Dubai

There's a lot of sand down there

Dubai airport has changed an awful lot since I was last here about 10 years ago.  It's huge.  It certainly has been built to make you think that you're not in the middle of a desert. This place is so exotic - lots of people walking around in white robes, the mosque for women, the mosque for men, the spectacular views over the desert and mountains as we flew in ... but the airport is full of burger bars, shops to buy posh alcohol and perfume.  I tried to find a book about the UAE, but couldn't find one (apart from one that seemed to be mainly about cricket).

hmmm

Perth airport was the opposite.  I slept on a bench that was clearly designed to stop people sleeping.  Actually, I didn't sleep, but tried to.  Then I had a coffee.  Then a tea. Then another coffee.  Then I felt sick.  Then I got on the flight and spent the first couple of hours trying to choose one of the millions of movies to watch.  I ended up watching Top Gear and some cricket.  I sat next to someone famous.  I have no idea who he was, but the aircraft staff kept coming up to say how excited they were to have him on board.  I was ignored.    He had long hair.

Now I'm reading the Weekend Gulf News.  The second page describes how to build a "novel flatpack refugee tent".  Apparently Tom Jones will be live in Abu Dhabi.

Okay ... time to get on the next flight -- A380 to Paris.  Next time I'd like to stay longer and go for a drive in the desert.