Downtown Dubai

We landed at 5.30am yesterday and had had the foresight to book our room for the previous night as well as the night we were actually here. It meant by 7am, we were in our room, stretched out on the bed gradually uncricking our tortured bones after the long flight. Col seemed to get in a few hours sleep on the plane, but as usual with me it was sporadic and my smart watch proudly told me I’d slept ‘lightly’ for just over 3hrs 🥱

I’ve missed a bit. As we exited into main arrivals, scanning boards for the taxi sign, Col was approached by a guy offering a taxi. Before I could give him ‘the look’, he’d accepted a taxi ride offered by a random guy. The random guy then offered to take our bags, and shot off at speed towards wherever his ‘non’ taxi car might be. It was hard to keep up and I was fully reconciled to saying goodbye to that bag forever. Anyway, we eventually arrived at his non cab, he loaded us and the bags in and off we went. We agreed a price, which, even for an airport run, sounded high, and sped towards the hotel. I was over-tired and cross, muttering in the back about non licensed cabs etc. On the plus side, we prob got to our hotel quicker which was a bonus, but at a cost. We’ll know on our return to the airport just how ripped off we were!

The Shangri-La Dubai is by far the most luxurious place we have ever stayed in (apart from when we stayed here in 2017!) The service is second to none, people are standing everywhere (is that their main role?), they press the lift call button for you, just randomly ask if all is well and smile genuinely at your answer, as you walk by, etc.

After a rest, shower and late buffet breakfast, we head off in the hotel’s shuttle bus to Dubai Mall.

Went there for two reasons:
1) to see the last Lush shop on our world tour ✔️
and more importantly
2) for Col to dive in the shark 🦈 tank of the Dubai Aquarium ✔️

The mall is bigger than huge and ginormous, if there’s a word for that? The expanse of shiny floors, opulent lights, decor, it’s another world. There are more shops than you can shake a stick at, including shops which have disappeared at home, but still exist in the Dubai bubble.

As Col readied himself for his dive (sporting the swimmers we’d bought at Bondi Junction Mall before the horrific incident) I went round the aquarium…..Read more