We've had the laziest day of our entire holiday today. We slept in for ages and stayed in our room reading, chatting and hiding from the hot sun until it was time to check out just before 6 pm.
Then we booked our bags into the cloak room, paid our bill, and went in search of food in that extraordinary Dubai Mall.
After pizza and salad (we were surprised to hear both "silent night" and "Oh come all ye faithful" being piped through the mall as we ate, along with other more secular western and arabian sounding tunes) we made our way once again to the Dubai fountain and enjoyed two more fabulous displays of water and light set to music, which really are more like fireworks displays than anything else. One display was set to orchestral western music - sounding like horses galloping over prairies and involved high shots of water accompanying gunfire like drums in places, the other was an Arabian tune and the water fountains were like belly dancers, gyrating to the music and dancing in groups, and then in a line. It is amazing how the fountain reflects the music so well and is just so moving. If we had more nights here I would be trying to see this free display more.
 |
| Cup decoration in a coffee shop in the Dubai Mall |
 |
| Reflectons in Dubai |
 |
| More reflections in Dubai |
We walked back to the hotel, reclaimed our bags and caught a cab to the airport early, missing the crowds and having a hassle free bag drop and no wait for security or passport checks. Once that was done we have had a shower, changed into our travelling clothes and read our books, had a bit of food and a cup of tea to keep us going, and now have only another couple of hours before we will be on board the plane. It's a pity about the 12.5 hours of flying time, but there is no way of avoiding that , so we are just gritting out teeth and praying for video screens that work, an empty seat in our row, good food, free alcohol and no crying babies.
We are very much looking forward to seeing our family and friends after so long away, and to sleeping in our own beds, and eating our own home cooked meals.
It has been a great holiday. We've seen a lot, learnt a lot and met some fantastic people. We wonder how we will view history after seeing so much evidence of earlier times. Australia is so devoid of that. In some ways it is a pity that the holiday comes to a close, but the time is right, and we are happy to be heading homeward.
Thom and Laura will be heading off very soon, and this is very much in our minds. It will be good to cross paths for a week or so, and spend some time together before they head away to start the next phase of their lives.
So I'm signing off from Dubai airport for the moment.See you on the other side.
Written 15/9/15 in the evening.
We are home and settled in.
It has been wonderful to see our family and we are very much looking forward to gradually catching up with friends too.
The flight was too long and we each managed only a snatch of sleep , so we were very tired when we arrived in Adelaide, but after a few hours of catching up with Thom, Ben and Laura we headed for bed and had a good sleep. Today we felt no worse than after a bad nights sleep (which we are both well used to with our light sleeping habits)
I was lying awake at 2.30 am , and still awake at 4 am when the magpies started their carolling. I have so missed that sound while I've been away, and it was wonderful to lie snuggled in my own comfy bed and listen to it this morning.
So now the clean up has started. Washing, sorting and packing away is in hand, and some essential arrangements (like cutting our hair) have been made. Life is quickly settling back into a normal routine. It was great to shop today at my own supermarket where I know the location of foods, and to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables at least to some extent, and to cook a meal at home again.
Thanks for all the support of our Facebook friends and blog followers while we have been away. I will aim to continue to blog on a less regular basis, but will refrain from a daily update of our activities unless I think it is noteworthy.
Feel free to continue to follow the blog at luvapuzzle.blogspot.com.au if you wish. It may well become more orienteering slanted as I settle back into Aussie life-especially with the upcoming national champs competition in the next few weeks. I will try to label the posts so that you know what you are in for, and can read only those which are of interest.
Cheers for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment