Dubai

Hi All

Apologies for not updating this blog sooner but we have quite literally been sooooo busy since we left the UK and this is my first opportunity to tell all...

As you know, we set off to Dubai first. We flew with Emirates who were great, the kids loved being on the plane and for the first time in years us "parents" got to watch the films and read our books as the girls were tuned into the children's tv programmes most of the flight (so they were in heaven!)

On arrival in Dubai I had forgotten what a big airport it is, there were huge crowds of people waiting in the arrivals section but we found Andy (Richard's sister) and were whisked away in air conditioned comfort!

Dubai for me, was a completely different experience since I was last there 5 years ago. The best description I can give is that it is a giant building site. Everywhere you drive there are enormous skyscrapers either finished or in the process of going up. There are hundreds of cranes and HUGE work forces of builders who work incredibly long days. The city will look amazing when it's got further, some of the buildings are so over the top and the money that is being invested there is unbelievable. It's very much a fast paced way of life and you need a LOT of money to live there comfortably but for the tourist it's great. If you're into shopping Dubai is the place to go. There are enormous malls all over the place and the largest one in the world is being built around the corner from where Richard's sister lives - lucky girl :o)

We stayed with Andy for 5 days. She lives on the 22nd floor of a trendy appartment block (I'll add some photos of the view). We met up with some of her friends, chilled by the appartment pool, visited a beach club (very nice) and visited the Mall of the Emirates with the girls and had a great time WITHOUT shopping! At one end of the mall is a massive ski dome - a huge sloping ski slope, it has real snow AND a chair lift inside! The temperature was a constant -4 degrees C (it was mid 30's outside so imagine the cost of running that) and as well as ski-ing there's toboggoning too. It's surrounded by cafe's and restaurants with floor to ceiling windows so that you can watch the skiers inside. Unfortunately, we didn't get to play as it was pretty expensive - they hire out ski outfits and boots but not gloves, you have to buy those, so if you ever go over to Dubai and want go there, my tip is to take your ski gloves!

Anyway, we spent our time there in a huge games arcade which has funfair rides, a climbing wall plus lots of games machines to play on. When we'd exhausted ourselves there we went to Johnny Rockets for lunch on recommedation that they do wicked burgers and chips, 1950s style. Yep, it was great calorific food and well worth a visit.

On our last day in Dubai we went to Wild Wadi. It's a huge water park beside the Jumiah Beach Hotel and overlooked by the Burj Al Arab. We had a brilliant time, Iz in particualar loved it and we had to virtually drag her out at the end of the day :o)

So all in all we had a great time in Dubai and will definitely be going back one day.