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| A short stop at the beach during our half-day city tour on Day 1 |
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| Waiting to tour the museum - one of the oldest buildings in Dubai |
The main group of 13 enjoyed a very educational 3-day stay in Dubai. A 2-hour wait to get into our rooms at the Marco Polo was compensated by a complimentary breakfast, and then a complimentary lunch (after a rest and a swim for some!). The afternoon tour opened our eyes to the delights of Dubai, and accustomed us to the heat! We were very impressed with the cleanliness of the city, the friendliness of the people, and the impressive infrastructure. A ride to the end of the mono rail line gave us a view of the 'industrial' sector, and an opportunity to visit several of the modern shopping malls - high European fashion at a price. The two Margarets took the opportunity to don winter gear and ride the ski lift! Six of us ventured into the desert for the Sundowners Dune Dinner Safari and were exhilarated by the experience! A new camera was required afterwards - a mishap in the sand by one body and camera!! On the third day we all attended a Cultural Awareness Luncheon at the Sheik Mohammed Centre and all agreed it was a highlight of the stay - our young Emirati hostess explained much about the contrasts between customs, laws and religious beliefs of the nation, and we enjoyed a very large lunch featuring the local food.
A 4.30 am wake-up yesterday saw us on the flights to Frankfurt and then Berlin. We were joined at the Dubai airport by 3 more ambassadors, and Denise and Rob were waiting for us in Berlin. We were also greeted by rain!! - what a contrast to the heat!!! Our hotel (the Savigny) is delightfully quaint, and we are sure to enjoy our stay here before heading to Lubeck on Monday.
