Dubai

Of my approximately nine hours in Dubai (the airport), I'd estimate I spent around 6.5 asleep and the other 2.5 half asleep.  Needless to say, therefore, I have several extremely interesting and deep thoughts about the place.

I must have gotten some sleep on the plane because the time passed too quickly for me to have actually been awake the whole time.  Nevertheless, most of the flight passed in that weird liminal state between being asleep and being awake, such that I was hardly refreshed upon arrival in Dubai.  Which made me very glad that I had (upon Emil's recommendation) booked a room in the terminal hotel.  

There was a greeter waiting for me when I disembarked, holding a sign for "Mr. Erin Earl."  I didn't much care but he seemed to be quite embarrassed about the gender mistake.  Interestingly, he -- and the woman at reception -- both asked me multiple times if I was really traveling by myself.  I'd believe those things were related.

The room was Very Nice (view pictured below) and the hotel also was Very Nice -- several restaurants, a spa, a pool, etc.  I uesd none of those, opting instead to pass out in the (Very Nice) bed, waking up only occasionally from jet lag.  After my 2 am wake up call, I showered and left the hotel feeling significantly better than when I came in (though a woman at the restaurant where I bought breakfast still told me I "looked tired" and should "dance to the beat" to shake it off).

The airport was super busy even between 2:30 and 3:00 am, though I expect that's likely true at most of the big international airports.  The line was very long at the Mickey D's but less long (nonexistent) at the caviar stand.  I expect the caviar stand relies less on volume.

Interesting and deep this is not, but it's all I have for now.  Next up: Cape Town.   Hopefully a lower percentage of my time there will be spent asleep.

PS: A primary purpose of these posts is to reassure my parents that I'm alive and well (hi, Mom! I arrived safely at the hotel in Cape Town).  Apologies if that means they may be overly frequent and/or tedious for a more general audience.