Is it a mirage?

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So i’m a week into my round the world trip. I’m currently sitting on the plane flying to Colombo, Sri Lanka. I’m lucky to be sat here as I stupidly set my alarm an hour late! Thanks to my friend KT, a Michael Schumacher inspired taxi driver and over 50 ‘excuse me’s’ whilst racing through the airport, I manage to just make my flight - phew!

So Dubai was great and bad strange all at the same time. Not a place I would ordinarily visit as it’s very bling and in constant construction and i'd say the overall sense I got was it is one of money, power and partying. But what I did like about this place is the real mix of nationality. You notice sitting on a metro that not one person looks alike. A city truly diverse in ethnicity. People in Dubai are also very friendly and the city is exceptionally safe. As a new city, few have been here since it began. All seem to come for the promise of more money and an idea to stay a year or two and save as much as possible. The reality for most it seems is that a year flies by and some I met having been here 16 years…and many are not saving as spending it on the many trinkets of activities and parties you can go to every day of the week. But all expat's are clear, this is not forever so enjoy it for now.

I was fortunate to spend my week with my childhood friend KT, I last saw her when I visited her in India and it was this that was the catalysis to start planning to travel. So to be with her felt very apt. And she had a great bunch of friends and a roommate who had buckets of Irish Hospitality. I was made to feel very welcome - thank you all!

I started Dubai with a bang. After 2 1/2 hours sleep i was on my way to the famous Dubai bunch! Thanks Kate for the advice…Timing was great as my friend Jamie from school was throwing his 30th birthday over bunch at the Westin Hotel. If you've not been to bunch here then I would say it's less about the eggs Florentine and more about the booze. Lot's of booze! There was however over 12 food stations from what I can remember with every cuisine being represented! Not expecting to last beyond evening I made it home by 3am! I won't go one about the other nights but expect more of the same during the week that's been…including an impromptu sing-along in the toilets with everyone to Spice Girls. Yes...it seems to they made it here too!

Highlights of this week was watching sunset over the Burj Al Arab whilst sipping a cocktail at 360. A trip to Abu Dhabi to visit the Grand Mosque - Sheikh Zayed- biggest in the world I believe and the Emirates Palace Hotel - incredibly extravagant and felt fitting to be situated here. I think this was my first time in a Mosque and it was nice to finally visit. I’m sure there will be many more religious buildings to visit throughout my trip and i’m sure i’ll visit more Catholic churches this year alone than in the last 15 years - my grandma will be so proud!

So on my last day in Dubai I went on a desert safari trip. It was very touristy but it was just pretty cool to be sat in the desert watching the sun go down and pretending to be Lawrence of Arabia. Also - Dune Bashing…my word! My driver was a total show off which meant he went for it in the 4x4 smashing into the dunes and the car flying down over the top of the higher ones. The lady behind me had to lye down when we stopped and I was shaking! All good though and a lot of fun! I was fortunate to have a lovely group of people to spend the afternoon with and overall it was a cool way to finish the trip.

Ok so next country…Sri Lanka...can't wait!!! Gulp!

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Photos

Brunch madness
And old school reunion

Burj Khalifa
And KT!