Days 23 & 24: Off to Dubai

Friday, October 20

My Uber was at the hotel bright and early to take me to the airport. My flight to Dubai wasn’t until 06:15, but I wanted to arrive early to take advantage of the Emirates lounge.

I arrived at the airport just after 03:00 to check in, only to find that security didn’t open until 03:30. Lots of people were sleeping on chairs around the check-in desks, so I wasn’t the only one to arrive way too early.

Thankfully it wasn’t a long wait, and before long I was through security and Australian customs. It was a bittersweet moment; I had certainly enjoyed my time in Australia but was really looking forward to trying Emirates business class.

I made my way up to the lounge and was the first one inside. First on the agenda was a shower. The shower suites in the lounge were quite large and helped get me started on the right track.

Feeling refreshed, I made my way to the buffet and had a light breakfast and a cappuccino. Not sure if caffeine was the right move at that hour but I did want to make the most of my experience.

At 05:30 I made my way onto the plane. Flying on an A380 was something I had always wanted to do, and I was especially excited to be on the upper deck.

I settled into seat 9K and was welcomed with orange juice, champagne, an amenity bag and a menu. Luckily I had lots off storage space to keep everything!

Before long, we were taxiing to the runway for takeoff. The four engines came to life and we slowly got up to speed. The A380 is absolutely massive and feels like a whale taking off.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant came by and took our breakfast orders. I ended up having the banana bread, which was alright. Interesting to note that in business class, meals are served with real plates, cutlery and glassware.

I went to use the bathroom after eating, not noticing the seatbelt sign was on. The flight attendant said I could wait it out in the lounge instead of going back to my seat. The lounge was at the back of the business class cabin and featured a bartender that could make whatever you wanted, and some snacks for the taking.

When I got back to my seat, I converted it to the bed and laid down for a couple hours. Normally I can’t sleep on planes, but having an actual bed where I can stretch out certainly helps. There was no shortage of room in my seat which made the journey much more comfortable.

It was soon time for lunch. I had the nasi goreng, which was an Indonesian style fried rice with prawns. It was probably the best meal I’ve had on a plane, not that there’s much competition.

After an afternoon nap, we had a light snack before preparing for landing. I had the chicken pie which was also quite good. Our first sight of land came as we flew over Oman, and we made our way into Dubai.

Unfortunately it was really hard to see anything on landing due to the haze. Apparently it’s a combination of desert sand and pollution, which makes sense given how much sand surrounds the city.

There was a bit of a mad dash to get off the plane. I think most people had connecting flights, so they were all racing to get there. A number of people decided it would be a great idea to stand on and block both sides of the moving walkway, to the frustration of many others. When asked to move, the standees thought the ones wanting to walk by were in the wrong.

There was a train that took us from the A gates to the main arrivals hall, which shows just how large Dubai International Airport is. At one point, it was the world’s third-busiest, and Terminal 3 is the world’s second-largest building by floor space.

Everyone noticed my disability as I made my way through and went out of their way to accommodate me. I was whisked through immigration and in no time was at the baggage carousel, where again, my bag was one of the first off. This time, I had my business class ticket to thank.

I headed to the metro station, which was attached to the terminal, and before almost going in the wrong direction, went down to the correct platform. I bought a nol card and loaded it up for less than $10, which was all I would end up spending on transit.

The metro ride to the station near my hotel was quick and painless but the walk to the hotel was anything but. I followed the instructions from Google Maps and figured I knew where to go. After 10 minutes, I realized I had walked in the complete opposite direction, and was now a 25 minute walk from the hotel.

Feeling somewhat defeated, I noticed a bus stop across the street with a bus that would take me right to my hotel. The bus left in five minutes, so I tried to hurry across the street. Crossing the street took five minutes and two separate attempts because the street was so wide, I had to wait in the median.

Thankfully the bus was well behind schedule and came about ten minutes later. I was only on for three stops, but it was a lot quicker and comfortable than walking.

My hotel was in the quieter Al Seef Marina area, right across from the Saudi consulate. When I checked in, my bags were taken by concierge to take up to my room.

I was told they would be there shortly, but after waiting 90 minutes, I went back down to the lobby to see my bags sitting in a corner with absolutely nothing identifying them. I have no idea how they expected to get them up to my room. Sometimes, it’s just easier to do things yourself.

There was a rooftop pool, so I decided to go for a dip before having a nap. Also on the roof was the bar, where I decided to have some supper.

I was feeling pretty tired, so I made my way back to my room to rest.

Today by the numbers

Steps taken: 5,371

Distance travelled: 7,231 miles (11,639 km)

Number of people standing on the moving walkway: 5

Saturday, October 21

I woke up at 06:30 to grab breakfast and leave before it got hot. I didn’t think the breakfast was included with my room, but it was, and it was quite a good spread to get me started. Unfortunately, it was already 28 by the time I left at 07:30.

I wanted to go for a walk while it was cooler, so I made my way through the Al Seef district. While it looks older, Al Seef is actually less than a decade old, having opened in 2017. The shops didn’t open until 10:00, so it was quiet, but it was interesting to get lost in the various passageways.

At the end of Al Seef was the Al Fahidi historical district, named for the Al Fahidi Fort, which is where the Dubai Museum resides. Built in 1787, it is the oldest currently existing structure in Dubai. Unfortunately the museum was closed for renovations, so I kept on walking.

It wasn’t even 10:00 and already 30 out. The humidity made things even worse. I was almost at a metro station, so I walked there and made my way down to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.

Despite being in the station name, the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall are a ten minute walk from the station. Thankfully an air conditioned pedway with moving walkways links the two with the metro.

I wandered around the relatively empty luxury side of the mall. Each store had someone standing in front of the door and it seems like most required an appointment to visit. I suppose they don’t appreciate window shoppers.

I tried to find my way to the Burj Khalifa entrance, and was led through the underground parking garage to the other side of the mall. While it didn’t look particularly busy, they were sold out of general admission passes for the day. I was just about to turn and leave when I decided to bite the bullet and pay for the $200 VIP pass.

And I’m glad I did. A group of 20 of us went up, and had special access to floor 148, at a height of 555 m. There was even free coffee and snacks.

What’s almost impressive is how unimpressive the view is. Despite its absolute mammoth height, you can’t see more than eight km due to how hazy it is. I couldn’t even see my hotel, let alone the airport.

Of course, I should explain what the Burj Khalifa is. Since its completion in 2009, it has been the world’s building and structure, standing at a height of 828 m. I had been interested in it ever since its construction. Along with the mall, it sparked the development of the Downtown Dubai district that surrounds it.

My complaints about the view distance aside, the view is quite spectacular from over half a kilometre up. You really get an understanding of just how modern the city is. This part of the city shows the rapid change the city experienced as it grew into a global hub.

Much of this growth; however, has come off the backs of foreign workers. Of a population of ten million, the UAE has only 1.5 million citizens; the rest are expats.

The largest group of these are the Indians, whose numbers of four million make them the largest ethnic group in the country. Unfortunately, they are also targeted as cheap labour, and make poverty wages while contributing largely to the growth of the economy as seen in recent years.

I was also glad to have gotten the VIP pass when I went down the general admission levels. Located on floors 124 and 125, the general admission levels are 100 m lower, at a height of 452 m. It was incredibly crowded, and the windows were lined with people trying to get the perfect instagram shot. It was definitely nicer walking around with only 20 people.

After exiting the tower, I stopped for some gelato before going back out into the heat. It was a lot pricier than the ones I had in Australia, costing me almost $20, but it was worth it. I wanted to walk around the base to get some shots and really take in its height. Looking from the ground, it’s very impressive.

After making my way back to the hotel, I went to go relax at the pool again. I had walked over 10 km, and I hadn’t expected to do that much walking. It was also now feeling 40 with the humidity, so the cool pool would be very refreshing.

I had dinner again at the rooftop bar, having a shrimp skewer and fries. I had expected to like Dubai more, but it’s very hostile for walking and hard to get around. The heat is quite unpleasant, and lots of the places are gaudy and expensive. That said, the people are very friendly and incredibly accommodating, in an almost patronizing way.

It’s just as well I was heading home the next day. While I had a fantastic time on this journey, I was definitely feeling quite exhausted at that point and ready to make my way back. I always think that’s the sign of a successful trip.

Today by the numbers

Steps taken: 16,823

Maximum height above ground level: 555 m