Sunday 1 January 2017

Wednesday 20th July 2016 (Heathrow to Dubai)

We left home at about 9.15am, and stopped off at the hospital to pick up a letter for airports about Lucy's needles etc.
Just near Woburn, we hit a traffic jam, and sat for about an hour with the engine off! It was pretty stressful! Finally got moving again and hit more slow traffic around the M25, but we made it to Heathrow about 2 hours before our flight time, and got through check-in and security fine.
The obligatory 'setting off' photo...

Cool seats in the Emirates lounge!

Taking a look at our double-decker plane.

We had a six hour flight to Dubai, and got two rows of three seats next to the windows. Everything was fine and I watched a couple of episodes of Poldark. After a couple of hours my back started aching so I walked to the back of the plane and stood in the small area there, kind of jiggling. After a bit an older Hindu lady joined me and we got talking - she lives in London and was going with a large group on holiday to Japan. We talked about religion, and she loved the fact that our family prays and reads the scriptures together - we found so much in common and had a wonderful chat. A younger girl from Australia was nearby - she was trapped from going back to her seat by the trolley, so she joined the conversation too. We talked about revelation, prayer, and following a prophet or guru, and there was a lovely spirit!

Our flight path.

The cameras on the plane were cool, though it was a bit scary watching us coming in to land!

We got through security OK, though tried going through the wrong bit first. An official in full Arab clothing put us through after that, with each of us being photographed.
Our luggage was there straight away, except for Harry's. Scott went to ask about it and it turned out that about 1000 bags had been left behind by Emirates that day, due to a problem with the conveyor belts! They said they'd send it to our hotel in Dubai, or straight to Hong Kong. We got a few bits out our cases for overnight, then checked our bags onto our Hong Kong flight for the next day.

We were given meal vouchers for the airport, so got some food at Burger King. It was cool sitting at 2am (Dubai time - 10pm UK time), in a gorgeous and mainly empty airport, eating! We were all fine, just a bit tired.

We then went outside to get a taxi. Going through the doors was hilarious! It was SO HOT still! 30 degrees or something! We very quickly found a taxi that could fit us all in - one with pink on, and with a pink clad female driver. She drove very quickly to our hotel a couple of miles away (£10 with a tip). Everywhere looked very modern and neat.

The hotel was gorgeous! The poshest we've stayed in by far!
Waiting in the lounge.

One of our rooms didn't have three beds, as we'd booked, but Lucy and I just shared, and they gave us separate duvets. I couldn't get to sleep till about 3am or so, letting go of the day's tensions - I don't particularly enjoy airports and flying, especially when worrying about all the kids too. I woke once in the night to loud music outside - a call to prayer!

Scott's Facebook write up...

No comments: