Enterprising New Yorkers help ease Chinese visa woes

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Had a problem getting a Chinese tourist visa in New York City? Apparently you’re not alone. Travelers around the web have reported consistent frustration with the Big Apple’s PRC Consulate, with issues ranging from rude employees, to inconsistent approval policies, to prolonged waits.

Travel visa bureaucracy may be nothing new, but the city’s entrepreneurial reaction to it has been intriguing. As NPR reports, some enterprising New Yorkers have managed to create a surprisingly successful business, operated out of a mobile van, to help travelers deal with the hassle.

Adam Humphreys and Steven Nelson, owners of Lucky Dragon Mobile Visa Consultants, have become a beacon of hope for travelers turned away by the consulate’s downright baffling policies. For a flat rate of just $20, they’ve set up a mobile van that operates across the street from the consulate, offering printers, helpful advice, updated application forms and fluent Mandarin speakers to assist with travelers problems. According to the report, the business has been wildly successful – the pair are reportedly clearing upwards of $500 a day.

Have you experienced problems getting a Chinese visa? How did you handle it? Leave us a note in the comments.

[Flickr photo by Zach Klein]

Tourists will have to tango with inflation or worse in Argentina

by Josh Lew on

It is starting to look like deja vu for Argentina. The country came out of a terrible financial crisis only a few years ago. The 2001 slide seems like a distant memory for residents of Buenos Aires, who crowd into restaurants and spend their money freely. The government has been busy spending too. They are in debt after revamping the country with new schools and other civic projects.

And, unlike neighboring countries, Argentina did not build up its financial reserves for a rainy day. Now, with inflation at nearly 25% according to economists (the government says its only 10%), there are storm clouds on the country’s horizon. Could there be a repeat of 2001, when the economy came crashing down and tourists became targets of kidnappers seeking ransoms? It’s possible. The US and the IMF, who basically bailed out Argentina in ’01 might hesitate before doing it again. But the chaos of ’01 has not yet hit again. But, with uncertainty in the air, travelers might want to opt for a bit of Southern Hemisphere sun in Brazil, rather than B.A.

[Via Wash. Post]

Is there hope for Dubai’s traffic problem?

by Abha Malpani on

Other than my occasional rant here at Gadling, we almost always talk about Dubai’s mind-blowing developments. As much as I think that Dubai’s growth, development, and all-round vision is extraordinary, I can’t help but wonder: how, in this extended planning phase, authorities forgot to include the development of public transport.

Other than a poor bus system, the 2.2 million residents of Dubai depend on their cars and taxis to get from one point to another. The result? Dreadful and excruciating traffic jams at peak hours.

Dubai has already begun constructing a fully-automated under-and-above ground metro system (which at the moment has worsened the traffic situation because of the dug-up roads), but until then, their solution to the horrendous traffic problem is the addition of automatic toll gates (called Salik) on main roads across the city, that charge $1.10 (Dhs.4) every time you drive through them. This system started last year, and this month, phase two of the Salik system has begun. The hope is that this will reduce the traffic on certain roads at certain times, but this picture shows what is happening instead.*New addition: Seems like this is actually Moscow, not Dubai, as pointed out by nzm in the comments. Oops. However, this could totally be Dubai, as also pointed out by nzm.)

Yes, yikes.

Along with the increased cost of living in Dubai, Salik will certainly be pinching many pockets, however, the long term plan makes sense. The way the system works, you can be charged up to $6.5 (Dhs.24) a day passing through these gates. This way, the Dubai RTA plans to generate about $11 billion over a 3 year period, with which 500km of roads will be constructed, and traffic will flow freely again. I really, really hope so, especially because I might be moving back there soon.

[Thanks to BuJassem at UAE Community blog for the picture]