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Souda Bay adventure

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Bob radar
Intermediate Member
Username: Bob_radar

Post Number: 100
Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 75.57.185.91

Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 03:00 am:

Here are a few more views of Crete:

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=kgqkO3oDrfI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gcMFo0pI7M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygZhkU0B2nE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvPnkrxn6l8&feature=related

http://greece.creteisland.gr/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRx2UPlvPEA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iEK7WwnjXA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGcF67tTO4w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Ok84ur6kY&feature=related

Gary Thomas
Member
Username: Mallarduck

Post Number: 45
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 66.32.141.64

Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 05:52 pm:

Jim, thanks for adding the pictures of your Crete travels. We especially liked the sheep pictures. Souda Bay is a great travel destination for space-a. Gary Thomas

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 173
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 96.241.136.166

Posted on Thursday, May 06, 2010 - 04:04 pm:

dinotars
Senior Member
Username: Dinotars

Post Number: 6645
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 173.169.151.24

Posted on Monday, May 03, 2010 - 09:35 pm:

Jack,
Thnks for the update.Thought my list was out of whack and I missed a location I had not visited.

Jack T. Paxton
Senior Member
Username: Jpaxton

Post Number: 831
Registered: 07-2003
Posted From: 24.27.231.67

Posted on Monday, May 03, 2010 - 07:52 pm:

Dinotars: Sorry about the delay. I misspoke. The "American" cemetery in realty is the Commonwealth cemetery. I had replied to this on a private email but should have made a corrected post. Maybe too much Famous Grouse? As to driver licenses...not a problem. I had an International but was not required to show it for a rental. We rented from the on-base office. As Edgar Innocentes will attest I highly recommend a GPS for Crete as well as for all other foreign locations.

dinotars
Senior Member
Username: Dinotars

Post Number: 6627
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 173.169.151.24

Posted on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 04:47 pm:

Joseph,
Waiting for Jack's reply.He may or may not be referring to the cemetery you posted.I have visited that one.

Joseph Knight Jr.
Intermediate Member
Username: Cougarfan45

Post Number: 72
Registered: 11-2006
Posted From: 68.59.33.213

Posted on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 12:59 pm:

This seems to be a British and Commonwealth cemetery.

http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/other_cemeteries_ext/suda_bay_warcem.htm

dinotars
Senior Member
Username: Dinotars

Post Number: 6625
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 173.169.151.24

Posted on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 01:49 am:

Jack,
You posted:"
"Highly reco the American and German cemeteries on the Island. Both well kept and informative."
Where on the island of Crete is an American cemetery? That's news to me.

Jack T. Paxton
Senior Member
Username: Jpaxton

Post Number: 803
Registered: 07-2003
Posted From: 24.27.231.67

Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 - 08:14 pm:

No internatiional license required last year. Just go to the on-base rental (MWR) and get the best deal possible. As to wifi, all over the base. Glad to see the new commissary now open. Hope they do not screw it up with reasons why we cannot use it. Highly reco the American and German cemeteries on the Island. Both well kept and informative. Don't forget, Crete was a key island in WWII. Not sure about Raki but can attest to Ouzo. For me, stick with Famous Grouse!

alan k. fry
Member
Username: Alnjudigmailcom

Post Number: 19
Registered: 08-2008
Posted From: 67.239.58.80

Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2010 - 04:02 pm:

I also always get an IDP every year. I have never been asked for it when renting a car, even though AAA says it is required. Two years ago I was stopped in a routing traffic check in Portugal along a remote highway. The police wanted to see my IDP. For the little money it costs to purchase I just get one for piece of mind.

Jordan in Virginia
Member
Username: Itsnotjustme

Post Number: 15
Registered: 09-2009
Posted From: 173.66.54.135

Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2010 - 06:12 am:

I spent several years working at NATO in Burussels, and often travelled needing a rental car. I did have an IDP. Once when travelling to Rome I only took my IDP, and not my US License.

Imagine my surprise when I could not rent a car without my US License!

Luckily someone else travelling with me had there's and they rented instead of me.

Bob Dart
Senior Member
Username: Bobdart

Post Number: 1440
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 76.29.20.95

Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2010 - 03:02 am:

Lester, I look at the utility of the IDP in a non-English speaking country. If you have an interaction with a police officer who cannot read or understand English and wishes to see your operator's license he may be apt to give you a pass if he can see that you have a valid operator's license. If he cannot determine that you are a licensed operator he may feel compelled to take you into the station to determine your status. It may prove that the $15 fee may allow you avoid a hassle.

