WELCOME TO WONDERFUL MACEDONIA
Transcription
WELCOME TO WONDERFUL MACEDONIA
IAESTE MACEDONIA WELCOME TO WONDERFUL MACEDONIA SURVIVAL BOOKLET 2016 About IAESTE Macedonia IAESTE Macedonia (Macedonian Committee for the International Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) is an independent, non-profit and non-political student exchange association, who has been a full member of IAESTE a.s.b.l. for more than 20 years. IAESTE Macedonia provides students of science, engineering, technology and the applied arts with paid, course-related, technical training abroad. IAESTE Macedonia has 4 Local Committees at the state Universities in Skopje, Bitola, Shtip and Ohrid. About Macedonia It’s so interesting to visit a country that has so much history, yet it is so new to the eyes of our modern world. There are a few facts that you might not yet know about Macedonia, but that speak part of the interesting and mysterious character of this country. • The summers and autumns in Macedonia are warm and dry while the winters are cold and heavy snowfall is experienced. • A traditional food is called “ajvar” which is roasted red peppers and eggplant mashed together with garlic, oil, and salt. It is really good when served with feta cheese and bread. • It seems like there is a bakery on every corner. • It is not unusual to see naked women in the daily newspaper. • Wineries produce 135 million liters of wine, 150 million liters of natural brandy. Breweries produce 850 million liters of beer. • Ohrid Lake is the oldest and one of the deepest lakes in Europe (max depth 288m or 940ft). It is estimated 4 million years old and has 200 endemic species that haven’t been found at any other place in the world. It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. • The first Slavic school, Ohrid Literary School, was established in Macedonia by Saint Clement of Ohrid. • The town of Ohrid is sometimes referred to as the European Jerusalem for that reason, and at one time sported more than 350 churches. • Macedonia is the birth land of Mother Teresa. (She was born in Üsküb, the modern-day Skopje). • According to NASA, Kokino is the fourth oldest astronomic observatory in the world; with the oldest three being Abu Simbel, Egypt; Stonehenge, Great Britain; and Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Kokino is located approximately 30 km from the town of Kumanovo, and about 6 km from the Serbian border. • It has more number of mountains and mountain peaks than any other country in the world. The country has as many as 34 mountain peaks, each with a height of more than 2,000 meters above the sea-level; with Mount Golem Korab being the highest at 2,753 meters above sealevel. Most peaks in Macedonia have never been visited by people. • Just outside the capital city, Skopje, is a place called Matka, which literally means ‘womb’. • The Millennium Cross is a 66 metrehigh cross situated on the top of the Vodno Mountain in Skopje, and it is the biggestcross in the world. It was constructed to serve as a memorial of 2,000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and the world. Administrative Issues If you are an IAESTE trainee, please make sure you receive and return the form N/5b «Confirmation of Acceptance», to the IAESTE National Office in your country within two weeks. If you fail to do this, the preparations for your stay in Macedonia might be delayed. Below is a list of countries whose nationals do not require a visa for visits to Macedonia of up to 90 days: Finance Your salary will usually be sufficient to meet the costs of living for one person but not necessarily to cover extra expenses. In Macedonia, you have to pay the rent in advance at the beginning of each month. At the same time, you will probably have to pay a security deposit (20 euros). The salary however, is usually paid at the middle of your internship. Therefore make sure that you have access to enough money (cash, credit card or bank account) until you get paid. If, for any reason, you do not have enough money at the beginning of your stay, ask your company to give you an advance payment. There are no currency restrictions about entering Macedonia with cash. The currency in Macedonia is called Macedonian denar (MKD). In Macedonia you can find coins of 1,2,5,10 and 50 denars and notes of 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 denars. Money can be exchanged at hotels, banks and exchange offices (called Менувачница) at the current rate of exchange. Credit cards American Express, Visa, Diners club, MasterCard and Eurocard are accepted up to a total amount of 150 EUR per day. