

By plane
Multiple flights a day into and out of Sanliurfa's new airport from/to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Reasonably priced transfers from and to the airport with the (14 TL, 2020). Some accommodation choices also provide free airport transfers since the airport is out of town. Flights available from Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.

Get around
The city has a network of minibus lines, although all sights are located in the easily walkable compact old town.

See
Most attractions are within a small area and if you get accommodation nearby you can do everything on foot, including Göbekli Tepe. You can visit the Museum in the morning and then take the 13:45 bus 0 to Göbekli Tepe and return around 16:30. Ask in the Museum for information about where to catch the bus and possible timetable changes.

South of the Museum there are many other attractions:

The atmospheric bazaar with its hustle and bustle is quite charming, as is the old town.

Do
As it can get scorching hot during summer, or above, you'll be hard pressed to do anything during the afternoon. In the park around which the mosques are you can wait for the midday heat to subside while enjoying ice tea or other cold drinks (there are also a few bars on Sarayonu st.) before exploring the old town, the bazaar or the mosques. That's also the extent of what you can do in the evening. Sit down, have a cold non-alcoholic drink and play backgammon or just have a chat.

Join the locals and make a wish while feeding the holy fishes at the pond. According to the local belief, if you happen to feed one of the obviously rare white fishes, your wish will come true in a short time. Feeds, which are available from numerous vendors around the pond, are regulated by the local environmental association—it's highly discouraged to use anything other than the designated feed—and the standard fare of a small box of feed is 1 TL—don't pay anything more if the vendor tries to rip you off.

Have a Narghile (hookah) at the lake in the park near the mosques.

Buy
As Urfa is both a conservative and hot place, headscarves are popular with both the city's men and women. Particular to Urfa, is a shade of lavender with white embroidered or sequined patterns. The story goes that the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1993-1996 wore a scarf in that style when she visited Urfa, and now all the women wear them. They are worn by both men and women. They can be found in the bazaar. Pay no more than 10TL per scarf.

Likewise, the patterned Pos(h)i scarves are both popular and politically-charged purchases. They come in all manner of meaningless colours, however the Kurdish men wear those of black and white check, and the Arab men the red and white ones.

Eat
Be careful with food hygiene as very many people suffer stomach trouble in Urfa. Suspects include the water, the ice cream and the kebabs. This only refers to summer visits.

Famous are the çiğ köfte or raw kebabs. In Winter they are made with raw mince meat; in Summer they are made with fried egg. Definitely one of the most delicious dishes of the area.

Have a breakfast at the wonderful Zahter Kahvalti in Köprübasi Caddesi opposite the entrance of "Hotel Ipek Palace".

Urfa is famous for local pistachio desserts. You can find different versions in every bakery in the city center.

Drink
As Urfa is a city of pilgrimage, beer or any other alcoholic beverage is near impossible to get. Apart from that you're able to find any of the soft-drink brands sold in the rest of Turkey or stick to Turkish or Arabian tea (which is sweeter or minted).

The section of Urfa just over the Karakoyun River houses a few small, simple bars and the local Turkish beer Efes can be purchased to take away from a very few small shops in that area. The few small bars are humble affairs, frequented by men and playing local Kurdish and Turkish music.

Drink "murra" in the Gümrük Han - this is a very strong 1/2 teaspoon-sized cup of coffee. It is not overly pleasant, but it is a local experience.

More welcoming to the palate is Menengiç (menen-gich) coffee - this is made from a paste of coffee and menengiç (wild pistachio) beans, and gives the cup a sweet, nutty flavour.

Stay safe
Urfa seems to be a very safe city. There is a police sentry box in the Balıklıgöl/Pond area where you can report any problems.

However, according to the local youngsters, there is a possibly dangerous substance abuse going on around the gate of the citadel on the hill after night falls, so better avoid hanging around the stairs leading there at night.

Go next

 * Go to Harran (about 45 km south; a dolmuş from otogar costs 15 TL. You can also find a dolmuş to Harran near the Havas bus stop, opposite of Nevali hotel; on Google Maps you can see the small road named 124. Sk.), and see some reconstructed beehive huts, the remains of the oldest university, and the remains of the trading "fortress" around which they're situated. Interestingly the inhabitants have mostly Iraqi descendants and identify themselves as Arabs.
 * Mardin, about 200 km to the east, with its stonework architecture and Syriac Orthodox churches is also another interesting place to visit in the region.
 * The Atatürk Dam to the north of the city is a huge engineering project harnessing the waters of the Euphrates and irrigating former semi-desert lands around Urfa.
 * Visit villages in the region and see rural life seemingly almost unchanged since ancient times. Go to Karacadağ where it is still possible to see nomads in their yurts, and from where wheat first originated about 8800 BCE.
 * Take an excursion to Nemrut, the mountain of gods, or Diyarbakır, the largest city of the region also full of history. Both are within a day's reach of Urfa.
 * Halfeti is a riverside old town in the west, partially swallowed by a dam lake.

title: Urfa


text:
Urgench

Urgench is a city in Khorezm, in Uzbekistan. It is a relatively new city, founded under the Russian Empire in the 19th century.

An older city called Urgench was abandoned in the 18th century when a shift in a river course cut off its water supply. Before that it was an important Silk Road city and a provincial capital of the Persian Empire. Today it is just a small town, Konye Urgench, in neighbouring Turkmenistan and a.

By train
The brand new has daily night trains to and from Tashkent that make the 19 hour journey across the desert with one major stop along the way in Samarkand. For departure times see the Uzbekistan#Get around section. Taxis from [Urgench] Railway Station to Khiva are about 30,000 to 80,000 UZS one way (September 2019). For the Trolley Bus see below.

By bus
If you're really budgeting, you can catch a bus to Urgench from the Hippodrome station in Tashkent. The good news is the journey doesn't take much longer than the train (20 hours) and is only about 20,000 sum. The bad news is you'll be sitting in a cramped space without toilets (the driver decides when to make a pit stop), minimal ventilation and no air conditioning.

There are daily buses from Bukhara to Urgench, leaving from Bukhara Avtovoksal. The buses have no air condition. The journey time is about 8 hours and the price about 15,000 UZS on way [Sep 2012]. There is no fixed timetable and buses leave when all seats are occupied.

By car
Inter-city "taxi" services are essentially a collection of informal drivers who wait to fill up their cars with passengers and then drive them to their destinations. They usually charge per passenger; however, you can buy all the seats in a car (typically 1 in the front and 3 in the back) if you're willing to spend the cash. From Bukhara, the next closest Silk Road site, the 460km trip in a shared taxi should cost between 50,000-80,000 sum per person [Sep 2012]. The price can sometimes depend on the type of vehicle you're negotiating for, with Daewoo Ticos costing less and Daewoo Nexia and Matiz cost a bit more.

Eat
Eating out in Urgench can be a challenge. Waiters usually don't speak English and sometimes only Russian. The menus are mostly written in Cyrillic, and either in Russian or in Uzbek. (Nearby Khiva is more adapted to foreign tourists in this respect.) More informationon Urgench restaurants can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/theurgenchrestaurants/

Gavhar Milliy Taomlari, The restaurant with the best view of the park, the Shavat Canal and the city, if you can get a place on the terrace. The food is good but their choice of wines is surprisingly limited. The young waiters are not really familiar with the concept of a "dry" wine and you might be served unchilled white and cold red wine.

Mangal, A Korean restaurant. Again, most dishes are meat dishes. Urgench is not the ideal place for vegetarians.

Garage Burger Probably the best place for real hamburgers in this city. Hamburgers are often called burgers or just cheeze. Do not confuse them with the ubiquitous "gamburgers" which are pieces of doner kebab in a little pocket of bread, often served with a little bit of greens (cut up spring onions) and tomato sauce.

Drink
Urgench is not a place for wine drinkers. The standard wine is about 25,000 soms (May 2019), Not for the connoisseur but certainly drinkable. You are lucky if the white wine is chilled. Otherwise you could ask for ice. Don't be surprised if they serve you a chilled red wine.

Bavaria, A good place for beer drinkers. They brew three different kinds of draft beer. There is a large hall and a small balcony if you want to sit outside. This is probably the best place for the Western tourist to feel at home.

Leo, The Leo pub has the widest range of beers. Some are on tap but a huge fridge full of different brands.

New York With a wall full of old American (not just New York) photographs and TV screens presenting American concerts (country, blues and more) it tries to create a New York atmosphere. A nice change from the often somewhat baroque interiors of other restaurants.

Go next

 * Khiva - the historical city with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Itchan Kala
 * Konye Urgench (Old Urgench) - the original city, now a, abandoned in the 17th century after a river shifted course and left it without water

title: Urgench


text:
Uri

There is more than one place called Uri:

India

 * Uri (India) - A town in Jammu and Kashmir.

Switzerland

 * Uri (Switzerland) - A canton in Central Switzerland.

title: Uri


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Uri (India)

Uri is a town in the Baramula District of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The river Jhelum flows through Uri. The town is very close to the LOC (Line of Control), the disputed border between India and Pakistan.

Get in
By road, Uri is connected to Baramula and Gulmarg. Taxis (sumos) are available from Baramula. The route is absolutely stunning, with green valleys and tall mountains. Many rice fields and small villages are visible en route.

There is no rail service to Uri. The nearest railway station is in Jammu.

The nearest airport is in Srinagar.

Tourism is not popular in Uri. The local people are friendly and welcoming. There are cops moving around as Uri is only 3 km from Pakistan and it is an active area with militancy.

See
There are a number of places in Uri that are worth visiting:

1)Ancient Pandav Mandir: It’s the ancient Hindu temple in the village of Lagama. It contains beautiful statues of the Pandavas and a beautiful murti of Radha Krishna. According to Hindu belief, when the Pandavas came there and threw a powerful bow near the temple, a pure spring emerged. The water of that spring is considered by locals to be blessed and healthful.

2)BaBa Fareed: It’s a religious place of great saint (Baba Fareed) Which is located at the top of mountain from where you can see beautiful view of Kashmir valley. Also there’s a foot print of baba fareed’s unicorn horse notched over a stone. Contact the local people of uri they’re very cooperative to show you the exact path.

3) Chham (waterfall) : located inside the village Nambla which is located near by Uri town.

4) Jhelum river: you can enjoy the scenic beauty of river by sitting nearby.

5) Uri power project : It’s an underground city where electricity has been generated with the help of river Jhelum. It’s spread over few kilometres inside ground. In order to visit here you need permission from Army.

Drink
Clean water to drink

Sleep
There are very few hotels in Uri. You may find one nearby.

Stay safe
Uri has mostly temperatures below zero, so wear protective clothes to prevent frostbite. Also, don't go out alone at night. There are drunk people and snatchers in the streets at night.

Also, don't go very far. Remember that militant activity is extremely high here.

title: Uri (India)


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Uricani

Uricani is a town in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania.

Understand
The Uricani locality is first mentioned in a certified document dated 1818, when the locality was referred to as Hobiceni-Uricani, the name it carried until the union in 1918. The name of Uricani is derived from the name Hobita (listed in documents from 1411) and Uric (from 1473) from Hateg Land. After Ardeal’s union with the mother country, the locality's name was changed to Uricani. Over time, the village of Campu lui Neag functioned as either a political commune or a village belonging to the Uricani locality. In 1965, Uricani was declared a city, and the villages of Valea de Brazi and Campu lui Neag were added under its jurisdiction.

