Dubai Day 1

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An amazing first day but not without its problems. Difficult to work out the bus stops for the Big Bus Tour which we had prepaid. There is a map for the 3 routes but you don't get that until you change your e-tickets for real tickets and we were misdirected by several people who should have known better. When you do find the bus stopping places there are no signs to tell you it is a bus stop. Not a service I would recommend to others although when we finally found the bus the journey was fine with a good commentary system. However, we had walked for an hour in the heat and then caught a taxi before we found the first bus stop!

We went to the Dubai Mall (air conditioning ... YES!) where there is a fantastic, huge public aquarium with manta rays and sharks. There were even 2 divers in there swimming past with an advertising banner.

We went up the Burj Khalifa tower to see the sights in a lift which whizzes up to floor 124 in 20 seconds and then came back down to watch the fountains which display to music ... awesome! Also watched the most fantastic advertising display on the outside of the Burj Khalifa. A Cartier advert with a cheetah climbing the tower. I have a video which I will try to upload next time. Had a meal by the fountains and then returned to the hotel by metro as the buses had stopped running by then and we wanted to get back before the end of October!

Have attached a view from our bedroom window from which we can see the Dubai Marina but rest of pics on camera which I still have to upload.

Another busy day tomorrow.

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