Travel tips to European Countries: Greece

About the county

Being one of the ancient civilizations accepted to animal affectionate Greece is a country with affluent history, ancestry and culture. It is the abode area Byzantine Empire already disqualified and additionally abundant Ottoman Empire. It is additionally advised to be as the bearing abode of Democracy. Athens is the basic burghal of Greece. The Olympic amateur originated in Greece. Not alone that, it was the apple centermost for western philosophy, political science, astronomy, mathematics, above accurate studies and what not. It is additionally accepted as a Mediterranean country as it has Mediterranean Sea in the south. It is a accepted destination for apple tourists in that arena accepted for its admirable beaches, ability history and absorbing villages. The Greek islands are one of the best admirable places to be explored by Cruise or Yacht. The cruise of Greece will absolutely be one of the best memorable to bethink in one’s life.

Population & Languages

The citizenry of Greece is about 11 actor and the official accent actuality announced is Greek. The added accepted languages are English and French.

Electricity

The voltage is 220 V and the abundance is 50 Hz. The types of bung acclimated are annular pin with attachment, annular pin with ground, Annular pin bung and bowl with macho accomplishments pin and “Schuko” bung and bowl with ancillary accomplishments contacts.

Geographic Location

It is amid in Southern Europe adjoining the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea amid Albania and Turkey. It is anchored in the southern ancillary of Balkan Peninsula. It is additionally belted by Bulgaria and Macedonia in the southeast.

Climate

It has three audible climates namely Alpine, Mediterranean and abstemious altitude with balmy and wet winters and additionally hot and dry summers due to Mediterranean affect. Alpine arrangement is apparent in aerial regions. The abstemious altitude is apparent abreast bound forth Macedonia. Athens has both abstemious and Mediterranean weather.

Local Customs

The Greece is a abode with able celebrated and cultural background. There are altered traditions and community in altered genitalia of the Greece. The throwing aback of a duke is advised to be a abrogating action actuality in Greece. Casual dress can be beat best of the times. Smoking is banned in accessible carriage casework and accessible buildings. Tipping 12 to 1 percent is accepted in restaurants, hotels and taxis.

Attractions

* The Olympic Amateur in Athens (the atom of the celebrated 2004 Olympic Games)

* Mardi Grass Celebrations in February

* The Parthenon in Athens

* Skiing in Arahova Mountains amid October and March

* Easter Celebrations

* Thessaloniki’s White Tower and country’s affluent Byzantine culture

* The south of Corinth

* The beaches in Lesvos

* The wine vineyards in the countryside

* The islands abreast the Aegean Sea

* The wildlife bottle in Alonissos (Sporades Marine Park)

* The famous, Moni Panagia Chozoviotissa, a Byzantine abbey in Amorgos

Travel

By Air – The civic airline of Greece is Olympic Airlines. Many accepted airlines like British Airways and Delta Airlines accomplish circadian flight from Athens. The better airport is anew complete Athens All-embracing Airport which is amid like 17 afar northeast of the city. The added all-embracing airports of Greece are Heraklion (Crete), Thessaloniki (Macedonia) and Corfu (Kerkira).

By Sea – The accepted Greek ports accommodate Corfu, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Piraeus (Athens), Rhodes, Thessaloniki and Volos. Shipping argosy and ferryboat curve articulation these ports with Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Russia and Turkey. Some of the accepted cruises operating in Greece are Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Festival Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Silversea and Swan Hellenic.

By Rail – If one is advancing from UK, the best way is to booty Eurostar alternation to Brussels or Paris and from there booty abutting alternation to Greece.

Duty Free Items

1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 250 gm tobacco

2. 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars

3. 1 liter spirit over 22% or 2 liter wine

4. Perfumes – 50 gm or 250 ml

5. Gifts up to €175

Prohibited Items

Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, best meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that accommodate added than sixty per cent alcohol.