Like the other Jiu Valley cities, Uricani's principal economic activities revolve around the region's coal mines, although the city, like the region, is in a period of transition as the mines have been gradually closed and many of the workers made redundant. The city lies on the western side of Jiu Valley and at the foot of the Retezat Mountains. The city is located in Hunedoara County and adjacent to Mehedinţi and Gorj counties in Oltenia. It lies at an altitude of 729 m on the west side of the Petrosani Depression and along the West Jiu River. Its area also contains the smaller waterways of Lazarul, Valea de Pesti, Buta, and Bilugu, as well as the fresh water reservoir which contains the drinking water used throughout the Jiu Valley. The city covers 25,141 hectares, the largest geographical area of all the Jiu Valley cities. The city limits are bordered to the east by Cow’s Valley, to the west by Retezat National Park, to the north by peaks of the Retezat Mountains (Custura, Lazarul, 2282m; and Tulisa, 1782m), and to the south by peaks of the Vâlcan Mountains (Coarnele, 1789m; and Siglaul Mare, 1682m). The surrounding mountains are part of the Meridional Carpathians (in an area commonly referred to as the Transylvanian Alps).

By car
Uricani is accessed via the DN 66A, the 27 kilometer long west branch of the DN 66 that connects it to the cities of Petrosani, Vulcan, and Lupeni.

Go next

 * Petrosani
 * Lupeni
 * Aninoasa
 * Petrosani
 * Deva
 * Hunedoara
 * Hateg
 * Orastie

title: Uricani


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Urk

Urk is a town and municipality in the Dutch province of Flevoland. This former island is situated on the edge of the Noordoostpolder and directly connected to the IJsselmeer. Because of this people in Urk still say they are living 'on' Urk instead of 'in' Urk.

Understand
Urk is a very old settlement, with written records of its existence dating back to the 10th century. While Urk endured, the conditions around it changed - the water body next to Urk turned from a peaceful sweetwater lake into a bay of the North Sea, ravaged by storms and tidal waves, while finally becoming shielded from the Sea by the dams built as parts of the grand water management works in the Netherlands. Finally, when the Noordoostpolder was reclaimed, Urk lost its status as an island and became a part of the large land mass, but did not lose its access to the IJsselmeer, which by that time was a sweetwater lake again.

All through that time, as well as today, Urkers have been relying on fishing as a source of both food and income. It was not an easy life, which hardened the spirits of Urkers, and made them one of the most traditional and socially, as well as religiously, conservative communities of the Netherlands, which is a trait lasting until today. Urk has also developed a unique culture, with its own dialect and folk costumes, in which Urkers take pride.

Compared to the rest of Flevoland, which is mostly deprived of any historic buildings, Urk is quite unique in being a genuinely old settlement rife with genuinely old architecture.

Over land
The easiest way to get to Urk over land is by car (from the A6 going through Flevoland, exit into N351 or N352 that terminate in Urk), as the public transportation options are limited and complicated, unless you are arriving directly from Noordoostpolder. From the latter province, you can also obviously simply bike into Urk.

There are only two bus lines calling at Urk: In Emmeloord or Nagele, you can change to line 345, the fast bus that goes to Lelystad.
 * line 141 from Urk through Emmeloord in the Noordoostpolder to Kampen in Overijssel. Some services continue to Zwolle
 * line 149 from Urk to Nagele in the Noordoostpolder

If you want to arrive by rail, e.g. from the Schiphol Airport, your best bets are to alight in Lelystad or Kampen and use any of the above buses. Be careful to check the running schedules and coordinate properly - 9292.nl can be very useful.

Over water
Urk has a small harbor which is directly connected to the IJsselmeer, on Sundays you can use the harbor for free, on all the other days you have to pay a small fee. In the summer you can also take the ferry from Enkhuizen.

Get around
Urk is just a small town, only 20.000 inhabitants, and everything you would want to see there is within walking distance of the harbor. Or you can rent a bike of course, but if you plan on staying on Urk you can do without one.

See
Urk used to be an island and still is a very traditional fishery village. There is a lighthouse, a fishery museum and the old part of the town is still very authentic and pleasant to walk around in.

Outside Urk there is a stone reservation, a place with a lot of stones which were laid there during the last ice age.

