Leaving Yemen
Today I fly to Dubai for a nightstop before continuing to Morocco tomorrow. Mohammad, the school driver knocked on my door at 0650 rather than the agreed 0730. I hadn’t been awake very long and hurriedly prepared myself. We left at 0700 and was at the airport some twenty minutes later for check-in.
My flight from Dubai to Sana’a and back to Dubai was booked on an award ticket, with the return leg in Business Class. It was far cheaper from New Zealand to buy a ticket to Morocco as it was considered a European destination at a lower price, then add on a side-trip to Yemen.
Hence, I had lounge access for this short flight to Dubai. It was a simple lounge at Sana’a where I had a drink and had to ask for a piece of cake.
The engine of the Emirates plane was open for a while. It must have needed some attention and we departed slightly late.
Seated in 6K, it was a mini Business Class cabin of just one row behind First Class, separated from the main Business Class much further behind aft of the galley. The service flow appeared haphazard, perhaps some of the crew forgot we were there. Pre take-off drinks and meal choice orders had been forgotten. Despite that the Iranian kebabs were delicious!
Dubai nightstop
Emirates Business Class tickets include a chauffeur drive to my hotel. I had booked to stay in a simple place called Al Sham. It was hard to find and the driver had to ring twice to find it.
In the afternoon, I wandered around the older part of Dubai which was about 20 mins walk away. The weather was perfect, neither hot nor cold but with a strong dry wind.
After Yemen, it feels strange to be in an Arab country where no foreigner needs to speak Arabic. I felt up for some practice with Syrian restaurateurs, shopkeepers etc. I find that without the pressure or performance anxiety (as in Yemen) I speak better here … or rather in Yemen, I rely on my school friends to do the work sometimes because they are so much more fluent.
To help use up my Dirhams, I went for a somewhat needed haircut at an Swiss Salon, which was actually Iranian. The man was highly skilled but refused to go for my usual “trim” … insisting on a more subtantial chop. Like I said, he was good and all ended well … we will see tomorrow how it shapes up as a shorter cut for me means a more difficult groom in the morning … I may not be able to just “wet and comb”.
I took dinner at a kebab place next to a laundry which I had patronised last year. Then it was an early night in my room.