Lester Green
Advanced Member
Username: Rtgreen5

Post Number: 299
Registered: 03-2007
Posted From: 69.143.222.224

Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 04:06 pm:

Thanks for the input about the rental cars on Crete. I read the previous discussion about the International Driver's License and most of it had to do with Germany, Italy and France and understand that the IDL is desirable to have with you--"just in case" one is stopped by the authorities. Now I know that it apparently is not an issue on Crete for the rental of the car.....Thanks

Gene Williams
Advanced Member
Username: Gene_w

Post Number: 321
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 98.230.6.116

Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 03:56 pm:

Lester,

Last December (2009) I rented a car on Crete
http://www.akrotiricrete.com/horafakia-car-rental/
Was not asked for a IDP or about my age (74)

Didn't have an accident or get pulled by cops so I didn't exercise all the variables. But truly, I didn't even think about it.

Gene W.

Bob Dart
Senior Member
Username: Bobdart

Post Number: 1439
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 76.29.20.95

Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 03:24 pm:

James and Lester, there was a recent excellent in-depth discussion of the policy of rental companies toward seniors. The age restrictions seemed to be fluid and each country had it's own set of rules.

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 168
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 96.231.74.118

Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 08:33 am:

Lester, I am bumping up against that problem - I'm 69. I wasn't questioned about my age. I did carry an international driver's license, but again, nobody asked about it. I renew it every year at AAA just in case.

Lester Green
Advanced Member
Username: Rtgreen5

Post Number: 298
Registered: 03-2007
Posted From: 69.143.222.224

Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 03:40 am:

James: Did you need an International Driver's license to rent a car on Crete, or was your State driver's license sufficient? Also, if you know, were there any age limits on seniors for renting a vehicle? Thanks

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 166
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 71.191.24.90

Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 07:49 am:

Edgar, it would be great to see you again on one of our trips. At Souda, there was wireless all over the place - lounges in lodging, the combined club, the library. In the condo, you had to buy access, but it wasn't bad. 8 Euros for 3 hours.

Bob, the reservation policy is still very generous, even with few rooms.

Bob Dart
Senior Member
Username: Bobdart

Post Number: 1425
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 76.29.20.95

Posted on Monday, April 05, 2010 - 04:02 pm:

I remember three years ago they let us book the room for 5-days which was very generous. It seems they would take reservation requests up to 7-days out at that time.

Edgar Inocentes
Senior Member
Username: Traveler88

Post Number: 511
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 75.32.236.68

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 11:49 pm:

Jim, was wireless available in the condo & hotel?

Great report!

Hope our paths cross again like it did several years ago in Rota.

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 164
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 71.191.24.90

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 09:34 pm:

Bob, we didn't ask about a projected date for the renovation - probably would have been fiction anyhow. Seems like getting a room is not as much a function of how many rooms they have as asking at the right time. Didn't limit us to 3 days, did let us reserve in advance for our return at the end of the trip. Part of it seems to be that active duty passing through are angling for a non-availability cert so they can go into town.

John
Advanced Member
Username: Jharpst

Post Number: 217
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 68.102.47.150

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 08:57 pm:

When I Was stationed at Iraklion AS. I was painting one time an did use Raki to clean a paint brush.

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 163
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 71.191.24.90

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 09:52 am:

Roger, we did book the AFVC after we arrived. A couple of years ago, we had booked one in Spain in advance. Then we both got sick, and lost it, so we're more cautious now.

Gene Williams
Advanced Member
Username: Gene_w

Post Number: 316
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 98.230.6.116

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 12:55 am:

I was told that Raki is the Cretan version of moonshine. I didn't really believe it until I saw these bottles in a roadside cafe.

(hope the image uploads)

Gene W.

FHYL
Advanced Member
Username: Fhyl

Post Number: 341
Registered: 11-2008
Posted From: 71.171.122.110

Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2010 - 12:27 am:

Your travel dialogue is terrific reminder of my several trips to Kriti.

