Dubai

We had about four hours of sleep before landing in Abu Dhabi. I surfaced, with something of a thick head, to find Fo tucking into a full cooked breakfast. While I got dressed the chef prepared my poached eggs on toast and, as I finished my coffee, we landed. I don't think I can say I have cracked my fear of flying, but going First Class certainly helps.

Our waiting car whisked us away into a complex of roads covered in a churning flood of Large Mercedes, BMW, Lexi and other four wheel drive vehicles. But not before we got our first taste of 40c humidity. It was like stepping into a sauna and our sunglasses misted immediately.

Our driver's tip-seeking travelogue started immediately but over the years I have developed a good technique for appearing engaged in this kind of dialogue; a small part of my brain handles a sequence of nods, grunts and smiles leaving the rest free to roam or fall asleep as needed. Sadly Fo provided all the feedback needed to keep him in full flow. We soon found our friend's apartment and we're able to leave our disappointed driver at the roadside to ponder the unfairness of life and how to improve his travel guide techniques.

Julian is a good friend we met ten years ago in a bar in Melbourne, as you do. He was in good form and, wonderful host that he is, soon volunteered to drive us to Dubai. He dealt skilfully with the weaving Chelsea tractors and we were soon craning our necks to peer up at skyscraper after skyscraper. Dubai resembles an architect's playground, studded with jaw-dropping buildings each vying to outdoor its neighbour.

The Emiraties seemingly do nothing themselves, except arrange for termite mounds to be built. They are everywhere and more are being built all of the time. They house swarms of foreign workers and companies. Some are architecturally stunning; others are little more than shanty labour camps.

Towering over all is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest termite mound in the world at nearly a kilometre tall. Why did the Emiraties build it? Because they could. We shot to the viewing platform on the 124th floor in a very quiet elevator and in under a minute, without the usual deceleration lurch. The views were stunning, despite the mist and you could actually feel the building sway.

 

 

 

The Dubai Mall followed, then another and I think then yet another one. And between each, more transitions from refrigerator to sauna. Did I mention that Emiraties love to shop? Bling and excess everywhere. After a quiet supper, we crashed.