BWI-Lajes-Dover

Author Message   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 58 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 69.250.109.95 Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 08:04 pm:    We didn't ask Hertz to pick us up. It is unlikely that they would have since there was only one person in the Hertz office the entire time we were there.   KSYR Senior Member Username: Ksyr Post Number: 598 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 173.86.112.200 Posted on Sunday, February 14, 2010 - 11:52 am:    At Dover. "we waited for a taxi to take us off-base to Hertz where we had reserved cars" Last time I was there Hertz came and picked us up. Change of policy?   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 57 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 69.250.109.95 Posted on Friday, February 12, 2010 - 11:32 am:    From BWI to Lajes, flight time was a little over five hours, coming back from Lajes to Dover was about 6 1/2 hours.   don hutchinson Member Username: Ynchutch Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2007 Posted From: 76.4.5.67 Posted on Friday, February 12, 2010 - 02:03 am:    What was flight time from BWI to the Azores.   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 56 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 69.250.109.95 Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 - 07:40 pm:    Thanks, everyone. I learn so much from this board that I’m happy to be able to contribute something. The climate on Terceira has been compared to Ireland. We were on the island five days, starting January 16th. It rained two of the five days, and the wind was significant most of the time. Temperatures ranged from about 57 degrees Fahrenheit to about 62 degrees Fahrenheit with very little variation between high and low. The weather wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t get in the way of our doing what we wanted.   Vic and Connie Senior Member Username: Pattons Post Number: 437 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 72.218.15.235 Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 - 05:21 pm:    Lane, Add my kudos for a nice report. Would you comment on the weather you experienced during your visit.   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2312 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 02:11 pm:    Lane: Outstanding report! Thank you for taking the time to write it up and to share your adventures with us. Happy travels, John   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 55 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 12:44 pm:    I believe 100 Euros is the “standard” charge for a private 6 hour taxi tour of the island. The day before we called Fernando, another taxi driver quoted us 100 Euros for a 6 hour tour around the perimeter of the island. Fernando had been recommended as a better alternative. We were so pleased with Fernando’s tour that we tried to give him the full 100 Euros we expected to pay. He told us forcefully that 100 Euros was too much because heavy fog made going into some of the areas where he normally took people inappropriate. We insisted on his taking 90 Euros. After all, he had spent about 8 hours driving us around on an island where petrol sells for over 3.5 Euros per liter. He gave us the impression that he didn’t expect nearly that much. All three of us were happy. He felt that he had been well paid, and we felt that we had had an extremely personal and pleasant tour. Fernando was certainly well known among the other passengers on our flight home. In chatting with them on the return flight we found that everyone seemed to know and call him. He has built a reputation among the American community for honest and efficient service.   Paul S. Bolen Member Username: Paulbolen Post Number: 30 Registered: 03-2007 Posted From: 98.25.15.222 Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 12:01 am:    Lane, You make me anxious to go back to Lajes. I was stationed there 1966-68. but have been back several times for work and three years ago for playing and site-seeing. We did use the car rental right in the billeting office - drove around the island 3 times - a small model Toyota, price was reasonable and we were allowed to use the base gas ststion for a refill- mostly stopping for sea food restaurants recommended by locals. Great food and wine, and nice folks. I notice the area has been "discovered" and there is a lot of building going on by Northern Europeans. Thanks for a great trip report, and the enthusiasm it gives me to see Lajes again   Mike Senior Member Username: Immerfertig Post Number: 1858 Registered: 01-2007 Posted From: 75.132.183.184 Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 11:21 pm:    Lane, great report. I was stationed at Lajes in '90-91 and your report sounds like it hasn't changed much...except for the entry pass requirement. I hope to get back there soon to visit the old stompin' grounds. Just wondering how much you paid for the island tour from Fernando? Thanks _   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 54 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 69.250.109.95 Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 10:38 pm:    I believe that there is a rental car office on base (a sign in the lobby of the Mid-Atlantic Lodge indicated an office nearby), and we normally rent cars when we travel. This time, we didn’t bother because the taxis were so convenient and so reasonable. In addition, in a taxi we got a pleasant and knowledgeable driver whose willingness to share information made the trip more enjoyable. Had we stayed longer, we would probably have rented a car for a few days. We found Fernando’s taxi (Telephone: 964483061 or 918967260 or 925858257) reasonable, responsive, and dependable.   William Dimsdale Member Username: Mebillyd Post Number: 25 Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 74.196.60.127 Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 10:01 pm:    Wonerful Report. I wish I had a report like this about every place I could visit. Did you inquire about a rental car? If so what were the prices and rental companys?   Sandor Ketzis Intermediate Member Username: Siamk Post Number: 108 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 96.244.52.90 Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 09:45 pm:    Lane, Great trip report. Thanks.   