Tales from the Toon. The ups and downs of an NUFC supporter....

Dubai Trip

Day 1

Well Iset off for Dubai on thursday lunchtime for an afternoon flight from Leeds to Heathrow (which you wont be able to do from March, nightmare). Anyway, not a great start as my flatmate's car had a completely flat tyre. No problem, it'll only take 2 minutes to change, you'd think! an hour later we gave up! I eventually made it to LBA and down to LHR where I got to enjoy the delights of T5. Through various hotel stays and complaining I manmaged to amass enough airmiles to get myself business class return with BA, and so I spent a good few hours with free food and drink before departure. It was an overnight flight so the flat bed got used for a few hours, the first time I have slept on a plane!

4 hour wander on the Firday morning (which it was when I arrived). I did all the really old town stuff as I was staying up thast way fro night one (this time on hotel reward points!), pretty mazing to see loads of goods just stacked next to these boats, LG fridges etc, there were no flat screen tv's though. No one was even watching over all this stuff, I guess that the punishment of having hands chopped off etc is quite effective. We should try it.

I did manage to break the law within two steps of being outsdie the airport. It only cost me about 6 quid for my naivity. I mean if someone asks you iof you want a taxi, when you want a taxi you say yes dont you, especially after only a couple of hours sleep in long space of time! Anyway he charged me 70dhs (about 14 quid) from airport to hotel. When I gave him 100 and said just give me 10 back he gave me 20, which made me think. I asked at reception when checking in, how much I should have paid from airport to there... she said 30 to 35dhs! Nice. Read my lonely planet guide to find that people just pose as taxi drivers, its illegal to use them and they will over charge! Still, not a bad lesson for about 6 quid.

Whilst business class flight was good, definately the way to fly but not sure its worth the 4x mark up on economy unless a really long flight. I had 3 hours of pretty good sleep though. They kept hassling me to drink more champaign and the food on the menu was way too fancy! I'm just a man with simple tastes!

I retired mid afternoon for an hours sleep, not sure whether that was fitting in with the locals or just the lack of sleep the night before! I got up and headed out in search of food. To be fair you dont have to walk far anywhere in Dubai without having a choice of at least 10 different types of food! After my overpriced food in Deria I wandered back to the hotel. It was at this point that I was approached by an eastern lady (further east than Dubai) who said 'you want sex?'. I said, 'sorry', she repeated it. Now there was a brief second where I considered if it was a survey, then another which thought she had obviosuly taken a real liking to my western pastey looks. Then it hit me, she would be offering it in return for payment!! Being aware of Dubai's strict reputation I was shocked, but that was soon replaced by fear of having my nuts cut off before having any children if I was seen talking or near this woman. I think I could have challenged Usain Bolt for those first few strides away!

Reaching my bed (alone) that night was very welcome after a long trip!

Day 2

I was moving to a hotel down by the Palm for the second and third nights. I cleverly decided to use the big bus company tour as my transport, and get to see a bit more of the city. 40 quid but probably worth it. On the map one of the stops on their blue route looked quite close to my hotel, so I got off with my 100 litre rucksack and began trecking south in the midday sun. After about 40 minutes of having palaces on my right hand side, and a motorway on my left, I decided to flag a taxi to take me there! Obviously it was right round the corner from where I was, I was a little upset that I had given in so easily, though my arms had started to go a little red!!

Onvce checked in, and negociated a late departure on the Monday, I droped my bag and headed back to the bus stop (I got a taxi therethis time, and after finding it cost 15dhs (3 quid!) I decided that was a good choice! the tour took in all the main things to see and got me back to my hotel early eveing.

The great thing about Dubai (okay so this is probably pretty low on most peoples list!) is that they have more PL games on than we do. So on Saturday nigth I headed to the Dhow and Ancor in the Jumeriah Beach Hotel to watch 2.5 games! I asked for a pint of Carling, and the kind barman informed me that was 35dirhams, but Kronenberg was 'only' 25 (5 quid), hmmm, 1664 then please!

Again, reaching my bed that night was a welcome time!