About the county

Officially accepted as the Republic of Iceland, is amid in northwestern Europe. It comprises of the island of Iceland and its afar baby islands in the arctic Atlantic Ocean amid Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. Iceland’s burnished glaciers, hot thermal springs, amazing geysers, alive volcanoes, bedrock fields, beauteous waterfalls and snow-capped mountains, absolutely makes it the aboriginal ‘land of blaze and ice’.

Iceland is a actual ample island with a different mural which is asperous and bright with atramentous lava, red sulfur, hot dejected geysers, rivers, waterfalls, bays, fjords and blooming valley. The basic of Iceland is Reykjavík which is additionally the better burghal of Iceland. Nearly bisected of Iceland’s citizenry lives about Reykjavík. The accepted day-tripper attractions are centered additionally centered on this city. The best acclaimed allure is Gullfoss double-tiered avalanche which is set off with an outstanding bubble and hot springs of Geysir.

People ability admiration what one can do in Iceland. If you apprehend the account you will be afraid that there are so abounding things to do and see here. From watching whales to chichi accomplished dining, hiking, seeing Europe’s better berg Vatnajokull, fishing in rivers, horse riding, rafting, exploring the mural on a snow scooter, arcade designing wear, Summer Solstice Festival, appointment island of Grimsey to cantankerous the Arctic Circle, appointment medieval acreage at Stong and what not, the account is endless.

Population & Languages

The citizenry of Iceland is alone 299,388 and the official accent actuality announced is Icelandish. English, Nordic languages, German are additionally broadly spoken.

Electricity

The voltage is 220 V and the abundance is 50 Hz. The types of plugs acclimated are Round pin adapter bung and “Schuko” bung and bowl with ancillary accomplishments contacts.

Geographic Location

It is amid in northwestern Europe. It comprises of the island of Iceland and its afar baby islands in the arctic Atlantic Ocean amid Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. It is strategically amid amid Greenland and Europe

Climate

The altitude of Iceland can be termed as abstemious with clammy and air-conditioned summers and balmy and airy winters. The accomplished temperature recorded was 30.5°C (86.9°F) on 22 June 1939 at Teigarhorn. The everyman temperature anytime recorded was -38°C (-36.4°F) on 22 January 1918 at Grímsstağir and Möğrudalur.

Local Customs

Like any added country Iceland has its own community too and accustomed courtesies should be followed. Handshaking is customary. Visitors are arrive to homes back on a business cruise and accustomed courtesies should be observed. The bodies pay accurate absorption to their actualization and, as for best Western countries, accidental abrasion is broadly acceptable. Service accuse are included in the bills best of the time and tips are not expected.

Attractions

Reykjavik Attractions – Hallgrimskirkja Church, Civic Museum of Iceland, Botanical Gardens and the Einar Jónsson Museum

Travel

By Air – The civic airline of Iceland is Icelandair which operates to abounding internationsl destinations such as Amsterdam, Baltimore, Boston, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Halifax, London, Minneapolis, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm and Washington, additional added destinations in the summertime only. Added all-embracing airlines operating from Iceland accommodate Air Greenland (website: www.airgreenland.gl) and Iceland Express (website: www.icelandexpress.com).

Other, predominantly Scandinavian, carriers additionally accomplish services. Some airlines like Condor and Corsai, accomplish flights during the summertime. Flights additionally accomplish to the Faroe Islands and Greenland during the summer months. Major airport is Keflavik All-embracing Airport (KEF) amid at 31 afar south of Reykjavik.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 250g of added tobacco articles

2. 1 liter booze and 1 liter wine, or 1 liter booze and 6 liter beer; or 1 liter wine and 6 liter beer; or 2.25 liter wine

3. Food items up to 3kg not beyond kr13,000

4. Permits from Post & Telecom Authorities are appropriate for cordless phones, alien controls or radio transmitters. It is not appropriate for a GSM adaptable buzz

Prohibited Items

Un-canned goods, meat or dairy products, Narcotics, pornography, firearms, ammunition, weapons, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that accommodate added than sixty per cent alcohol.

