Arrival in Dubai

I survived the 14 hour flight!

I must say that it was very good that I had the entire row to myself. Obviously, that meant I didn't have to crawl over someone to get in and out of my seat, but it was also good because I was able to lay across all three seats to sleep. It's never easy to sleep on a plane, but it's a whole lot easier when you don't have to sleep sitting up in a chair. That was a big help. Unfortunately, there were two obligatory screaming/crying babies, so I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. Emirates Airlines tries to make you as comfortable as possible. They gave everyone a little bag with a sleep mask, earplugs, and a toothbrush. The three meals were very good, too. The in-flight entertainment had all sorts of videos, movies and music. I watched a fanstatic documentary about Godolphin Racing Stable while I ate dinner, and a video of a Def Leppard concert, and this morning, I watched Bridget Jones' Baby. 

The Dubai airport is a lot like Vegas, but without the slot machines. It's BIG, lots of marble and fountains, lots of walking, and trams that connect the gates to the main terminal. Immigration was a breeze (the female agent just stamped my passport and didn't say a word to me), and the customs inspector literally just sat in a chair and watched everyone walk by. The people watching in the Dubai airport is definitely first rate. There were people from all over the world, dressed in all manner of clothing, and speaking many different languages. My favorite person, Sean, arrived about 45 minutes after I did, and we were both so happy to see each other! 

We've now checked into our hotel, the Holiday Inn Al Barhsa near the Mall of the Emirates. 

We are getting ready to head over to the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, for our observation deck reservation at sunset. That's all I have planned for this evening.