"Dubai stopover" Tom_white_5588s photos around Dubai, United Arab Emirates (emirates exit row)

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Entry from: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Entry Title: "Dubai stopover"

Entry:

"Having the exit row was good because I got extra legroom but unfortunately there wasnt much to see out the window at either end. Also, it wasnt a galley exit row but rather a toilet exit row...not the nicest environment to sit in for 8hrs. I didnt really get as much sleep as I wanted to on the flight. I just kept dozing off and being woken continuously. Compared to my previous experience with Emirites, this experience was rather average. It was an old plane so there was no interactive entertainment system, the seats were small and uncomfortable and the staff seemed to respond to the inferior quality plane with equally inferior quality service. It seemed as though it was a different company to the Emirites we flew to NZ with. Anyway, when we arrived we got a futuristic bus to the arrival gate from the plane. It is designed to look as though it is floating - kinda cool really. When I got into the terminal I found myself completely lost. Eventually I figured out how to get out of the airport and got a taxi into the city and found my way to an Abra station. On my way to the Abra station I was absent mindedly walking along what I though was a pedestrian path when I heard a beep-beep, turned around, and got hit by a truck!!! It just clipped me with its mirrors so I was ok but I didnt hear it approaching so it came as a bit of a shock. For some reason I responded to this my shouting "Sorry mate" and the response came back "Shoo, shoo!". Hahaha what a crazy start to my time in Dubai. At about 6am I worked out the Abra system (you basically just get on the boat they point to and pay the driver 1 dirham) and caught the Abra across the Creek. Unfortunately, Friday happens to be Dubais version of Sunday so absolutely nothing was open on the other side of the Creek. I asked at an information desk and they said that shops would start to open around 8am. So I decided to go for a wander through the streets anyway and get the obligatory tourist snapshots out of the way. There were lots of Indian/Pakistani men sleeping on the streets and on park benches and wandering through the city. I couldnt see anyone who represented someone of "middle eastern appearance" so I guess they are the upper class and dont need to get up before 8am on a Friday. Throughout my whole time outside of the airport, I did not see another white person and only saw one touristy looking Asian couple. I was getting strange looks from all over the place but didnt take much notice of them. By this stage I was getting really hungry. It felt like I walked across the whole city by the time I found somewhere I could get some breakfast (well it was 2hrs worth of walking). Against my better judgement, I walked down an alley where I saw a couple of Indian men sitting outside a café style burger joint and ordered a chicken burger and a freshly squeezed orange juice. Im fairly sure that this place wouldnt comply with Australian health standards as there were flies everywhere and the floor was absolutely filthy. But I was hungry. The burger turned out to be quite small but really tasty. They serve it with chips inside the burger and it comes with a nice spicy tomato sauce. After refuelling, I crossed the Creek again and did the same tour of deserted streets I had done a couple of hours earlier, only this time the streets were quite busy with several market stalls opening up and setting out their wares. I bought a Dubai t-shirt and had a look at some sunglasses but couldnt find any good ones. Absolutely exhausted, I hailed a taxi and went back to the airport so that I could sit down in the air-conditioning and make use of the free wireless internet. I desperately need a shower & to brush my teeth...cant wait to get to Istanbul. In the mean time, Im going to go have a wander and explore Dubai International airport..."
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Photos from this trip:
1. "Creek and abras"
2. "Abra wharf"
3. "Sunrise over the creek"
4. "Sheik ay"
5. "Tourist attraction"
6. "Really old tourist attraction"
7. "Heritage village"
8. "Cats running around everywhere - so skinny"
9. "Empty gold souk"
10. "Me on an abra"
11. "Where i bought my t-shirt"
12. "Scene of the crime - hit & run"
13. "Where were the police when i got trucked???"
14. "Dubai international airport"

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