My Dad and his wife Bita met me, and it was great to see them after so long, it was also great to be back in warmer climes after a chilly few weeks in New Zealand after the heat and humidity of South East Asia.
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| Bita and me at the airport |
As Dubai is a new city, I didn't have a long list of must sees whilst I was there, so my time revolved around eating, drinking and socialising.
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| On the hubbly bubbly |
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| Me, Bita and Belly at the Hilton |
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| Me at the Movenpick |
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| Dad and me at the Sofitel |
My Dad lives on the 37th floor of an apartment block, right by the marina, so I had great views of the marina, the sea and the now completed Palm Jumeirah. The Apartment tower block was the tallest residential building in the world, but has since been surpassed by another building.
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| View of the marina from the balcony |
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| The marina |
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| View of the Palm from my bedroom |
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| The pool at my Dad's place, I did go in a couple of times but it was pretty chilly! |
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| View from the balcony at night |
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| The marina |
Everyone wanders around in their designer clothes and expensive perfume, and I felt extremely under dressed in the clothes I had been carrying around in my rucksack for the past seven months! Thank God for that top and two pairs of shorts I had made in Hoi An, Vietnam!
One thing that struck me in Dubai was the shockingly bad drivers, most of them all driving around in big 4x4's, so I didn't blame my Dad and Bita for having one themselves to make them feel a bit safer on the road, even if it was a bit of a beast to park!
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| Yay! Bita parked successfully! |
A stark reminder of the driving skills in Dubai was a parting vision of seeing a man who had been mowed down by a passing car, and the paramedics pulling a tarpaulin over him whilst still lying on the road. You've got no chance if you are hit by one of those cars at the speeds they do, when safety isn't their priority.
Bita and I had a night out at the cinema to watch Contagion, but of course, this was no normal cinema! It was in the Dubai Mall, and we were in the screen that had twenty four leather reclining seats, and came with butler service. We lay there watching the movie with a blanket and pillow, reclined in our leather chairs and beckoning the butler to bring us drinks and gourmet popcorn! I don't know how I will ever go back to 'normal' cinemas again!
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| Our butler taking our photo before taking our seats |
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| Bita relaxing at the cinema |
In Dubai it's all about the money, and everywhere you look there are fabulous malls that are just vast, some with inbuilt aquariums, and also architectural wonders, including the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa and the Palm.
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| fountain show to music |
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| Aquarium inside a mall |
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| Fountain show to music at the Dubai Mall |
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| You can't come to Dubai and not visit a gold souk! |
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| Waterfall inside a mall |
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| Bita by the waterfall |
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| Me by the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world |
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| Me and the Burj Al Arab in the background |
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| One of the many malls |
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| Burj Al Arab |
We visited the Palm when we went to the Atlantis Hotel for dinner on my last night, another evening of fine dining. It's just incredible to think that it was under the waves ten years ago.
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| Enjoying a beer at the beach |
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| At the Theatre |
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| Something slightly arabic - a lantern |
By the time I left Dubai, I had expanded my belt by one hole and decided it was probably best if I went home. I had to get back to reality sometime, and no time like the present. It was sad to say bye to my Dad and Bita, but I'm sure I will be back to see them soon.
So the end of my seven months has arrived, and one final journey to get me back to the start again - the UK. At least it'll be Christmas soon so that should soften the blow of being back in the English winter, and I am looking forward to spending time with my family, especially my little niece and nephew. Oh, and not lugging that backpack around!
So my original plan didn't quite work out, Australia, New Zealand and then America before flying home, but plans are there to be changed, and Dubai seemed like as good a place as any for my final destination before heading home. America can wait a little while longer.
How long until my feet start itching again? Only time will tell........................
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