Dubai Day 8

On Sunday I decided that I had better check out the airport situation, in that no one seemed to know if I could store my luggage at the airport. I even checked it out on the web….and no answers…so decided to go to the airport myself…via the Metro, which goes right to the terminal.
This is a big airport, and terminal 1 is the older of the two, but still very nice….and very well-marked with directional signs, etc….but to “left luggage” signs, which is what they call the luggage storage area. After asking at the info desk….I found the location and talked with the gal and she was very helpful….and I found out that I could leave my luggage while I went to Abu Dhabi. Relief.  I then went upstairs into the arrivals area…spotted a Starbucks…and got a cup of coffee…but had to drink it behind a screen in that it is Ramadan, and from sun up to sunset…no food or drinks can be sold or consumed in public areas. So, the Starbucks guy set up a screen where people can go…and this way all is legal. I was joined by another couple that was waiting for a plane and needed food….
Well….time was drawing on so I headed back downtown, after a brief stop at the JW Marriott Hotel…and it is really a nice one….and continued on to the Dubai Mall for the Burj Khalifa “tour”, which I have already covered.
This morning I got up early and had the early breakfast at the Courtyard and got a taxi to the Ibn Buttatu Metro station…..and made the 1 hour ride to the airport…dropped the luggage…then back on the Metro to the bus station…and got on the Abu Dhabi bus. It was a full load and I ended up sitting next to a Yacht Captain that was a young Phillipino…..and the Phillipino’s are a large minority here. He captains a large yacht for a local businessman that goes all over the gulf whenever he wants…and this young man is his captain. The unusual part of our ride was that the bus, or the driver, kept weaving back and forth….and none of us, and we were kind of all enjoying it….could figure what was going on, which we never did. Either the driver would weave or the bus would sway, but every turn it seemed like we were going to turn over. It was kind of weird, but fun seeing all in the bus react. Anyway, about 90 minutes later we were in Abu Dhabi…and I caught a taxi to the Hilton, which is right on the Cornische, which is the tree-lined divided street that run right along the beach for about 5 miles, and is one of the most beautiful drives in the middle east.Really gorgeous. Well, I had a ticket left over from the Big Bus on Friday….so finished up seeing the sights…and then back to the hotel by about 5 PM…..
Well…went over and had pizza and a Greek salad..both really good….and then back to the hotel….and I am up to date. More on Tuesday.