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Russia-travel-visa---vodka-and-old-friends
By Nomad Rick
If you're think getting a visa to to Russia is difficult, you should try getting one to around the country. Living in Russia, I needed just such a Russia visa to go to a human rights conference. Ironic, eh?

Russia Visa

Unlike many countries, foreigners in Russia must declare on their visa where they will in the country. If they want to add a location, they have to get a new, temporary visa for the location. Basically, it is red tape and bureaucracy out the ying yang.

While living in Siberia, I was invited to speak at a human rights conference in the town of Tinda. I wasn’t entirely sure where this was, but knew I needed a temporary visa to get from my city to it. A fellow speaker, Oleg Vladimirovich, told me getting one would be no problem. I should’ve known I was in trouble when our first stop was the liquor store.

Four vodka bottles in hand, we hit our first stop at the home of a retired customs official who was married to someone’s half brothers third sister. We reminisced and drank shots for a half hour or so. Feeling no pain, the customs official called a friend and off we went to meet him while leaving the open vodka bottle behind.

At the new gentlemen’s home, we cracked our second bottle of vodka. Reminiscing was undertaken, which left me out of the process since I had never met the chap before. Eventually,

100 cool places in Arizona
Grand vistas? Check. Funky restaurants? On the list. Wild and woolly history? You got it. Arizona marks the centennial of its statehood, so we scoured the state and found five score places for your "must" list.<br/><br/>Western Arizona <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XPxmU7LaGBTsv7rNbOoFm0d1Irw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XPxmU7LaGBTsv7rNbOoFm0d1Irw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XPxmU7LaGBTsv7rNbOoFm0d1Irw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XPxmU7LaGBTsv7rNbOoFm0d1Irw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/34ls8UYH14c" height="1" width="1"/>
Arizona: First-rate journeys in the 48th state
When Arizona sought to become a state, an Indiana senator stood in its way, and President Taft vetoed the first try.<br/><br/>To get a modern-day perspective on the euphoria Arizonans felt on Feb. 14, 1912, when they were granted statehood, try to imagine the Cardinals winning the Super Bowl. Or the Diamondbacks winning the World Series. Or the Suns at long last nailing the NBA Championship. The territory had lusted after the equal status that came with statehood much like a teenager waiting for his driver's license. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/t0bPvr_hgRk9VgP_LMe4vPiQPHA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/t0bPvr_hgRk9VgP_LMe4vPiQPHA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/t0bPvr_hgRk9VgP_LMe4vPiQPHA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/t0bPvr_hgRk9VgP_LMe4vPiQPHA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/N1VEHro7aC0" height="1" width="1"/>
Latest news at Grand Canyon National Park
Visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park this year will find new water-bottle refilling stations, a South Rim bicycle rental and bike-tour operation is expected to open, a multiuse trail is expected to be finished, and more.<br/><br/>Grand Canyon National Park, the 5-million or 6-million-year-old granddaddy of Arizona tourism, logged 4.3 million visitors last year. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mWwiRvBqxH13K1HYTzgrbbPiVaw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mWwiRvBqxH13K1HYTzgrbbPiVaw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mWwiRvBqxH13K1HYTzgrbbPiVaw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mWwiRvBqxH13K1HYTzgrbbPiVaw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/zZnuwNd286c" height="1" width="1"/>
Dining out in Phoenix with Dodger Andre Ethier
The Arizona native is a devoted foodie and loves chasing down hole-in-the-wall joints and trendy new places. Here are a few Phoenix-area favorites.<br/><br/>For Phoenix food tips, we turned to Andre Ethier, who summers in the right corner of Dodger Stadium and winters at his ranch in Chandler, 30 minutes south of Phoenix. The Arizona native is a devoted foodie &mdash; chasing down hole-in-the-wall joints and new, trendy places whenever he gets the chance. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ViEqwcOcn5PCIig1opef0rcKP14/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ViEqwcOcn5PCIig1opef0rcKP14/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ViEqwcOcn5PCIig1opef0rcKP14/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ViEqwcOcn5PCIig1opef0rcKP14/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/jPmJjDFmpY0" height="1" width="1"/>
Travel experts share bargain-hunting tips
Los Angeles Times Travel Show: Experts from Travelzoo, LivingSocial and JohnnyJet.com share strategies for stretching vacation dollars.<br/><br/>If you don't know where you're going on vacation this year, you may not be indecisive. You might just be a bargain hunter. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HchKaaDTZNHe0oILArbtYbxs6SM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HchKaaDTZNHe0oILArbtYbxs6SM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HchKaaDTZNHe0oILArbtYbxs6SM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HchKaaDTZNHe0oILArbtYbxs6SM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/XVO5AUaL2D0" height="1" width="1"/>
Romantic getaways
