TRAVEL AND LIVING INFORMATION

TRAVEL AND LIVING INFORMATION

Halai, focus of the Cornell Halai and East Lokris Project (CHELP), is located in the seaside town of Theologos (Ayios Ioannis Theologos), in Lokris (a district of the larger province of Phthiotis). The town of Theologos is administratively part of the district of the larger town of Malesina, ca. 8 k. to the southeast.CHELP administrative activities are divided between the project storerooms in the nearby town of Tragana (phone: 22330 92323) and the camp at Vivos (BIBOΣ in Greek) on the Coleman/Purdy property (cell phones: 698 215 6729 and 697 962 4954). Vivos is a little bay about 3 kilometers southwest of Theologos, in the territory of the town of Proskynas. Nearly all participants live at Vivos but a few may occasionally be at Theologos. We try to keep the following information up-to-date but things may change a bit each year.The site of Mitrou, a focus of earlier survey work by CHELP and subsequently excavated by the Mitrou Archaeological Project, is an islet just off the shore of Tragana beach, a kilometer or so north of the town of Tragana.GOING TO HALAI/THEOLOGOS:look at the map of Central GreeceBY CAR: from Athens take the National Highway (Ethniki Odos) north towards Lamia and Thessaloniki. About 124 k. from Athens take the exit for Malesina/Theologos, and follow signs for Theologos (about 8 k. from the National Highway on a good paved road). The archaeological site is within Theologos, on the north side of the bay, about 200 m. to the right after the road reaches the sea. The trip is 2 hours or less, depending on Athens traffic. BY BUS: take the 2:30 PM Malesina bus from Athens, as described below; in July and August it goes all the way to Theologos after a stop in Malesina. Or take a Lamia bus, as below, and get off at the Malesina/Theologos exit from the National Highway. We can pick you up there by prearrangement or you can walk or hitch to Malesina and take a taxi to Theologos. People are often generous about offering rides and it is probably safe to accept, except perhaps for women alone.GOING TO THE CAMP AT VIVOS ON THE COLEMAN/PURDY PROPERTY:look at the map of East Lokris (Halai)BY CAR: take the National Highway to the Malesina/Theologos exit as above, follow the signs toward Theologos and Proskynas, turn left from the paved road leading to Theologos after a couple of kilometers and continue another couple of k. to the village of Proskynas, Pass through the village and continue straight, passing under the National Highway. Shortly thereafter, turn right onto the road leading north, marked by a sign mentioning Paralia Vivou (ΠΑΡΑΛΙΑ BIBOΥ), and continue going north toward the sea. The property is about 2 1/2 k. north of Proskynas. The property has a new, modern-looking house on a fenced-in plot, the second to last house before the sea. There will be tents in the back during field seasons. The sea is a few hundred meters further on. BY BUS: take any Lamia bus, as below, and get off at the Theologos/Malesina exit as above or further on, at about 132 k., the town of Tragana, less than a kilometer past the toll gates on the National Road (ΔΙΟΔΙΑ in Greek, pronounced thi-o-dhia with the accent on the o; this is the third set of toll gates after leaving Athens). From Tragana, service roads lead eastward on either side of the National Road in the direction of the camp. Staff and volunteers can call cell phone number 698 215 6729 ahead of time to arrange to be met at the Tragana bus stop and have their luggage brought to the Vivos camp. If continuing on foot from Tragana, take the service road on the north side, exit from the National Road at the north side of the toll gates and walk northeast for about 2 k. along a rural roadway to the house. Or you can continue east towards Proskynas and follow the route just described under Aby car.@You can also try to get the bus to let you off at the toll gates themselves, although the bus staff is sometimes reluctant to believe that foreigners really want to get off there.GOING TO THE CHELP STOREROOMS AT TRAGANAlook at the map of East Lokris (Halai) Exit the National Road by car or bus as just described and make your way south for less than a km. to the main square, the plateia (πλατεια), of the town of Tragana. The storerooms are on the south side of the plateia near the southeast corner.GOING TO MITROU Exit the National Road or get off the Lamia bus at Tragana and drive or walk a kilometer or so to the sea. Mitrou will be off to your left. At high tide the water between the mainland and Mitrou will be about thigh high.ABOUT BUSES FROM ATHENS You leave Athens from the bus station for central and northern Greece, known generally as the KTEL LIOSSION because it is on Liossion Street. The KTEL LIOSSION is north of the center of Athens and can be reached by taxi or by city bus (number 24). From the KTEL LIOSSION take a bus marked for ΛAMIA (Lamia; the line that provides service to our area) and buy a ticket for the crossroads for Malesina (if going to Theologos) or for Tragana or the toll gates near it (see above) if going to the Coleman/Purdy property at Vivos. If coming on your own, follow the directions above for Halai or the Coleman/Purdy property.Daily at 2:30 PM there is also a direct bus from the KTEL LIOSSION to Malesina. In July and August the bus has a continuation to Theologos, arriving at about 5:00 PM; otherwise, taxis are usually available in Malesina (ask at the coffee shop -kafeneion- where the bus stops).The Lamia buses leave the KTEL LIOSSION daily every hour at 15 minutes past the hour from 6:15 AM to 4:15 PM and less regularly thereafter until 9:00 or 9:30 PM. The Saturday and Sunday schedule may have fewer buses in the evening. The trip takes about 2 hours. The bus usually makes a rest stop, sometimes just before getting to our area. The phone number of the KTEL LIOSSION is 210 831-7147. A ticket constitutes a seat reservation. Try to get there a little early; if all seats are taken, you can make the trip standing or take a later bus.Taxis from the airport to the KTEL LIOSSION should not be too expensive but the drivers sometimes overcharge and can charge extra for luggage. Ask for an approximate price before you decide. There are also fairly frequent busses from the airport to the KTEL LIOSSION; ask the driver to let you off at the right place and point the way since is bus station is a block or so from the stop.During the summer we can usually meet you at the Malesina crossroads on the National Highway or in Malesina or Tragana if you telephone us ahead of time. Please note that is is possible that at some future time there may be busses direct from the airport to Central Greece but we are not holding our breath.ADDRESS FOR PARTICIPANT’S MAIL: Halai Excavations c/o Nikos I. Psarras35 odos Anapavseos Malesina, Phthiotidos 35001 GREECE Tel: 30 (country code) 22330 (area code) 51 183IN EMERGENCIES, call the CHELP mobile phones (see below) or the CHELP storeroom at Tragana (22330 92 323) or contact us via the American School of Classical Studies (see below).CHELP has e-mail contact and all summer participants can be reached at jec13@cornell.edu in cases of urgency or emergency. Outgoing e-mail service may also be available to volunteers and students through our phone connection in the workrooms at Tragana and in the Vivos camp.UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FOR PROJECT AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES 54 Souidias Street, GR 106 76 Athens, GREECE Tel: 30210 (country and area code) 721-5833; 723-6313 or 6314; Fax: (3010) 729-4047 Director: Jack Davis (jack.davis@ascsa.edu.gr) Secretary: Robert A. Bridges Jr. (RB6587009@ascsa.edu.gr) Administrator: Maria Pilali (mpilali.admin@ascsa.edu.gr)Messages for project participants sent by telephone, telegram, fax or mail to the American School of Classical Studies will reach us eventually. The School can also reach us quickly in case of an emergency. CHELP PHONE NUMBERS, ADDRESSES (Greek area codes in parentheses; calls from the US should be prefixed by 30)CHELP PROJECT MOBILE PHONES......................................... 698 215 6729 and 697 962 4954CHELP PROJECT WORKROOMS/STOREROOMS AT TRAGANA.................... (22330) 92 323 John E. Coleman, Director of CHELPDepartment of Classics, 120 Goldwin Smith HallCornell University, Ithaca NY 14853..................................... Tel: (607) 255-3354E-mail: jec13@cornell.edu.......................................................Fax: (607) 254-8899Cell phone in Greece:............................................................ 698 215 6729SOME HOTELS AND ROOMS FOR VISITORS IN THEOLOGOS AND VICINITY (22330)HOTEL ANESIS, Malesina 35001, Phthiotidos, GREECE........................................ Tel: 51-214HOTEL GALAXIAS, Theologos, Malesina 35001, Phthiotidos, GREECE................. Tel: 93-211ECONOMO'S SILVER BAY HOTEL, Theologos................................................. Tel: 93-291/3OTHER USEFUL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS Archaeological Guard (Archaiophylakas) for Halai:Blasis Charakliannis, Martino:....................................................................... Tel: (22330) 41-273 Archaeological Service for Phiotiotis (our district):Ephoreia Proistorikon kai Klassikon Archaioteton, Archaiologiko Mouseio, Kastro Lamias,Lamia 35100, GREECE................................................................................ Tel: (22310) 29992Archaeological Service Museum/Storerooms, Atalanti.................................... Tel: (22330) 23355Hospital in Lamia........................................................................................ Tel: (22310) 30121TELEPHONE LONG-DISTANCE CODES: Greece from America (011) 30; America (from Greece) 001; Athens (from elsewhere in Greece) 210