Eat
When you come to Urk make sure you try some fish. There are several restaurants of which one, De Boet, is in the top 50 of Netherlands's best restaurants.

Sleep
Urk doesn't have any hotels but there are quite a few bed and breakfasts, pensions and vacation rentals in the old part of the town. You can also go camping in a tent, caravan or camper van on one of the camping grounds.

title: Urk


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Urmia

Urmia is the capital of West Azerbaijan province, in the Azerbaijan region of Iran, near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. It is known by its nicknames as the "Cradle of Water" and "Paris of Iran".

Talk
Azerbaijani or Azeri, a Turkic dialect, is the primary language spoken by most Urmian people, although many people, especially the younger generation, can communicate in Farsi and English up to some level.

By car
By the bridge over the Urmia lake you can reach Tabriz within 1½ hours.

By bus
There are daily buses from Van in Turkey and Arbil in Iraq and also to Tehran, Tabriz and major Western Iranian cities.

See
Urmia has many parks and touristic coastal villages on the shore of Urmia Lake. The oldest park in Urmia, called Park-e Saat, was established in the first Pahlavi's era. Urmia's largest park is Ellar Bagi Park (Azerbaijani "Garden of the Peoples") along the Shahar Chayi, or the City River.

title: Urmia


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Ferizaj

Ferizaj is a town in Kosovo, just west of the main highway linking the national capital, Pristina, with the Macedonian border.

Understand
Ferizaj was no more than a small collection of shacks and houses until the Thessaloniki–Belgrade railway was laid during the Ottoman era, in 1873. A local landowner, Firuz Agha, whose name was evolved to Feriz in local languages, started to run a hotel then, giving the town its name ("Feriz's").

The Serbian name of the town, Uroševac, was coined in honour of a medieval ruler of Serbia, Stefan Uroš, after the town was annexed by Serbia in 1913 despite heavy Albanian resistance. However, with the population being overwhelmingly Albanian, this name does not see any practical use nowadays (one particular exception being the Slavic-run websites, such as that of Skopje's bus station, which lists the town with its Serbian name and turns no results for Ferizaj), and indeed, the locals may likely be offended by its use given the historical enmity between these two nations.

Get in
Buses from Skopje to Pristina stop at the bus station here (one and a half hours from Skopje, including the border formalities). There are also dedicated buses from Pristina bus station (40 minutes).

The reason of the town's existence in the first place, the train station welcomes trains traversing the Pristina–Skopje line.

Both the bus and the train stations lie on Ahmet Kaçiku St, about 250 m apart from each other.

You can go in Ferizaj also with bus from Gjilan it only costs US$1.5.

Get around
Walk. The mosque and the church (roughly 300 m from the train station, and 500 m from the bus station) can be accessed from Ahmet Kaçiku St through an underground passage below the rail tracks.

Before the center of the city in county of Ferizaj in village Sojeve is the biggest KFOR camp in Balkan.

See

Ferizaj is neither a historical nor a particularly beautiful city, and you virtually have one attraction here: the church and the mosque that stand wall to wall. While not unique to Ferizaj, this is of special importance in a region where religious (and ethnic) tensions run high. On a purely artistic standpoint, though, the mosque is just a plain, square building that you wouldn't bat an eye if elsewhere, and the church, dedicated to Uroš, is not the most ornate one, and is somewhat dilapidated.

Eat
There is a great hamburger place in Ferizaj down the main street running through the city. They call themselves McDonald's but don't expect to get a Big Mac.

Go next
Pristina is north, and Kaçanik is south. There are also buses a few times a day to Prizren in the west. You can go also in Viti. Vitia is a small city with a cultural history.

title: Ferizaj


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Uros Islands

The Uros Islands are floating islands made of reed, situated in Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian Altiplano.

Understand
These islands are made from a reed, tortora rushes, as are the houses on them and the residents' boats. Part of the reed can even be eaten! The people of the Uros Islands who predate the Incas speak the Aymara language. It is thought that they may have fled to the islands to escape hostile tribes, including the Incas. The islands can be moved and were moved in the 1980s because of the Shining Path revolutionary movement. It was expected that they would be safer nearer to the mainland. Tourism is now the main income for the islands' population.