By the way, I was told raki is paint thinner, vaguely disguised as Greek wine. ~:-}

Bob Dart
Senior Member
Username: Bobdart

Post Number: 1416
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 76.29.20.95

Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 09:53 pm:

Jim, very thorough report. Was there a projected date for the renovation completion? I was disappointed that gas coupons are no longer available to retirees from the NEX which was a great benefit. I noted that the base security pass is now issued by the main gate opposed to the building behind the fire station which is probably easier to access. I found the "Top 10 Crete here at home and found it to be a good source.

John R Garrison
Senior Member
Username: Majorg

Post Number: 2495
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 208.81.157.86

Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 03:43 pm:

James:

Fantastic report! Thanks for taking the time and effort to write it up and share it with us.

Happy Travels, John

Roger Johnson
Advanced Member
Username: Rwjohn6

Post Number: 304
Registered: 05-2008
Posted From: 64.12.116.208

Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 03:37 pm:

Great report. Did you book the AFVC after you got there.

Roger in Fl

Joan
Advanced Member
Username: Joan

Post Number: 295
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 71.212.53.232

Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 03:23 pm:

Good report....we did this trip 3 years ago for 2 weeks and loved the monasteries, fresh oranges (best we've ever had) and driving in the countryside. So much history and rugged beauty there! thanks for your report.

James E. Kale
Advanced Member
Username: Jimiam

Post Number: 162
Registered: 09-2006
Posted From: 71.191.24.90

Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 02:14 pm:

As Space A often goes, we planned for one place and ended up in another - what good luck that was! After enduring the Washington, DC, winter, we hoped to fly to Rota and spend a week or so on the Costa del Sol. On Monday March 8, the prospects for Rota were dim, so Jim checked the weather in Crete - not bad. Off to Norfolk for the bi-weekly rotator to Lajes, Naples, and Souda Bay we went.

As Cat VI, with a decent but not wonderful sign-up date, we were close to the bottom of the list. Roll call went slowly, but they got into the VIs. The name before ours was called, and they announced end of the roll call. We waited a few minutes, went up to the desk and asked if there was an prospect of additional seats. We were told no, that the plane was already boarding. We waited a little while longer, then about the time we were ready to go to the car, they announced a series of names to report to the counter immediately for check-in, including 'Kale.' We scrambled like crazy to check in, and in the process left Penny, our GPS, in the car. What happened, we don't exactly know. Our best guess is that they forgot to call us during roll call. A new lesson learned - verify that your name has not been called.

We had called ahead to lodging at Souda and couldn't get a room. In the snack bar at Norfolk we met a couple, Mike and Kobi Sloane, who work as civilians in Souda and, with incredible generosity, offered us a room in their home for the night. Kobi carried us back to Souda the next morning as she went to work. We were then able to get a room at the Navy Gateway for three nights. Getting lodging at the Gateway is iffy. Lot of their rooms are under renovation. If you don't get a room, it is not a huge loss as rooms in town aren't any more expensive. The Gateway is up to $60. However, since Souda Bay is out in the sticks, its nice to have a room for at least the first night and then while waiting for a flight out. If rooms aren't available, the trick seems to be to ask just after the 11 am check-out time or just after 6.

Souda Bay is a dream for Space A travelers. It is very compact and walkable, with the galley (open to all, $2 for breakfast, $4 for dinner) just across from lodging, the pax terminal just beyond the galley, and plenty of computers in the library. Retirees can use and buy everything on base with the exception of alcohol and gas coupons. When you arrive, you are given a gate access number good for 24 hours. To extend it, you go to the small building to the left, just outside the gate. The only problem with access is if you leave for a period of time, you will need to go to the same building to get a new access number. You may be waiting for 30-40 minutes, and it might be very risky to arrive after normal working hours.

We spent the first day recuperating and making plans. We rented a car on base for 20 Euros a day, although their may be better deals elsewhere (the advantage of course is that you can turn it in on base about a block from the terminal) and went to the library where there are many computers available and made reservations. We were lucky enough to get an AFVC (google on Armed Forces Vacation Club) condo about 15 miles east of Iraklio for $329 for seven days, a room in the old town section of Rethymno for 2 nights for $62 a night, and lodging in the Gateway for the last couple of days before the rotator was scheduled to depart for Norfolk.

