Dubai remained picturesque to the end:












I've enjoyed Dubai, I must say, despite the roaring temperatures (actually, this morning, the young Nepalese woman in our coffee shop, who has been in Dubai for eight years, told us the weather was cooler now -- it had been much hotter...) It's easy to navigate, and there's plenty to do.

Dubai airport was at its pleasantest at this mid-day hour. Plenty of places to sit. No crowds. No racket. And a chance to try camel milk chocolate (very good):


As we'd experienced in China, security was tight. You go through the normal screening, and then there's another check before you board. World events, I guess...

What can you say about the flight? Emirates try hard. The food was nice (and plentiful). The seats were comfortable (although the leg-room seems to get less every time we do this). And a long flight offers an extended opportunity to listen to your latest story. Even so, all you really want is for it to be over...

And eventually it was. The whole thing was over and done with by 2000 UK time, but that was midnight by our body clock. Anticipating exhaustion, we'd booked ourselves in at the Ibis Styles just off the airport (you can walk there easily, and that's actually a nice thing to do after a long, cramped flight).

That welcome drink (a glass of red wine) was welcome indeed...