The islands can be visited during the daytime with a tour, or independently. Overnight accommodation on the islands opens an opportunity to get a better experience of the life on the floating islands and to create better connections with the locals.

Most of the population does not live on these islands anymore; they live in Puno and commute to the islands to show their traditional way of living to tourists. Since it is a very popular tourist destination, expect some tour boat docking on most of the islands. It sounds like some kind of Disney Land and it is - but it is still worth a visit because of its unique nature.

All tours offer an optional trip on the traditional boats from the island one is visiting to the tourist office's island (the only one with a public, western toilet). Tourists are pressured into accepting this optional, very expensive offer, but if you are on a budget, don't worry to miss much when you don't accept it and instead take the motorized boat that took you to the islands instead.

Get in

 * Dozens of agencies in Puno will arrange a visit with a guide, often in combination with a daytrip to Isla Taquile (can be arranged to stay overnight on one of the islands and go to Isla Taquile next morning).
 * To go independently, be at the harbour around 07:00 and ask around for boats going.

Get around
When staying overnight, simply ask someone on your island for a ride. When you are going there as part of a tour, your mobility will be limited to the one island you visit anyway.

See

 * Reed artesania Artwork built from the reed (totora) - The same plant being used for the houses and for the island.
 * Fishermen in the morning Available only if sleeping on one of the islands and with coordinating it with one of the locals ahead. Best time is at dawn (05:30) - if the lake is calm the sunrise will be unforgettable.

Buy
On all islands one visits as part of a tour, souvenirs are offered.

Eat

 * Trucha: Available only on the islands that have a restaurant. Because takes time to prepare available only when there is a long stop, or when staying overnight.
 * Reed: The bottom part of a fresh reed (colored white) is actually edible, and surprisingly not so bad - worth a try.

Drink

 * Muña mate A tea made from a herb growing in the environment of Titicaca lake. It is said this herb helps to cope with the high altitude, but even if not it's tasty minty taste is worth it.

Sleep

 * Qananpacha Hospedaje A new option offered is accommodation on one of the islands called Qananpacha. The rooms are equipped with double bed and made all out of reed, also available is a restaurant and a post office. Prices are very affordable - S/15 for a bed, and S/40 including a dinner and a breakfast. Not all tour agencies stop at this island, so better contact the hospedaje directly to make reservations: +51 951-835264, +51 950-951489 . Also a pickup from puno harbor can be arranged.

Connect
On the island Qananpacha there is a post office where you can send a postcard. The owners claim it is the only floating post office in the world. Not all the tours get there, you need to ask before booking if there will be a stop there.

Go next

 * Isla Taquile
 * Back to Puno

title: Uros Islands


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Uruapan

Uruapan (officially Uruapan del Progreso) is a city of 357,000 people (2020) in Michoacan. It is the center of Mexico's avocado growing region, with most of the crop distributed from here nationally and internationally.

Understand
Founded in 1533 by Fray Juan de San Migue, Uruapan is the second largest city in the state of Michoacan.

The city's center has colonial architecture which contain Plateresque and Moorish elements. There are six historic neighborhoods of the city: San Miguel, San Pedro, San Francisco, Santa Maria Magdalena, San Juan Bautista and Santo Santiago, all of which have colonial-era chapels in their centers.

Get in
It is 110 km to southwest of Morelia.

By bus
Uruapan is served by frequent bus service to major cities in the region. From Morelia, it is 1 hour 45 minutes on on the Parhikuni bus line (M$220 as of November 2022). Tickets to Patzcuaro are M$85 (Nov 2022). The bus station is on the Carretera Uruapan-Patzcuaro (MEX 14) at the intersection of Av. del Cerro.

