Articles from this Category
14 November 2025
Dubai Marina I had set the alarm for 0640 so I could go explore before it got too hot. Yes, it’s November but the temperatures are still on the warm side in the sun. I felt groggy upon waking even though I wake at 0400 in Beirut. After the hotel buffet breakfast, I took the […]
13 November 2025
Leaving Beirut I woke a little later today at 0500 instead of 0300, which is still good as I have a long day ahead, flying to Dubai at 1155 with the intention of exploring there till late at night. Checking out of the hotel at 0730, I ordered a car which got me to the […]
1 December 2024
Leaving Iraq With our flight departure of 1420, we had a relaxing morning at the hotel’s buffet breakfast before getting a taxi to the airport around 1040. Erbil airport is a high security zone and our taxi queued up for a check during which we had to alight. Our bags weren’t looked at but the […]
4 August 2015
For breakfast I made muesli and yoghurt with a fruit salad from the supermarket. We taxied to the nearby Sheikh Zayed Mosque (named after the man who united the seven emirates into one country) but the route was quite circuitous due to the one-way system (and coming back wasn’t that straight forward either). It was […]
3 August 2015
Today was Kim’s big day at Ferrari World. I had as much interest in that as I have in Hello Kitty Land or Lego Land. Incidentally, Lego Land is opening up in Abu Dhabi but I think it might melt away in the 45 degC heat during summer. The hotel had a free shuttle to […]
30 October 2008
I had booked a night into a relatively cheap Panorama Deira Hotel in Dubai for my overnight. With the scheduled flights arriving from JFK at 1945 and departing for Sana’a at 0710, it would have been a little cruel to oneself to spend the night at the airport after a sleepless night flight. But it […]
22 March 2007
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. […]
19 May 2006
We have a full social calendar today, after having yesterday free for exploring Dubai’s malls and shops. Not that there’s much we wanted to buy. For lunch, we met Carolyn, Brad and their two children. They are from New Zealand and moved up over a year ago. They enjoy the lifestyle here and wouldn’t consider […]
23 May 2003
Today we have a daytrip, with a pick-up at 0830, to Buraimi Oasis and Al Ain via Hatta and Hajar Mountains. Our driver James, from Karnataka drove us through sandy dunes on the side of the motorway before entering more rugged territory. At Hatta Fort, it was a brief stop as it was closed being […]
