Advertisement
Flying for this long is difficult. It feels like you are just floating through time. I lose track of how much sleep I have had and how it compares to what I should typically be getting. This usually just reminds me how tired I should feel though.
I left JFK at 11.20 am and arrived in Dubai at 8 am. I only slept for a few hours on the plane considering that I was seated next to a family with 4 children between the ages of 2 and 9. The parents were as poorly behaved as the kids too. I was seated in an exit row, but it didn't do me too much good for leg room. I had the window seat so my right arm had no where to go except wedged against the body of the plane. Because of my height I had to sit with my neck tilted. I am pretty sure my spine now has the curve of the side of the plane, haha.
I arrived in Dubai. I left my bag at the Emirates concierge so I could venture into the city. I must admit I got a bit conned by a cab driver. He drove me to the locations I wanted to see. They included the largest building in the world.... google it. I will be able to upload pictures when I have a bit more free time later in the program. Little did I know there was no where for me to get close to be dropped off since security is crazy around the area and it is only apartments and offices. Next I went to the 7 star hotel. Once again the driver failed to inform me I would not have the option of leaving the cab at that point because you need a reservation to get close to the hotel. This led to him driving me around a while and racking up the fair. Dubai is purely a tourist destination. It was mostly composed of wealthy western tourists on vacation.
I went back to the airport and crashed on the terminal floor until I could check in. I then waited overnight for my flight. Before boarding I met up with 4 others from the program from all over the country.
I am running low on time so this entry has to be shorter than I would like. My initial impressions of Uganda are only from the 45 minute from Entebbe to Kampala. The driving is like a fine art. Between motorcycles, vans, buses, and cars it is a free for all composed of organized chaos. It reminds me of India. It is bustling and busy, but I would say there are a third of the people engaging in this frantic transit and business.
I will post again as soon as possible. Please forward this url to anyone you think may be interested in following my trip! Feel free to leave comments too.
-Bob
Advertisement
Tot: 0.053s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0337s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Small Panda
non-member comment
I'm glad you got to see the city a bit even if the cabbie was racking up the fare. Some experiences and sights are worth it. Don't stay plane shaped too long!