Dubai - We Made It!

After a very early start of 3:30 am Sydney time, we were at the airport a little after 4 and on the plane by 1/4 to 6. 

14 hours of flying wasn't all that bad - certainly not as bad as I was expecting. The kids did very well, although Cameron didn't sleep at all. I dozed, and I think Calum and Danielle both got about 1/2 hour. I did manage to get a couple of photos as we flew over the outback somewhere above Alice Springs, and another over (I think) Kuala Lumpur, but I missed Singapore and was trapped by a snoozing Danielle as we went over Mumbai.

Arrived on schedule in Dubai, and out of a cool plane into sweltering 41 degrees C heat of the Dubai tarmac. Wow! Made it to our hotel without any problems to an apartment almost as big as our house! Not sure if I can get used to the fact that you don't flush toilet paper here - it goes in the bin! Can't bring myself to use the bidet, either...  

After a dip in the (rooftop!) pool and showers, we went to the Mall of Dubai at the Burj Khalifa complex for dinner and to see the Dancing Fountains. Pretty. Fell into bed around 9:30pm Dubai time - which to our poor exhausted bodies felt like 3:30am in the morning! I have to say, the kids handled the 24 hours of being awake very well. 

Up bright and early this morning - for me that was 4am; for everyone else, between 6:15 and 6:45 - much more civilised. Today we are doing the tourist thing, going on the hop-on / hop-off sightseeing bus. Got a few stops planned, including the gold souk, a dhow cruise, back to the Mall of Dubai for a visit to the aquarium and underwater zoo, and snow skiing at the Mall of the Emirates to finish the day...
 

Jodie

As you may realise all the above, being coherent and sensible, was written by Jo. For me the highlight of the trip was getting out of that aluminium tube at the end. Thankfully the 1200 channels of TV helped pass the time and food was pretty good. Even for a gentleman of my ample girth the seats weren't to bad, although I was jealous of those in the front of the plane

Have also decided that driving here would not have been fun. Each of the 3 cabbies we've had so far was like some sort of repressed F1 driver.. weaving in and out of the  traffic on the  7 lane highway at 120 kms an hour and often so close that I could see the individual paint pigments in car in front.  I decided it was better just to look out the side window.

So far not impressed by the weather, it is very hazy...not the postcard images I was expecting. Think Australia after a decent bushfire. This place is one big construction yard, buildings seem to spring out the ground everywhere.

Oh, one last thing..,.. Best comment of the trip so far was from Cam who on seeing 3 ladies dressed in the full black Burqa exclaimed  "Cool Ninjas ".....Thankfully I don't think they understood English