Day 3

I woke up for the free breakfast and headed to Wild Wadi waterpark. At 40 quid it is overpriced, and if you have ever been to a florida waterpark then prepare to be disappointed if you expect the samre from this. Id did 'all' the rides first thing, before it got busy, then I spent the rest of the day on the decking overlooking the park, the beach and the burj al arab. It was mid afternoon when I noticed a group of men in suits walkign alone the private footpath of the jumeriah beach hotel that ran alongside the waterpark. After a double take it is clear than one of these men is none other than David Hasselhoff!! I really wanted to just grab for the camera but my pride got the better of me so didnt!

On the evening I headed back to the Dhow and Ancor (I know, how englidh of me!) this time to take in the Newcastle Everton game. I thought we were pretty comfortable, even with ten men. would have taken a poitn before the game, and especially after the sending off, but when a game goes like that (no cahill, arteta off early) it was there to be won. I had a few pints that night, and was conscious that I didnt want to look drunk, so slipped into a taxi to take me back to my bed!

Day 4

I had managed not to burn during the water park day, though it had been a little overcast. This day was however a pearler, not a cloud in the sky,a nd judging my the redness on my left shoulder and my back, it was a real hot one! I really must work on being able to reach the whole of my back - having said that even where cream had ben applied I had burnt!

I had got myself a late check out of 4pm but wasnt due to fly until 2.30am the next morning. I rather naively thought that once I had check i n online I'd be able to just bag drop and go to the lounge like you can at heathrow. When I arrived at the airport 6 hours before the flight I found out I couldnt! Two other people had made the same mistake. 3 hours ona marble floor before check in opened was a good lesson to learn! Anyway I managed to pick up a wifi connection so sat catching up with some blonde threads, revieiwing virtually everyones facebook page that I am friends with. I defiantely took advantage of the lounge was I was checked in, some rather nice strange russian vodka with fresh orange. I have never been drunk for a flight before, but that is definately what I was for this!

My budget had been going well all holiday (encouraging for a qualified accountant, if not rare!) and as I headed from the lounge to the gate I decided to spend my last 103 dirhams. Luckily that was the exact price of a litre of vodka, a litre of Jagermeister and a pack of extra gum!

Day 5

Flight back was good, another 4 hours of sleep was welcomed. It was only when collecting my bags, and seeing the dozen or so customs people in T5 that I realised I was perhaps over the limit for my alcohol purchases. I didnt declare. I feel bad, but the student loan company are taking far more interest off me than the actual rate of inflation so they get money off me that they shouldnt that way!!

My flight on to Leeds wasnt for 3 hours so I took advantage of the arrivals lounge, more free food, this time probably the best, a full english breakfast buffet. Absolute bonus, espcually after more food that was fancier than it needed to be on the plane!

I finally made it home at midday today, about 22 hours after I left my hotel!

So, all in all a very good trip, about the right length of time for what I wanted it for, and plenty of added value from points and airmiles etc. People alway talk about Dubaio being really expensive, but I think when they say that they are comapring it to Spain, or the US before the recent exchange loss. I found most things about the same price as here. Obiosuly the alchol is more expensive, an if you like heavy drinking on holiday then Dubai probably isnt the place unless you dont mind shelling out for it. from what I heard from a guy at the aiport I had been prett yfortunate with my 5 pound pint, though other drinks like wine seem to take the biggest hit. Taxi's (the proper ones!) are really cheap, and remove the need to hire a car. The metro system is supposed to open later this year so that may make getting around even easier. The clothes prices were a bit of a job in the main - clothes and alchol are the two biggies. Accomodation is also quite 'expensive' but then I guess it is actually probably on a par with London and other capial cities.

I dont quite get Dubai, I dont really understand where all the money is coming from, or how long it is going to keep coming. although they make lots of noises about not being effected by the credit crunch I really can see Dubai turning into a big big mess in the not too distant furture, there is so much development going on I cant see where the demand can come from in order to fill it all. I have thought about moving out there for work, and while I found it to be a really nice place, with so many different areas to explore, I dont think I could live out there - the heat for one, it was okay at this time of year, but 40 odd in summer, no thank you!

If its still going dtrong in 5 years I'll go back and see it all finished (or see the bits that are going now finished). The observation deck in the Burj Dubai will be worth the trip alone I suspect.

Now the collection of airmiels starts for a trip to Oz!!