The Concrete Jungle of Dubai - 21/10/2007

Flying with Emirates, I had a long layover in their hub city of Dubai. For waits longer than 8 hours, they give you a complimentary night's stay at hotel just outside the airport. Mine was the Millenium Airport Hotel. Given that their business was perhaps 80+% Emirates passengers, I wasn't expecting opulence like I would have if I booked the hotel myself. My room was huge and overairconditioned. Outside temperatures rivaled Nashville in late July, hot and humid even in the dark. I got in a little after 1am so didn't explore outside the hotel. The next morning, I went for a short walk after breakfast, surveying the concrete jungle and enjoying the last taste of freedom. Hot and humid at 7am was slightly better than hot and humid at night. I bet by mid day, I would have taken my jacket off. By mid day, I was somewhere over the Indian Ocean in the metal tube again.