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged in any major bank office. Banks and post offices are open between 8am and 4pm during the week, and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays. Remark: Upon your arrival in our country you must leave deposit of 20 euros to the Summer Reception coordinators that will cover unexpected damage in the dormitory, as well as at your workplace, caused by disrespecting the working conditions stated in the job offer. However, you will be obligated to meet the costs for repairing any damage. For specific questions and problems you are always welcomed to contact us at [email protected] . Accommodation Normally the LC or the company arranges your accommodation (i.e., student houses, company houses, private rooms, shared flats, etc). You will have to pay the 2 weeks rent in advance (2250 denars) and usually a deposit of 20 euros (the same deposit that was mentioned earlier). The rent for 1 month (4 weeks) is 4500 denars. If you want to move to another accommodation, other than one you have been assigned to, keep in mind that you have to sort it out by yourself. Before moving out, you must always give advance notice to your landlord as mentioned in your contract. Otherwise, you will have to pay the rent until the end of your lease. Don’t forget that you MUST also inform the IAESTE office of your new address as well as your tutor or the person that found the original accommodation. Insurance Check that you have a health insurance that is valid in Macedonia. Except for health insurance we strongly advise you to arrange a traveler’s insurance and insurance for personal possessions against theft, loss or breakage prior to arrival in your home country. Transport to Macedonia Plane There are two international airports in Macedonia: in Skopje - Airport “Alexander the Great” and in Ohrid - Airport “St. Paul the Apostle”. The Airport in Skopje “Alexander the Great” is bigger, busier and better connected. It is around 15 km away from the center of Skopje. In case you need to get by yourself to the center of Skopje, you have a bus line with a timetable on the following link http://www.vardarexpress.com/index.php?id=28&L=2 The bus ticket costs 175 denars (around 3 euros). Closest to the center is the bus stop at the Hotel „Holiday Inn“. The Airport in Ohrid is located 9km away from Ohrid and unfortunately there are no bus lines to the city, but there are taxis and the price is approximately 8 EUR depending on the desired location in Ohrid. You can get more information about both airports on this link http://www.airports.com.mk/ by choosing the name of the desired airport. If there isn’t direct flight from your country you can choose to arrive in some of the near airports such as: Sofia (Bulgaria), which is 250 km away from Skopje, Thessaloniki (Greece) 260 km. There are regular bus lines from Sofia to Skopje twice a day. Also the airports in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Zagreb (Croatia) and Belgrade (Serbia) can be used for connection. (Note: some countries nationals may need transit visas for Serbia). *** CHEAP FLIGHTS to Macedonia: http://wizzair.com/ *** Transport to Macedonia Train You can use the connections from Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Thessaloniki or Athens. They arrive at Central Railway Station in Skopje every day. Bus If you chose to travel by bus, connections are available from the major cities in Europe (Brussels, Vienna, Sofia, Istanbul, Belgrade etc.) The international bus station is located in the center of the city, together with the Central Railway station. Car By road, Macedonia is connected with Europe with two main routes: E75 highway is part of Corridor 10 with direction north-south, which is going from Serbia to Greece, passing through Macedonia, near Skopje. With Bulgaria and Albania, Macedonia is connected with E65, E852 and E871 which are parts of Corridor 8, with direction east-west. Transport in Macedonia Buses The regular bus transport starts around 5am and finishes around 11pm. There are also few night buses but only for certain lines. Thе bus ticket costs 40 denars if bought in the bus. The prices do not depend on the destination. There is also card on which you can put as much money as you want/think you will need for your stay. The cars itself is 200 denars (one time) plus the money for the tickets. Taxi Taxi service is easy to get and it is very affordable. The fares are 40 denars for start and 22 denars per each kilometer. Don’t forget to ask for