About the Country

The summers are air-conditioned actuality but the winters are astringent with some affairs of snowfall. Rainfall can be accepted in any ages of the year. Dutch is the official accent here. English, French and German are the added languages that are spoken, out of which English is broadly spoken. Incase of emergency alarm 112.

Culture

Handshake is the frequently accomplished anatomy of greeting. Although angled is not mandatory, but it’s bigger to pay circuit amount in restaurants and taxis. A apprehensive allowance should be taken to the host’s abode consistently back arrive for a meal. Informal clothes are beat on a circadian basis, but bodies are accepted to about-face up in formals at amusing functions and acute restaurants.

Shopping

Pottery of Delft, Makkum and Workum is a charge buy. Silverware from Schoonhoven, crystals from Leerdam and chunk from Amsterdam are awful recommended.

Site Seeing

Apenheul Primate Esplanade is a abode to appointment which is a home to added than thirty breed of mammals. It charcoal bankrupt during the winter. De Hoge Veluwe is the oldest and better esplanade of Holland. Bicycles can be acclimated to analyze the 5,500 hectares of the park. Paleis Het Loo is a arresting Palace amidst by area and charcoal accessible year annular except on accessible holidays.

Electricity

230 V and 50 Hz

Travel

The civic airline that operates in Holland is KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines. It connects to about all the above cities of Europe, North America and Asia. Amsterdam Airport is the hub for abounding all-embracing and bounded flights. It is amid at 15 km abroad from the burghal and it takes 20 account to ability there by train. The Airline, KLM, provides bus account every 15-30 account which takes cartage to some of the acclaimed hotels of the city. Accessible buses can be availed too, to ability destination. Trains affix to Amsterdam’s Central Station and Zuid Station. Taxis booty tourists to about any location. The Airport appearance assignment chargeless shops, banks, showers, business center, babyish rooms, and car hire.

Rotterdam airport and Eindhoven airport are 8km abroad from the city. Trains and buses accomplish every 15 account to carriage cartage to their hotels. Facilities such as assignment chargeless shops, eateries, car rental, and internet can be availed at these airports. No abandonment tax is implemented on cartage at any of these airports.

The capital sea ports are Hook of Holland, Vlissingen and Rotteradm. Stena Line, P&O ferries and DFDS seaways accommodate bear account to get to Holland.

If traveling by railway, Eurostar provides the best account and connects to all the above cities of Europe. It provides aerial brand services. Good offers are provided on approved base and to advance them they should be monitored from time to time. Unused tickets are calmly refunded. The Inter-Rail canyon can be bought to account the absolute additional chic alternation biking aural 29 European countries.

Top chic alley arrangement connects Holland to majority of cities in Europe. They are able-bodied maintained and signs are acquaint every area for safe driving. 120kph is the acceleration absolute while active on highways. Abounding car ambidextrous agents abide if opting for car-rental. Some of them are Avis, Europcar and Budget.

Cycling is additionally a above agency of busline in Holland and is allotment and bindle of circadian life. Tourists can appoint cycles from the airport or added account providers with some money-deposit.

Duty Chargeless Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco

2. 50g of aroma and 250ml of eau de toilette

3. 1liter of liquor or 2liter of sparkling wine or liquor wines and 2liter of non-sparkling wine

4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract

* Face Shapes - Beard cuts and appearance charge clothing the facial appearance of an individual. Face shapes are of seven basal types:

o Oval,

o Round,

o Square,

o Rectangular,

o Pear,

o Heart, and

o Diamond.

* Beard Arrangement - Beard arrangement can be afflicted from the accustomed attending to the adapted attending aural assertive limits. Beard arrangement can be of three types:

o Fine,

o Medium, and

o Coarse.

* Beard Anatomy - Hairstyle charge be chosen, befitting the accustomed beard anatomy in apperception to accomplish them aftermost best and accumulate them added manageable. Beard Forms are of three types:

o Straight,

o Wavy, and

o Curly.

* Beard Aggregate - The adequateness of beard can change the attending of the face altogether and beard aggregate needs to be taken into annual to accomplish a hairstyle. Beard aggregate can be of three types:

o Thin,

o Medium, and

o Thick.

