Beethoven
Trouble with your idea Beet is the Crime.
I know someone who went over there for the month but returned after two weeks....couldn't deal with the high level of crime and living like a prisoner....took all the enjoyment out of it. Everything had a wire fence around it and most were electric.
Guess is depends where in the Country you go as there are some lovely areas but most would want to fill out the paperwork and go to a known quantity. The stories I have heard are crazy. One said that he had to pay a kid to look out for his car when he went shopping because if he refused payment his car would not be safe!
Just to let you all know, about 10 years ago the process at the US Embassy was quite similar and they had slackened off. It is also interesting to know that it only seems to be US Embassy in the UK who has these new changes. I feel that the government believe that as we are in cohoots with the US that we should be careful from all around.