Many thanks to forum contributors for helping me plan this trip. Here is a trip report to help future visitors.
Here are few tips for visitors to Lagos. The two grocery stores, Pingo Doce and Intermarche are well-stocked with toiletries and delicious food. Both have bathrooms available. Bimbo brand white bread is sold, as it is in Mexico and Central America. In the US, “bimbo” means a stupid woman; I’m not sure how that applies to bread. A good way to find a fee-free Multibanco ATM is to put Multibanco ATM into google maps on your phone. I found one to the right of Adegas Maritime restaurant, if your back is to the ocean. To me, the restaurant, Pepperoni, was not very good and was overpriced. Tasca da Lota, tucked away in the marina, was well worth the wait. It’s close to the train station. I found the steak, topped by a fried egg, to be absolutely delicious. It’s a no-frills kind of place with locals inside and simple food. While I ate, I had fun listening to two cyclists who had just met at a hostel comparing notes on their Tinder experiences. A Nepalese restaurant in Old Town served me tasty momos, with quick service. A final piece of advice is to listen to the music everywhere you go. I heard quite a bit of disco music, ABBA, and a European version of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car.
My plan was to fly from London to Faro, Portugal. The ticket machine at Paddington to collect tickets for London Heathrow Express was not working, though I had purchased tickets in advance. I was delayed because the agent had to walk somewhere to talk to his manager who advised him that I had to purchase a new ticket and be refunded for the old. Heathrow was very crowded as always. Then the power to the X-ray machine at security died. My suitcase had been X-rayed but was not yet where I could physically take it because of a plastic partition. I let the agents know that my flight on British Airways was boarding and asked if I could please take my suitcase. They said “No.” I asked if a flight could be held for passengers in this situation. They said, “No.” Time elapsed, and eventually they relented and allowed me to take my suitcase, whereupon I trotted as fast as I could through thick crowds to get to the gate, that was, indeed, one of the farthest away. I arrived, breathless with my throat burning from running, and the agents allowed me onto the plane. Flight attendants served drinks and snacks at no cost. Strangely, British Airways charged me for a soda on the way from Porto to Gatwick. However, between Porto and Gatwick, the flight attendant served me a hot sandwich that I paid for in advance using British Airways points. It was delicious!
I had an easy flight from London Heathrow to Faro, during which I listened to others in my row complain about their X-husbands. It took two hours to clear immigration because only two people were handling the lines. I noted a group of men wearing matching T-shirts that said, “Spencer’s Stag Party”. I was not invited. I trust that Spencer et al. had a rollicking good time in the Algarve. The ATM in Faro was Euronet or something like that, not the fee-free Multibanco, so I did not exchange money there.
My driver from Happy Days Algarve was there to greet me in the airport and he was a bit distressed at my delay. He explained that it costs the company extra money in parking when there are delays. We stopped at a truck stop/convenience store on the way where I exchanged money from a Multibanco ATM. Thank you to forum contributors for the tip to hit the “decline the exchange” prompt twice at the ATM in order to acquire the better rate. The driver identified a carob tree on the way and later provided me with restaurant recommendations.
Is there a trick to helping google maps on the phone give better directions? The driver drove in a circle twice, through fairly thick traffic, trying to find my lodging, Casa Flores do Mar, in Lagos. He finally got out to walk to find it.