Dubai

My first impressions of Dubai were of austerity and quiet hostility.  We arrived early in the morning of Monday 11 September and arrivals was silent with no public address system,  the woman who viewed my passport did not greet me or even look at me which I found unnerving.

The men were in elaborate uniforms or traditional dress of a long white gown with a white veil held on by a rolled up black circle to hold it on, weirdly bride like.

To top it off our driver and in fact every male, addressed only David and not me unless completely necessary.  It was an interesting experience to be invisible.

However,  the hotel was extravagant and excessive, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Our ‘room’ all 160 sq/m of it was just incredible with a view of the city, and the pool.  Everything appears massive and extravagant in Dubai, as if they are trying to prove themselves with the biggest, the tallest, the best in the world.

There was an aquarium in our hotel, and an aqua park adjoined which we had a ball in. The pool was fabulous with loungers and huge fluffy towels for our use.  There were shopping avenues with exclusive designer stores, multiple restaurants and bars.

Temperatures were 40 to 42 degrees, weather in which to sit by the pool or mostly in the pool.

We went on a hop on hop off bus but the nature of Dubai with its widely spread out city really didn’t give a lot of time to get off for any length of time. Also the heat made walking outside for any length of time quite draining and very sweaty.

It was a great way to start our journey and we loved the luxury of it all.

First stop Dubai,  next stop Paris, France.