WHAT EXACTLY IS INGED/ELEA?

About the county

Also accepted as the Republic of Hungary or Hungarian Republic, Hungary is a landlocked country amid in Central Europe and adjoining Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Budapest is the better burghal and additionally the Capital of Hungary. One of the key affidavit why Hungary is accepted is its accommodation to tourists. Additionally one can acquisition an ideal mix of history and avant-garde day in Hungary. While Hungarians proudly stick to their old Magyar Tradition they additionally accumulate them beside with accepted fashions beyond the world. Best visitors army to see Budapest, a absolutely apple chic burghal anchored on River Danube which enchants anybody with adulation and music. The burghal is a alloy of ability and outstanding adorableness authoritative it the appropriate abode for tourists. The burghal has been a paradise for writers, musicians and artists who were abundantly afflicted by this adroit city. If you biking west in Hungary Lake Balaton is accepted with tourists. Local cuisines accommodate halászlé (fish soup) with pasta and goulash (gulyás) soup.

Population & Languages

The citizenry of Hungary is Roughly 10 actor and the official accent actuality announced is Hungarian.

Electricity

The voltage is 230 V and the abundance is 50 Hz. The types of plugs acclimated are Round pin adapter bung and “Schuko” bung and bowl with ancillary accomplishments contacts.

Geographic Location

Hungary is a landlocked country amid in Central Europe and adjoining Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. River Danube and River Tisza bisect the country into three ample regions. The country is strategically amid astride capital acreage routes amid Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as able-bodied as amid Ukraine and Mediterranean basin

Climate

The altitude of Hungary can be termed as Temperate with hot summers and algid winters. The boilerplate anniversary temperature of Hungary is about 9.6 °C. The best temperature in summer can be 43 °C and as low as -30 °C. The summer boilerplate is 26 to 36 °C and winter boilerplate is 0 to -16 °C.

Local Customs

Like any added country Hungary has its own community too. It is accepted to handshake. It is accepted to accomplish the acknowledgment and return. It is accepted for guests to action ability to the host of a meal. Smoker is banned in best accessible areas. But travelers can smoke in continued ambit trains. Casual dress is adequate in best places and academic for appropriate occasions. Tipping up to 10 to 15 percent is accepted for all casework including restaurants, bars, clubs, taxis etc.

Attractions

Budapest

* Castle Royal Palace

* Fisherman’s Bastion

* Matthias Church

* Gellért Hill

* Chain Bridge

* The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum

* Parliament Buildings

* Statue Park

Eger

* Eger Castle

* Szépasszony Valley (Valley of the Pretty Woman)

Lake Balaton

* Hévíz

* Keszthely

The Danube Bend

* Esztergom

* Szentendre

* Visegrad

Travel

By Air – The civic airline of Hungary is Malv which operates flights from added than forty cities beyond the world. Added all-embracing airlines operating from Hungary accommodate Aeroflot, Air France, British Airways, easyJet, KLM, Lufthansa, Sky Europe, Swiss, United Airlines and Wizz Air. Ferihegy Budapest All-embracing Airport (BUD) is the better airport which is like ten afar southeast of Budapest.

By River - There is a circadian hydrofoil account run by MAHART abutting Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest in the months of April to October.

By Abuse – The country is allotment of the all-encompassing arrangement of trains abutting the European cities. Hungary is affiliated to 16 European cities and there are 47 all-embracing trains circadian to Budapest by absolute abuse link.

Duty Free Items

1. 800 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or1kg smoker tobacco for EU countries.

2. 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of smoker tobacco for Non-EU countries.

3. 10 liter of booze with added than 22% and ethyl alcohol, or 20 liter of beverages beneath than 22% booze content, or 90 liter of wine or 60 liter of sparkling wine, or 110 liter of beer for EU countries.

4. 1 liter of booze and 2 liter of wine for Non-EU countries.

5. 50g aroma or 250 ml eau de toilette

6. Ability , Food, fruits, medications and flowers for claimed use of amount up to €175

Prohibited Items

Un-canned goods, meat or dairy products, Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that accommodate added than sixty per cent alcohol.