discount, they usually have it. So basically it should cost you around 120 – 170 denars to get around Skopje in a cab. Taxi companies that we recommend are: Vodno (15191), Global (15180), Classic (15167), Lotus (15157), Nashe Taxi (15152), Palace (15166), City (15151), Teniks (15194), and Yellow (15185). Note: Be careful with the illegal taxi drivers that can charge you much more than expected. What to bring • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Passport (visa if necessary) IAESTE papers Enough money, credit card Tickets (plane, train, etc.) Special medicines Sleeping bag (if you have, because there will be some weekend activities on the mountains) Warm clothes Good shoes (e.g. hiking shoes) Raincoat, umbrella Swimming suit, sun cream Camera Travel guide International student identity card (ISIC) Adapter for your electrical equipment (230 V, 50 Hz, Swiss plug; see 5.2) Your country identity and symbols (flag, t-shirt, food, drinks, etc. There will be an International night!) Good to know • • • • Smoking in public places is strictly forbidden. Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz Time zone: CET (Central European Time), GMT +01:00. It’s not allowed to buy alcohol after 9pm (summer time) or 7pm (winter time). Shopping On weekdays, shops are usually open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. On Saturdays, they close either at 4:00 p.m. or at 5:00 p.m. depending on the area. Most shops are closed on Sundays. In suburbs and country towns, some shops close for lunch. VERO, Tinex, KAM Market ,Hedis, MaxiD, SP market, Carrefour are cheap supermarkets and offer most of what you need. Almost every shop accepts a credit card. Keep in mind that smaller shops only take cash. There are several green markets in Skopje: Bit pazar (near the Old Turkish Bazaar), Bunjakovec (near the main Ortodox Church), Green Market (in the center of the city), Taftalidze (in Taftalidze suburb). Shopping Supermarket or local shops: • • • • • • • • • • Bread (loaf 0,6 kg) 20-30 MKD Butter 60-70 MKD Eggs (package of 10) 60 MKD Milk (1l) 40-60 MKD Mineral water (1.5l bottle) 20 MKD Coke (tin/2l, bottle) 30/70 MKD Juices (1l) 40-70 MKD Beer (0.5l, bottle) 30-60 MKD Wine (1l, bottle) 90-400 MKD Tequila, brandy, vodka (1 l, bottle) 350-1000MKD • • • • • • • • • • Chocolate bars (100 g) 40-70 MKD Cigarettes 50-120 MKD Cheese (per kg) 200-500 MKD White cheese (per kg) 130-300 MKD Ham (per kg) 170-400 MKD Snacks (depending on quantity) 10-150 MKD Pizza (slice) 60 MKD Fruits and vegetables (1 kg) 20-100 MKD Corn flakes 120-200 MKD Pasta 30-50 MKD Shopping Cafes, clubs and restaurants: Fast-food: • Juice (glass) 60-120 MKD • Coke (glass) 60-100 MKD Beer (0.33 or 0.5 l, bottle) 70-120 MKD• Tequila, brandy, vodka (glass) 60-100 • MKD • Nescafe/cappuccino/ice coffee/hot • chocolate (cup) 60-120 MKD • Coffee (cup) 30-100 MKD • Tea (cup) 30-70 MKD • • • • Burek (1/4 pie) 40-50 MKD Ice-cream 40-100 MKD Cakes and cookies (a piece) 10-100 MKD Hamburgers and other sandwiches 30180 MKD Pizza 180-300 MKD Communication The homepage of IAESTE Macedonia (www.iaeste.org.mk) contains information for trainees, companies, students and members. The main page for trainees is http://iaeste.org.mk/trainee/ which informs about the event program 2016, weekly meetings and mailing lists. The National Office is also active on Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/IAESTEMacedonia https://twitter.com/IAESTEMacedonia There is a Facebook group for all trainees that are coming to Macedonia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/244686202542741/ Important numbers Police: 192 Fire Brigade: 193 First Aid: 194 Medical Assistance: 3171715 Information: 1188 IAESTE Macedonia Office: +389 2 3065069 IAESTE Macedonia office Address: FEIT & MFS "Orce Nikolov" bb. 1000 Skopje, Macedonia E-mail: [email protected] Map (1) Map (2) Mini dictionary Здраво (Zdravo) Како си? (Kako si?) Добро утро (Dobro utro) Добар ден (Dobar den) Добро вечер (Dobro vecer) Добра ноќ (Dobra nok) Да (Da) Не (Ne) Чао (Cao) Колку е часот? (Kolku e casot?) Колку чини ова? (Kolku cini ova?) Благодарам (Blagodaram) Фала (Fala) Не те разбирам (Ne te razbiram) Не зборувам македонски (Ne zboruvam makedonski) Ми треба помош (Mi teba pomos) Hello How are you? Good morning Good afternoon Good evening Good night Yes No Bye What’s the time? How much is this? Thank you Thanks I don’t understand you I don’t speak Macedonian I need help Clubs in Skopje National restaurants in Skopje International restaurants in Skopje Bars, pubs, caffes (1) Bars, pubs, caffes (2)