Day 1. More than a transit stop.

Many would argue that international travel is rather extravagant. By contrast most would agree that a coffee a day is more than a necessity. So for about the same price as a coffee a day for a year, we purchased two tickets on Emirates for a five week adventure in Europe, via Dubai.

We are doing this trip a little differently from our others. We are hiring a car for most of our time rather than traveling by train, as we are going to many places too difficult to reach any other way. We have finally grown up and ditched (at least for this trip) our backpacks in favor of ‘wheely’ bags. We are still traveling light with just one regular sized bag and a carry on bag between us.  However, we remain committed to reasonably priced independent travel – trying to be travelers rather than just tourists.

Dubai is a transit destination. From the transit lane crush at the airport, it is obvious that most people do not stop over. However, for many years Wendy has been teaching her 4 year olds about the tallest building in the world, The Burj Khalifa, so a stopover in Dubai was essential.

Most 4 and 5 star hotels in Dubai would pick you up at the airport. The eleven room Orient Guest House, in the heart of old Dubai, near the famous Creek, expects us to find our own way. As we walk through the airport looking a little lost an official looking man asks us if we would like to ride the Airport shuttle bus into town, which sounds reasonable. We hop on a full size bus, wondering if the guy has just ripped us off, and end up being the only passengers. The bus driver admits half way there that he does not know the location of our accommodation and the name of the street we have given him (Al Fiaidi St) is about 5kms long. Miraculously we spot the Guest House in a side street as we drive through a very non-touristy part of the old town.

 

The Guest House reminds us of the flat roofed, mud brick houses that we have read about in the Old Testament.  We enjoy a wonderful sleep in a four-poster bed and look forward to a big day exploring the old and the new of Dubai tomorrow.