Thursday, October 1, 2009

Around the world in a daze: part 1

These are a serious o things I wrote while gone. Some things have been added since I returned to make things sort of clearer. Enjoy. I did!

Dubai - 24 September 2009

As I watch The Simpsons on TV, with Arabic subtitles, I’m reminded how things are everywhere are sometimes just a little different.

So after 23 hours in transit, I made it to Dubai. It kind of reminds me of a sandy oven. It’s about 100F or so out, which is perfect weather for walking around outdoors.

But first, getting here… a slow process with me taking refuge in a “jumpseat” from SDF to CGN, including a 2-hour stop in PHL. Once in Cologne, the original plan was to just relax at the UPS offices there, but after a chat with the crew van driver, I realized I had about 3 ? hours to spare. SO I rode with my crew to the hotel, where I was given a key to the UPS crew room. Basically a lounge for the pilots to hang out and socialize together. Apparently they can’t be bothered to stop at the numerous cafĂ©’s that surround the hotel. Having spent the last 8 hours locked in a small space with pilots, I decided to stretch my legs and walk to the Cathedral Square and back. A very nice distraction. Reminds me how much I miss Europe, even if it’s occasionally interrupted by a random group of American youth smoking pot by the Rhine. Way to not be obvious about breaking drug laws in a foreign country. Look for them on an upcoming episode of Locked Up Abroad.

The cathedral, or Dom, just dominates everything in the center of town. A huge focus, and unlike last time I was in Cologne, the squares were open and the cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, etc spilled out into them. And this was at 11 PM. Last time I was there the Christmas markets were up. A nice change. Did I mention I really dig Europe?

After the walk, I went back to the hotel, freshened up (which amounts to washing my face, brushing my teeth, and applying more deodorant), and met my crew downstairs for the next leg. I liked these guys, they were way more amusing than the previous crew. Of course along the way, every pilot seemed to have a dispatch question about something. Which doesn’t bother me, it’s good to have the communication with them, especially face to face. Plus I was being allowed the privilege to fly with them. Imagine some one coming and just hanging around your office for 8 hours?? Of the 6 hours in flight from CGN to DXB, I spent about 4 ? of them horizontal in the crew bunk. Yay for sleep! I slept some on the flight cross the Atlantic, but sleeping in a chair, no matter how comfy that seat is, doesn’t compare to a bed. I probably could have gotten in one of the bunks on the way to CGN, but I didn’t want to be in the operating crew’s way.

After the nap, I went out, ate, change back into my clothes (for long haul flights, standard procedure is to change into sweats and t-shirts/sweatshirts shortly before or after departure.), and landed in the land of beige. It was hot, damn hot, Arabia hot… and not the nice desert dry heat you get in Vegas. Why any one would chose to stop here and live I have no idea, well before the invention of A/C anyways. TO make the process easier, I rode again to the crew hotel with the pilots (in the large Mercedes with cold bottled water and a cold, wet towel provided… love the service). At the hotel, found an ATM and got some local dinero (or Dirhams technically) and took a cab to my hotel. After some discussion with the staff at the Deira Renaissance about how I was on a discount rate… ugh. Anyways, I got into my room, cranked the A/C down, and changed to go for a meander. Took a cab across Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai) to Bur Dubai and toured through the Dubai museum. After that, I walked through the “Hindi” lane, a Souk. Most the shops were closed but it was a neat little place. I walked down the waterfront until I started feeling like I could sweat no more (I was wrong). I thought it would be fun to take an Abra across the creek to Deira. It was only 1 Dhm (as opposed to the 15 a cab would cost). Keep in mind, 1 Dirham is about $3.67. Turns out, I was the only Caucasian on my boat (which turns out hat most the time I was in Deira I was usually one of 5 or so Caucasians I would see all day, which was kind of cool). I wondered through the Deira Souk for a few minutes, and then decided I need to find Air conditioning. SO off to the hotel to wait for Trish to stop in and the second shower of the day since arriving in Dubai (4 hours earlier).

And here I sit, watching the Simpsons. More later

1 comment:

  1. I remember my trip over to Dubai. After going through customs which seemed to take quite a while, we were greeted with a cold water, refreshing towel and a freakin' bitchin ass ride in the Mercedes to the hotel. Good times!!!

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