About the county

Italy, the birthplace of pasta and pizza provides a advanced ambit of choices for artwork lovers to experience. A abstemious altitude exists actuality with actual hot summers and not so algid winters. The acclimate is the best in bounce and autumn with affable temperatures and breathtaking views. At that time of the year, the abode isn’t awash abundant and things can be enjoyed in leisure. Incase of emergency alarm 112. For blaze alarm 115 and for ambulance alarm 118.

Culture

Italian is broadly announced and is the official language. English isn’t actual accustomed to the locals. Family ties are of absolute accent actuality and appropriately amusing courtesies beggarly a lot to the locals. There is a abundant appulse of the Roman Catholic Church on the ability here. There is a aerial agreeable of chlorine in tap waters, so bottled baptize is recommended for blockage fit during the trip. Since Italian is announced on a advanced scale, it is awful recommended to apprentice few accepted Italian phrases which can be of abundant use. Amusing gatherings alarm for academic wear, but one can dress in casuals otherwise. At some religious places, sleeveless shirt and shorts are frowned upon. So they are bigger avoided. Purses and wallets should be able-bodied attentive and in case of any theft, badge should be abreast about the incident.

Site Seeing

The aboriginal affair to analysis out is the aptitude belfry of Pisa, area Olympics originated. At places like museums and art galleries, photography, abnormally beam photography is restricted. Analysis out the admission adverse for added information. Italy should be majorly apparent on bottom for a absolute examination of all the admirable barrio and monuments. Coaches and trains are a acceptable advantage to get to a day-tripper spot.

Shopping

Shops actuality are accessible from 9am to 8pm, bankrupt for lunch. Quality of appurtenances is abundant although the prices are actual less. Items like crystals, lacework, covering good, and adornment can be bought at the stores. Remember to authority on to the receipt. Tipping of 10% is accepted forth with the account tax levied on the bill. Italy is acclaimed for top designers of the world, so do buy clothes and accessories to amend your wardrobe. Cruises accept academic gatherings in the evening, so ensure to buy a cocktail dress or some academic wear, admitting casuals can be beat at added times.

Electricity

The voltage acclimated is 220 volts and 50 Hz frequency.

Getting there

Alitalia is the civic airline of Italy. Abounding added flights affix to Italy from USA, Canada and Australia and there is big antagonism to allure cartage giving a advanced ambit of offers to travelers. Rome airport is amid 26 km abroad from the burghal and it takes 45 account to get there from the airport. Trains affix anon to Termini Station from area one can booty auto to get to their destination. Duty chargeless shops, bank, car appoint and restaurants are the added casework provided at this airport. Milan has addition acclaimed airport here, which is at a ambit of 45km abroad from the city.

Brindisi, Ancona, Naples and Venice are the above seaports of Italy. Italian State Railways connects abounding European cities. But, Eurostar provides the fastest alternation service.

If allotment to drive, don’t balloon to backpack all-embracing active authorization and all-embracing allowance certificate. Roads affix Italy to France, Austria and Switzerland. Abounding drillmaster casework are provided from the adjoining countries.

Duty Chargeless Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco

2. 2liter of wine and 1liter of alcohol (over 22 per cent) or 2liter of adherent or sparkling wine

3. 50g of aroma and 250ml of eau de toilette; 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee abstract (if over 15 years of age)

4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

5. Gifts not beyond €89.96 (if entering from an EU country), €175 (if entering from a non-EU country).

About the county

Ukraine which is amid in Eastern Europe is one of the better country in that arena of Europe adjoining Russia in the northeast, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and Moldova in the southwest and additionally Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the south. It is a accepted day-tripper destination abnormally for tourists from Western Europe and Arctic America. The basic affairs point is the affluent actual appearance of the country with as abounding bristles hundred cities dating aback as aboriginal as nine hundred years. Visitors are agape by the architectural adorableness of Ukraine. Kiev is the basic and the better burghal of Ukraine area best travelers activate their journey.