The AFVC condo was great. It is just down the hill from the Golf Club of Crete, the island's PGA course, about 12 miles outside Iraklio,. We are not golfers, but we understand that if you are, you can get a discounted package through MWR at Souda. The condo was a spacious one bedroom unit with a patio and a sea view. The AFVC website specifies that taxes are not included and that there may be additional charges, but our bill included only 10 euros for use of the laundry room and one lunch in their restaurant. It was a great deal and a good location for exploring the eastern half of Crete.

The room in Rethymno was small like many European hotel rooms but just fine - got it off hotels.com. Staying in the historic old town was a treat. If you do that, be warned - it is a pedestrian zone. You'll need to park the car outside, find your hotel on foot, then go back for the luggage. Since the old town is very small, it won=t be a long walk.

Some notes on driving in Crete - it is not difficult, just a little different. The main roads have a lane and a shoulder. They like to pass and expect you to pull over and straddle the shoulder to let them by. They do this routinely, even where there is a double line. Stop signs are a suggestion. Roundabouts are evidently a new feature, and they haven't quite decided how to navigate them. Just because you are in the circle doesn't mean they think you have the right of way. We were warned about parking tickets. You are better off to park in a pay lot or at a parking meter than to try to guess what is legal and what is not.

One other important note on driving - DO NOT go off into the hinterlands without a reasonable amount of gas in your car. Gas stations are mostly on the main roads and never in the little villages. We got ourselves in serious trouble one day and were saved when a villager gave us gas from a can and wouldn't take a cent for it. The Cretans are some seriously nice people.

We won't go into a lot of sightseeing details except to say that we enjoyed all our days roaming through the countryside more than the cities. It is one incredibly beautiful island and in two weeks, we put about 900 miles on the rental car and did not run out of things to do. We used two guidebooks. One was Lonely Planet, and the other was an Eyewitness travel guide called "Top 10 Crete." Both were great, small, and easy to carry. You are better off with a guidebook devoted to Crete than one on Greece with a section of Crete. Having left Penny in Norfolk, we also bought a map from the Greek gift shop in the NEX. It was detailed and especially good since it had all place names in Greek and Roman alphabets. It was probably just as well. She would have been screaming "recalculate" every step of the way. We were somewhat worried about the road signs being in the Greek alphabet, but the Greeks cooperated by placing another sign just after the first in the Roman alphabet. We happily did not exceed our record for u-turns!

Briefly, these were some of the things we enjoyed most. Of the cities in order of preference, Rethymno, Hania, Iraklio (not very attractive but has some interesting sights) and Agios Nicolaus (very attractive, but not so many things to see). Among the things we enjoyed in the countryside, Kritsa near Agios Nicolaus and the plateau just above it; the Amari Valley; the drive from Iraklio to the ruins at Gortyna; the ruins at Falasarna a short distance beyond Kissamos.

The food was good everywhere and not expensive. We usually paid not much more than 20 Euros for a shared salad, meat course, wine or beer, and coffee. Our method was to pick out a place with Greeks eating there. Appetizers and salads are huge. It is easy to make a generous meal of one salad and two meat dishes or just two or three appetizers. You will often be given a complimentary dessert and raki which is something like paint thinner but loved by Cretans. The people everywhere are welcoming and hospitable, and there seems to be no crime problem.

We enjoyed very nice weather in March, but several people told us it was unusual, that March is generally windy and rainy. April or May might be more reliable choices.

We planned for the bi-weekly rotator, scheduled to leave on March 26. Due to mechanical problems, it was delayed until the 27th. Fortunately for us, when we booked our return to Souda, we had asked for an extra day, just in case. This is a good place to say that the pax terminal in Souda has to be the best. We met Nick who is famous in Space A circles as an incredible pax rep and all around nice guy. He and everyone there are pleasant, helpful and professional. The morning of our departure with a 10 am show time, we stopped by after breakfast to see what it was looking like. Nick told us we could bring our checked baggage and be manifested any time since seats were plentiful, just return by 10:30 for boarding.
The trip home was really, really long. The flight stopped in Naples for about 3 hours, then about 2 more in Lajes, and totaled something like 17 hours. Other SPATs have commented on this - with announcements, food service, drink service, coffee service, more announcements, it is very difficult to sleep. We'll take a C17 or C5 any day over the PatEx. With that one complaint, we are two happy travelers. Thanks to all of you who have contributed trip reports in the past which helped us so much. We=re thinking Italy in the fall.