By car
Uruapan is connected with Morelia by the motorway 14D, with the city of Zamora de Hidalgo, and Lazaro Cardenas by motorway 37D. From Mexico City, first get in to Morelia, and Guadalajara first to Zamora.

Get around
Taxis are plentiful in Uruapan and there are several sitios where they can be found waiting for passengers. Locals usually call for a taxi to come pick them up, so ask your hotel reception or concierge if they have a recommended taxi service and they will call one for you. Uber also works well in Uruapan and rates are generally cheaper than a taxi. There are also combis that will take you to nearby villages including Tingambato and Puruaran.

See

 * Plaza de Martires de Uruapan. Facing this plaza are two commercial portals as well as some of the city's most important landmarks. On the north side, there is the La Huatápera Museum. The Plaza has a chapel called Santo Entierro, with fine stonework in cantera in plateresque style. The interior is restored and contains images of angels playing musical instruments and important people from the history of the Catholic church. The rest of the complex shows Moorish influence and houses a collection of handcrafts from the various indigenous communities of the state.
 * La Huatápera Museum (also known as Museo de los Cuatro Pueblos Indios). Huatápera is a Purépecha word, meaning “meeting place.” It was originally a hospital, built over a pre-Hispanic platform. The museum exhibits artwork by the Purepecha, Nahua, and Otomi indigenous peoples, as well as temporary exhibits of art and historical interest.
 * Just to the east of the Huatápera Museum is the Immaculate Concepción church, which was built in the late 20th century. It has a cantera portal finished in the 1970s but no cupola nor bell tower.
 * The Casa de Cultura (Cultural Center) is on the western side of Huatápera. It was built in 1992 over what was the Franciscan monastery established by Juan de San Miguel. The original church of this monastery is now the parish church for the city. Built in 1533, it maintains its 16th-century Plateresque portal, and the interior of the church has a crucifix that dates from the 18th century. The paintings on the triangular spaces just under the cupola represent salvation and the miracle of the Mass, done by Mohamed Socidel.
 * The San Pedro Factory (Fabrica San Pedro) is a still-operational textile factory built in the late 19th century, when the city was at its industrial peak. Construction of the mill began in 1886, originally to work with cotton but later expanded to other fibers, such as linen and silk. The factory is still in operation but not to the same capacity as in the past. The current owners maintain the more handcrafted feel of the products making bedspreads, tablecloths, napkins and more. Part of the complex is now used for cultural and other events.
 * The city is home to the narrowest house in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Located at 50-C Carrillo Puerto, it measures 1.40 by 7.70 meters.

Events

 * Each neighborhood has its own festival: San José on March 19, El Vergel on the third Friday in June, San Juan Quemado on June 24, San Pedro on June 29, La Magdalena on July 22, Santo Santiago on July 25, San Miguel on September 29, San Francisco de Asis on October 4.[8] The patron saints’ days of these neighborhoods are celebrated with colorful dances such as Los Negritos.
 * In addition to traditional observances for Day of the Dead, the city has sponsored the Festival de Velas on the same days, where candles are arranged and lit to form figures at the Martires de Uruapan and Morelos plazas as well as on adjoining streets.
 * The Avocado Festival from mi-dNovember to mid December which consists of exhibitions and cultural events.

Buy
The Palm Sunday Handcraft Market (Tianguis de Domingo de Ramos) is held during Holy Week with the most important day being Palm Sunday, after which it is named. It covered the city large main square and attracts over a thousand artisans who sell.

Eat
The city's cuisine is influenced not only by the various ethnic groups in the area but also migration from other parts of Michoacan. Typical dishes include corundas, churipo (a beef and vegetable stew), mutton barbacoa, carnitas, quesadillas with squash flowers, flour tamales, various flavors of sweet and spicy atole, hot chocolate, uchepos, sweet potatoes and plantains cooked in various ways and more.

Budget
Behind the Huatápera there is a traditional food market which is open from the morning to late at night. There are others economical options on the adjacent street.

Go next

 * Paricutin
 * Patzcuaro
 * Morelia

title: Uruapan