Population & Languages

Ukraine has a citizenry of almost 46.7 actor and the official accent is Ukrainian. The added languages announced actuality are Russian, Romanian, Polish and Hungarian.

Electricity

Voltage - 220 volts, Frequency - 50Hz. Standard European Round pin adapter plug

Geographic Location

Ukraine is amid in Eastern Europe adjoining Russia in the northeast, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and Moldova in the southwest and additionally Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the south. The cardinal area of Ukraine amid Asia and Europe fabricated it a busline hub in the region.

Local Customs

Ukrainians are balmy hearted and affable people. Casual bathrobe is mostly beat actuality admitting it will be a acceptable abstraction to abrasion smartly for theatres. Small ability are appreciated. Tipping is not actual common; account is usually included in accomplished restaurants and auberge bills.

Places to see

St Sophia Cathedral – As old as nine centuries, it is one of the architectural marvels of Ukraine.

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Caves Monastery) – These caves are as old as one millennium and dating aback to 11th century.

Great Patriotic War Museum

Statue of the Motherland, Kiev

Travel

By Air – The civic airline of Ukraine is Ukrainian International Airlines. In accord with Aer Fi Group and Austrian Airline it links Kyiv to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam, Vienna and Zurich. There is one added airline in Ukraine alleged Air Ukraine which serves almost beneath cardinal of European cities. Lviv is additionally affiliated to New York, Warsaw and Washington. It is affiliated to Turkey through Simferopol and to UK through IvanoFrankivsk. The above airport is Boryspil State International Airport (KBP) which is amid twenty bristles afar from Kiev.

By Sea – The primary ports of Ukraine are Izmail and Odessa which are anchored on the River Danube. The bear casework affix Ukraine with Russia and Georgia. They additionally affix assorted cities on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Sevastopol is the anchorage which connects Istanbul, Turkey.

By Rail – Ukraine has about 14,000 afar of railway advance bond best towns and cities. Kyiv and Lviv are the basic stations which affix with Moscow on a circadian basis. Ukraine additionally has absolute curve to Berlin (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Warsaw (Poland) and Bucharest (Romania).

By Alley – Ukraine has an all-encompassing arrangement of anchorage with about 107,000 mile of alley arrangement out of which about 18,000 mile is basic or civic roads.

Duty Free Items

1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gm tobacco

2. 1 liter spirit over 22% or 2 liter wine or 32 liter beer

3. Goods for claimed use with a accumulated amount of €200

Prohibited Items

Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, best meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that accommodate added than sixty per cent alcohol.

Interesting perspective.

Please read this and pass it on — it could save your life!!

* * * * EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP’S ARTICLE ON THE “TRIANGLE OF LIFE”, Edited by Larry Linn for MAA Safety Committee brief on 4/13/04.

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world’s most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation (UNX051 - UNIENET) for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

In 1996 we made a film which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul, Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did “duck and cover,” and ten mannequins I used in my “triangle of life” survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the “triangle of life.” This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn’t at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the “triangle of life”. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the “triangles” you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building. They are everywhere. I trained the Fire Department of Trujillo (population 750,000) in how to survive, take care of their families, and to rescue others in earthquakes.

The chief of rescue in the Trujillo Fire Department is a professor at Trujillo University. He accompanied me everywhere. He gave personal testimony: “My name is Roberto Rosales. I am Chief of Rescue in Trujillo. When I was 11 years old, I was trapped inside of a collapsed building. My entrapment occurred during the earthquake of 1972 that killed 70,000 people. I survived in the “triangle of life” that existed next to my brother’s motorcycle. My friends who got under the bed and under desks were crushed to death [he gives more details, names, addresses etc.]…I am the living example of the “triangle of life”. My dead friends are the example of “duck and cover”.

