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Published: July 25th 2013
Dubai
First view from the air.Our first day had its mix of highs and lows. Stepping on that plane was definitely a high. The ten and a half hour flight with sustained turbulence was not. There were moments when I thought maybe we were about to meet our maker. . .
Landing in Dubai was breathtaking. Skyscrapers in size and number that defy the imagination. Ultra modern buildings in the middle of a desert on the shore of the Persian Gulf. Completely surreal.
Dubai Airport is equally impressive. It's a complete city in itself with its own train system for transporting passengers to wherever they need to be within the airport. It services in excess of 5 million passengers a year. You can imagine then how concerned we were when we weren't able to locate our airport transfer driver! Fortunately there are information counters and airport staff everywhere to help you, and I mean everywhere! Turns out it was completely our own doing. Our instructions stated quite clearly where we would be met. Would have helped if we had read the instructions! Stepped out of the airport and the heat and humidity slapped us in the face. . . hard. Temperature was 45 degrees
Dubai
Another aerial view. and rising. It completely takes your breath away . . . literally.
Our hotel was lovely, situated right across the road from the Emirates Mall which is the second largest shopping centre in the world. No WiFi in the room only in the lobby so that was a little annoying. The one and only hotel I didn't choose myself so a lesson to be learn't there. Dropped our bags and walked to the Emirates Mall to buy a SIM card for the tablet so I could use it up in our room. Took our lives in our own hands crossing the roads. Cars don't necessarily stop at pedestrian crossings so you have to be alert and be prepared to run.
It's hard to get your head around the size of the Mall. In a word, massive. It's incredibly well laid out, spotlessly clean and really quite beautiful. Every possible high end boutique is there, Prada, Louis Vutton, Gucci. You name it and it's there. On the other hand there are also your every day Myer, Target type of department store. There is one store called Carrefours which would be our equivalent of say KMart or Big W. The
Dubai
Outskirts of Dubai. only difference is that it is on steriods. . . huge. High end stores excluded, because I wouldn't have a clue in any event, prices are much cheaper than in Perth. So many shops, so little room in my suitcase. . . Oh and did I mention there is a Ski Resort located within the Mall Complex?
Back at the hotel and the SIM wouldn't work so I went down to the lobby to access the WiFi. Those that know me well know that sitting in a lobby is not my style so back upstairs I went, weary and how can I put it politely, 'annoyed'. We decided that we had crammed enough into the day so room service was the way to go and oh that bed looked so inviting!
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