We've changed planes here countless times. In 2015, we had a longish layover, and popped out to ride the rails for a while; in 2022, we again had a longish layover, but that one was in the middle of the night, so we forked out for a few hours in one of the swanky lounges.

I haven't actually overnighted here, though, since a brief stay in May 2000. A quarter of a century ago... And Nigel has never really explored the place. So, when it seemed politic to factor in some going-wrong time between our flight from Kunming on China Eastern and our flight onwards to Birmingham on Emirates, we thought: Now's the time for a little more Dubai.

Yesterday, then, we said our goodbyes to Kunming. The airport experience wasn't the greatest, to be honest, but that's unfortunately true of so many otherwise fine places. Actually, the beginning and end of the airport stint were fine. There were places to sit, and it wasn't crowded. But the middle bit -- long lines for check-in and passport control, and the most rigorous security check we've ever been subjected to -- was distinctly trying.


I somehow didn't get on with my plane seat either, so it felt like a very long six hours.

Long immigration lines at Dubai, too, although they kept moving reasonably well.

And then -- that nadir of travel experiences, as far as I'm concerned -- you have to get yourself from the airport into the city... We had the Bolt ride-hailing app, but weren't familiar with the pick-up places, and standing there trying to figure it out meant we were starting to get "advice" from people who may or may not have been legit.

So we decided to risk the metro. Bad idea... It's easy enough to get a ticket. But just before 2000 on a Saturday evening, the trains are PACKED. So there we are, with our cumbersome luggage, squashed like sardines. AND we had to change trains.

I'm NOT doing this metro thing again, I said. From now on, if we can't walk to it or Bolt to it, we're not going to it.

But finally, we're walking the last stretch to the Ibis in Deira. It had felt like a long day, and we decided to avail ourselves of our free welcome drink straight away. I've probably never felt so grateful for a glass of cold white wine...


This morning's breakfast was fabulous. I do love a good breakfast buffet, and the Middle Eastern touches were awesome: Labneh, baba ghanoush, hummus, olives, smoked fish, loads of salad stuff, delicious rice pudding -- and cardamom coffee...

And then we're out walking.

I don't think they'll ever finish building Dubai... During that first visit, I noted all the construction:


And still, the building sites are legion...


We're staying near the Gold Souk (which connects with all sorts of other souks). We quite liked the slightly ghostly feel of the early-morning laneways, before all the action has started:




Six hours' flying time has put us in a very different cultural realm. There are so many different faces on the streets. Lots of South Asians. Lots of Africans. We saw Jollibee and halo-halo shops, so there must be Filipinos...

And it's these migrants that you meet in the hotel and the shops, of course. And that you see keeping the place shipshape (we kept passing men who were squatting on their haunches, using long scrubbing brushes to clean the sand from between the flagstones -- talk about a Sisyphean task...)

I was taken aback by how male-dominated the streets were in the area where we were walking. Women were definitely in a very small minority.

But it was great to see different wares on offer:





And I love the sand-coloured buildings, and the many impressive mosques:






We peered across the Creek, but we'll postpone explorations over there until another day:




In some ways, Dubai seems a bit old-fashioned after China... Is that heretical...? But what's with all these petrol-driven cars? So noisy, lah... I know. It's the oil... Not that Dubai per se has that much oil. But the United Arab Emirates as a whole does. The air pollution is very visible:


And to use public transport we need to buy a CARD, you say? No handy little app? We even had to seek out a cash machine, because it does seem as though you sometimes need actual money here...

Still, malls have continued to be a thing, which in this heat (high 30s) is a big advantage:


And there are supermarkets everywhere.

Nuts are a staple here. No need to hunt round. You're falling over them.


Having walked quite a long way in our search for cash, we decided to get the metro back to the hotel. I know, I know -- I said never again after yesterday evening's horribly crowded experience... But I realized there were women-only coaches. We have these on some of the trains in KL, and I remember that some feminists didn't approve of them (on the grounds that women should be safe in ANY coach, and shouldn't need to be hived off separately in order to feel secure). I understand that point, but for me, it's primarily a question of size... The women's coaches can be crowded, too, but if I'm surrounded by women, I'm less likely to end up with my face at somebody's armpit level...

Despite the quick ride back on the metro, we still managed to walk more than 12 km today. Which is not bad if you consider how hot it is. I think the lack of humidity helps: You're hot, but you don't end up in the woefully soggy condition that you do at home.

All in all, I'm happy to be here; I love the feeling of being in a completely different world; and I'm looking forward to exploring a bit more.