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We suggest you bring the following items to the excavation: |
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You will need to bring the following: Comfortable work shoes. We do not suggest open toe shoes or moccasins…somewhat dangerous. A sun hat Sunscreen…especially for those who burn after a few hours in the sun. A container for water – 1 to 1.5 liters (one can be purchased here for $10.00) Allergy medicine if you are picky about a prescription that works for you 2 pairs of comfortable cloth work gloves or 1 pair of broken in leather gloves Shorts and tee-shirts (that you are willing to throw away after the excavation) Sunglasses (but not for use on the excavation site) If you wear prescription glasses, bring your prescription is in case your glasses break. Work pants or a pair of sweat pants One pullover (sweatshirt, loose jacket, etc.) Bathing suit and beach towel If you are allergic to bee stings or insect bites, bring your Benedryl or emergency inhaler/shot with you and bring it on site every day. Real life story. A notebook to take notes…if you want to. This can be purchased here as well. Light blanket (which can be bought here for 10 euros.) Electron Visa/Debit card/Visa. Getting money exchanged is a bit expensive unless you do it immediately at the airport as you come in. Ask your bank if they charge for international withdrawals from machines so you will know what you are being charged. There are banks in Monforte, Loures and Lisbon (ofcourse) but there is a surcharge for exchanging money. Drawing supplies if you want to do some sketching of your own. Small backpack or handbag for lugging things off and on site. Something you don’t have a lot of emotional investment in… You can buy a small pillow at IKEA once you get here and twin bed sheets and a towel for the shower. You should bring a light weight blanket or sleeping bag. Important things to consider Because of increased airport security, you may not want to pack your own work tools in your carry on baggage. If you want to bring a trowel, pack it in your checked luggage. Don’t forget to apply for your passport now if you do not presently have one. Please leave a copy photocopy of your passport and airline tickets with a family member who can email or fax you a copy. If you lose either, Embassies are strict about who they give new passports to. They will ask that a family member fax them a copy. Real life story. There is no need to bring the following: Tents Traveller’s Cheques as they are not recognized in Portugal – even by the American Express company here. Please leave this emergency contact info with your family members. Maia Langley (351) 96 889 4336 Rui Boaventura (351) 96 274 2506 Student phone at house/Supervisor’s phone (351) 96 255 6448 Non-emergency but sort of urgent contact info (351) 21 471 3579 or in the field, (351) 96 889 4336 maialangley@hotmail.com A note about food, vegetarians, those who keep kosher and those who are persnickety eaters Vegetarians and Vegans are welcome. However, Portugal is a meat-and-potatoes kind of country and as the Portuguese say, “A fish can’t pull a plow.” This means that if you have special dietary specifications or needs, you must let us know in advance. If you are Vegan, we cannot help you out with the lunches, as Vegan cuisine is uncharted culinary territory here. Vegetarians can make do better but in both cases, you should consider ways to supplement your diet. Lentils are a great source of protein and guacamole dip (for some reason) has become the Mother’s Milk of past-excavating Vegetarians. If you are kosher, please know that you should ask, before ordering at a restaurant, if your food has anything that you can not eat individually (cheese with rennet, pork, horsemeat, camels, scavenger meats and fish, etc.), in combination (dairy and beef) or animals that have not been butchered by Shechitah, should be specific with waitors or waitresses when ordering. Or, refrain from eating at non-kosher restaurants. Returning food, or walking out on a bill, is not acceptable behavior if you did not explain your dietary specificities before ordering. Real life story. Persnickety: 1 a : fussy about small details : fastidious: <a persnickety teacher> b : having the characteristics of a snob 2 : requiring great precision <a persnickety job>. In this context, I a referring to people who have issues with food. On your dinner plate, if you have never seen chicken with a bone in it, if you have never seen a fish with its head still intact, pig hooves in a stew, deer, bull or boar on a menu, desserts with an egg to sugar ratio of 4:5 or veal or lamb as a main course, please assess you limitations as you will be living with 8 other people who want to experience different cuisines and cultures. Other Useful Information If you are planning on traveling before or after the excavation, consider booking trains, planes and automobiles from your country, as it is usually cheaper. STA (Student Travel Assoc.) travel, for students, is a great source for cheap travel plans as is purchasing a Student Travel/International card from your university. If you are going to use a Youth Hostel, make sure you obtain a membership before you leave your country. Finally, a note on dress. If you are planning on going out a bit, you will find that the Portuguese do not, on the whole, wear shorts. It is a cultural thing that is slowly changing. Women virtually never wear shorts although they do wear tight clothing and short skirts. If you choose to wear shorts (this is excluding the excavation site – where you can wear what you want), you may find that you get a lot of stares and unnecessary attention. This goes mostly for women. Although you would not be breaking any cultural taboos, you may find yourself in an awkward position. Tourists are always singled-out by their shorts and Birkenstocks. So, you decide if you want to blend in or stand out. That’s a personal call but don’t say we didn’t warn you. In Lisbon, this is less of a problem. In the more rural areas, it is more of an issue.
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Websites and Publications about Portugal http://www.economist.com/countries/Portugal/
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