TIPS DOUG COPP PROVIDES:

1) Everyone who simply “ducks and covers” WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE is crushed to death — Every time, without exception. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. The reason is simple: the wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room, telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens while you are watching television and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Everybody who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different “moment of frequency” (they swing separately from the main part of the building).The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads. They are horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn’t collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by screaming, fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked;

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles, says the author. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper

There are those in Turkey who perceive Turkey’s ambition to join the EU as a state policy. The point they usually stress is the claim that this effort is nothing but the continuation on the path of Westernization that Turkish Republic’s founders set as the premier national goal. There are some others who do not like the EU accession process and what it entails economically or politically. Their arguments are based on what they call “Turkey’s unique situation” and this argument whereby they support a centralistic nation-state rather than an integrated country to Europe. At that point, both pro and cons of the debate have to face another debate: that is the inevitability of the EU. While pro-EU arguments see the accession process as an indispensible part of Turkish modernization, counter opinions seek alternative routes on the other hand.
Supportive arguments for the EU membership not only derives from the foundation of the Turkish Republic and the pro-Western approach it carries, but also economical facts. In this context, Turkey’s trade volume with the EU countries is emphasized consistently. Although Turkey is a part of Europe economically till the Customs Union Agreement of 1995 , it can not be left aside politically. That would not be wrong to say that pro-EU approaches have an integrationist background in economic theory. This is by no means objectors are only consisting of protectionists. However most of them
believe that Turkey’s middle scale industries in its infancy would suffer from the stiff competition that was expected to brought about by the integration. Some indicate that this was the situation after the Customs Union Agreement. No matter what kind of opinions do different interest groups
hold, Turkey has benefitted from the accession process
so far. Stock markets’ performance has reached all-time high this year. Interest rates were cut to historical levels with the elimination of double-digit inflation rates for the first time. Central banks’ reserves hit the level that politicians began to speak of a debt payment to IMF before the scheduled plan. No one can deny the fact that Turkey’s accession process played a major role in this panorama. What precedes reveals that Turkey needs the EU in terms of its economic stability and prosperity. Moreover, Turkey’s full membership is to mutual benefits of both parts. This is especially because Turkey is a cure for aging Europe. If the young generation of Turkey were educated with the help of funds injected by the European budget, European economy would be reinforced with a fresh work force.
Turkey’s national security concerns comes to the forefront in anti-EU chants. According to their thesis, the jeopolitical situation of Turkey makes it crucial for it to pursue its own way. Copenhagen criterias uphold the freedom of speech, freedom of self-expression, civil society, a free press, supremacy of law and all the virtues of a democracy, thereby weakening the nation-states. As the EU countries do not face the terror problems that Turkey has, there’s no need for restriction in those countries. Granted this idea has some truth, it is a widely state-centric view. The ideologies upholding the well-being(!) of a totality rather than individuals are losing ground dramatically in the globalization era. A growing part of the educated public is becoming convinced that Turkey’s problems and its revolving crises cannot be overcome in the absence of a radical change favoring liberalization and democratization. This new generation seems to be sceptical about national security claims and tends to tie national security crowd to particular political circles.
Another argument also voiced by some European leaders is that Turkey is not European. If Turkey becomes a member of the EU, both sides are likely to face an identity crisis. We should say once more that this idea does not reflect the facts. Turkey needs to absorb Western values at least in terms of individual liberty. On the other hand, Europe needs Turkey to show the world once again, Islam can go hand in hand with democracy, open societies, human and women’s rights. This is decisive for the Europe’s security in the 21st century.
The arguments set so far are enough to eradicate a possible euroasia alternative. It goes without saying that even the membership talks made Turkey progress toward democracy, prosperity, civil rights and so on. In this respect, the alternatives, if anything, are not to be taken seriously.
The EU is not only a progressive alternative to moribund political visions, but also a guarantee for a stronger democracy. Whatever one’s ideological standpoint is, this country is already on its way to Europe and has a long way to go. We sometimes believe that there’s something irreversible in history. What I believe is that we are in that irreversible moments nowadays. It may come pleasant to some ears that this country is strong enough to show off an alternative route, but it makes no sense at all! We should move with the time. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves in the scrap-heap of history.

Source: http://forum.seslisozluk.com/showthread.php?t=9633