Lane Heath Intermediate Member Username: Heathlb Post Number: 53 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 69.250.109.95 Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 09:36 pm:    To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to spend a few days in the Azores. On January 9th, we drove to BWI to try to get on the weekly charter flight that runs between BWI and Lajes. Unfortunately, when the roll call got down to Category VI, there was only one seat available. Not wanting only one seat, we tried again the next Saturday, January 16th, when BWI was posting 11 seats available. We got on. Our plane carried mostly cargo, but there was a passenger compartment with 35 seats. I think we were the only Category VI on the flight, and the plane left with a few empty seats. Lajes is a Portuguese base with a very large U.S. presence. Because of warnings I read on this board, I contacted the base the week before we planned to travel to arrange for passes. The Portuguese office that issues passes is only open M-F during normal business hours, which I think are 9-4. In addition to contacting Security by email to ask about passes, I also sent an inquiry to the “Contact Us” button at the bottom of the base web page (www.lajes.af.mil). Both Security and the Base Public Affairs Office responded. The feeling that I got was that the Public Affairs Offices processes pass applications routinely as part of their job. The people in Security helped because I asked them to, but they don’t normally take care of Space A people. Every time we left or entered the base during our visit, Portuguese security examined our passes, and sometimes they checked our passports also. I strongly recommend making arrangements for base passes before arriving to avoid difficulties. My husband and I are pretty good walkers, but we don't consider lodging a reasonable “bag drag” from the passenger terminal. The terminal is on the lower level of the base, and to get to lodging, you have to climb a significant hill. Part of the road doesn’t really have sidewalks (There is a strip painted on the pavement at the side of the road to indicate what looks to me to be about a 2 foot walking path.) I saw no evidence of a base shuttle bus. Fortunately, one of our fellow passengers gave us a ride to billeting. We had reserved a standard $39 room at the Mid-Atlantic Lodge. We got a bedroom, a bath, and a sitting room. There was a TV in both the bedroom and in the sitting room, and the sitting room included a refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffee pot. There was also an alarm clock, a hair dryer, an ironing board, and an iron in the unit. In addition, each building has laundry facilities. We had originally planned to stay in quarters just one night and move off base to experience more of the local culture, but we found that it was so easy to get out to the local sights, that we ended up staying on base at night for the entire visit and going out onto the island during the day. We originally were able to reserve three nights, and we were able to extend for another three. I was told that the dining hall closed more than a year ago, but there is a 24 hour eating facility called “The Ocean View Grill” which offers breakfasts, burgers, and pizza. In addition, the Top of the Rock, the consolidated club, serves lunch and dinners. We ended up purchasing items for breakfast and snacks at the shoppette, which is within walking distance of billeting. Billeting also has a limited number of food items, beverages (including beer and wine), and supplies, which they sell at the same price as the shoppette. We were told that we would have been allowed to purchase items at the main exchange and the commissary, but we didn’t try either place because we were shopping outside of normal opening hours. Lajes is on the island of Terceira, which has a total population of about 55,000. The base is just east of one of the two larger towns on the island. There is a bus stop, a cab stand, and a couple of restaurants just off base (which is still a significant walk from billeting). However, taxis are allowed on base, and it is about an 8 Euro taxi ride to the center of Praia da Vitória. We were told that there were frequent buses which leave from the stop just outside the main gate, but the main gate is a significant walk from billeting (on the other side of the passenger terminal), so we just took taxis. It looks to me like every weekend, the base Outdoor Recreation Office arranges a tour, and we were able to take advantage of a trip to the largest city on the island, Angra do Heroismo. We spent about 5 hours as part of a group of 8, walking around Angra with a very good guide, stopping for an excellent lunch (Cost: $39.99/person). One day, we just went into Praia and walked around the central part of the city, having lunch at an excellent restaurant, where the waiter recommended a very good red wine made on Pico, another of the islands in the Azores. On another day, we wanted to see more of the island, and one of the ladies at the front desk of Mid-Atlantic Lodge recommended using a taxi for a day trip around the island. The young man we chose, Fernando of Fernando’s Taxi Service, was excellent. He picked us up at 9:30 in the morning and gave us a 6 hour tour (which actually took 7 ½ hours). His English was good, and he put together a really enjoyable day tailored to our interests, including stops at the wine museum and a cheese factory. It turns out that entering and leaving Portugal through Lajes was convenient. Portuguese customs and immigration personnel met the flight we arrived on and stamped our passports for entry into Portugal. The routine to leave was a bit different than my previous experiences. By calling the passenger terminal, we found a KC 135 that was flying between Lajes and Dover. It was scheduled to leave between 7 and 8 in the morning, before normal business hours. Showtime was posted as 1900 the night before departure. Passenger services conducted the roll call, gave out boarding passes, and checked bags the night before, and Portuguese Immigration stamped our passports that evening. The next morning, we reported to the passenger terminal when it opened at 7 a.m. and boarded our plane. It was a very smooth process, and we were able to sleep, knowing we were manifested on the flight home. The flight back to the States was made more exciting by the fact that our KC-135 refueled F-16’s enroute. The crew allowed us, one at a time, to observe the operation next to them “in the box”. Needless to say, it was unbelievable “in flight entertainment.” After we cleared customs at Dover, several of us enjoyed the hospitality of the new USO lounge while we waited for a taxi to take us off-base to Hertz where we had reserved cars. The taxi ride came to $30.00, and a one-way car rental from Dover to BWI was $97.00. Throughout our visit, the people, both on and off base, were very accommodating. Everyone we dealt with, including Security, the staff at the passenger terminal, the staff at the Recreation division, and, especially Mrs. Philomena at the front desk of the Mid-Atlantic Lodge, went out of their way to help us. We happened to meet the base vice-commander after chapel on Sunday. He gave us his card with instructions to call in case he could be of any assistance during our stay. Everyone gave service that exceeded our expectations. The people we met off base were equally accommodating. My husband is bilingual in Spanish, and both of us had been working on Portuguese for several months. The islanders were patient as we practiced our elementary Portuguese, and we were impressed with their food, their wine, the beauty of their island, and their friendliness. All in all, we couldn’t have had a better trip. We felt that five days was adequate to feel like we had seen Terceira, housing was good, and planes came and went-- just as we wanted.