A vibrant street life, stunning visuals, food and drink that sweeten your lips. The world's most romantic places seem to share these traits. But there is something more: a sense of style and spirit, a pace that's almost musical. Here's a list of ethereal places -- some expected, some not -- that can easily capture your heart.<br/><br/>Berlin: Put Berlin next to Paris and you have both sides of the coin: romance, which occasionally appeals, and eros, which never fails. "Berlin is sexy," said the German capital's openly gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit, and it's been that way since the iniquitous Weimar Republic of Marlene Dietrich and cabaret, when only verboten was a naughty word. Recent influxes of German hipsters and clued-in foreigners are (as the song says) "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" with Berlin's outré art scene, drinking in all-night bars where mind-numbing absinthe is the poison of choice, and dressing in provocative Weimar styles for Bohème Sauvage, an on-going series of nightclub parties with dancing to hot jazz, backroom poker and floor shows featuring scantily clad performers of undetermined sex. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jPkxS4uT4VvO1Lo7RdNrMDAU2Q8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jPkxS4uT4VvO1Lo7RdNrMDAU2Q8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jPkxS4uT4VvO1Lo7RdNrMDAU2Q8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jPkxS4uT4VvO1Lo7RdNrMDAU2Q8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/gD70SeTkg3I" height="1" width="1"/>
Hollywood finds romance in travel
On a train 'North by Northwest' and others, on a bus in 'It Happened One Night,' in Italy in 'Roman Holiday,' in Bali in 'Eat, Pray, Love' &#8212; love is all around.<br/><br/>Love is always lovelier some place other than home. Well, at least in the celluloid universe. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9Ep_dFTeA0BVVUtyK7MS82aYYOA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9Ep_dFTeA0BVVUtyK7MS82aYYOA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9Ep_dFTeA0BVVUtyK7MS82aYYOA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9Ep_dFTeA0BVVUtyK7MS82aYYOA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/Jw20SZSobcQ" height="1" width="1"/>
Indy tips for Super Bowl visitors
OK, you somehow scored Super Bowl tix. Congrats. Shouldn&rsquo;t everyone&rsquo;s uncle be a regional fleet manager for Ford?<br/><br/>OK, you somehow scored Super Bowl tix. Congrats. Shouldn&rsquo;t everyone&rsquo;s uncle be a regional fleet manager for Ford? <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/G7ECjb7E_QRNRvkhtuG5wxmKFY4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/G7ECjb7E_QRNRvkhtuG5wxmKFY4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/G7ECjb7E_QRNRvkhtuG5wxmKFY4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/G7ECjb7E_QRNRvkhtuG5wxmKFY4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/Hl2jKJwYO9E" height="1" width="1"/>
Cooking up gourmet adventures across the West
A guide to the hotels, resorts and other locales in the West that offer travelers hand's-on cooking lessons.<br/><br/>Cooking classes are sprouting like shiitake mushrooms across the West, often in gorgeous locations. For travelers who want to plan their gourmet adventures, we've found restaurants, hotels, lodges, resorts and culinary academies where they can improve their home-chef skills with hands-on lessons, demonstrations or tutoring by noted chefs. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BFoY9DXihQS8qermaYzL_Y88240/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BFoY9DXihQS8qermaYzL_Y88240/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BFoY9DXihQS8qermaYzL_Y88240/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BFoY9DXihQS8qermaYzL_Y88240/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/XfMAQG4NEkA" height="1" width="1"/>
12 places to visit in 2012
From historical celebrations to Oregon wines to a diamond jubilee in Britain to Warhol in Arkansas, here are a dozen places to explore and enjoy.<br/><br/>New Mexico: This year, New Mexicans mark 100 years of statehood. But much of the state's appeal stems from its human history that goes back much further. (In 2010, Santa Fe celebrated 400 years of cityhood.) Explore here: the adobe architecture and art galleries of Santa Fe; the vintage signage along old Route 66; the lingering hippie vibe of Truth or Consequences. Don't forget the Lightning Field, an art installation outside Quemado where (for $150 to $250 a person) you spend a summer night in a wood cabin and wait to see if lightning will strike one of the 400 tall steel poles outside your door. Even if there's no strike, the sky puts on shows at sunset and sunrise that will leave you in awe. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TKG1ZPX1ejRk_XExaQDmltHXSp4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TKG1ZPX1ejRk_XExaQDmltHXSp4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TKG1ZPX1ejRk_XExaQDmltHXSp4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TKG1ZPX1ejRk_XExaQDmltHXSp4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/travel/~4/Ld3egPKkyIs" height="1" width="1"/>

another phone call was made and we were off to make a new friend.

As you can probably guess, this process was repeated two more times. At our final meeting, I was so “warm on the inside, cold on the outside” as Russians say when demurely sipping vodka that I was reminiscing with a man and wife who I had never met before!

Eventually, we obtained the necessary visa or something that wouldn’t get me arrested. Oleg joked it was a “semi-visa”. It might work or might not. Seeing double, I headed home to pack my stuff for the train.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Nomad Rick
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals. journals are great travel accessories and gifts for student travel, family vacations and adventure travel. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com for more Russia articles and travelogues.

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