Hi everyone,   

Am sitting here working away and trying to look out the window but can't see a thing - sand storms!    

Trip over was long but OK - the 3am departure meant I slept soundly for the first 6 hours, then I played at work on the laptop till the battery went flat, then I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic! (thought it was stupid).  I was certainly ready to get off my backside by the time I got here.  EK Business Class was OK - quite amazing though  to think that when their  Airbuses came on line that Business Class was state of the art, now it's a bit "last year" - of course we know that the new product on the 777 is better.   I am glad I had my nice soft pillow with me - I needed that.    The new terminal is well and truly open and the arrivals area is spectacular - separate lanes for First and Business Class.   The usual friendly welcome from the cute young Arab boys who do the Immigration - are these the only such people in the world who don't wear black or blue and have braid and artillery and name badges (not to mention attitude) weighing them down?

The baggage collection area is enlightening - is this the only one in the world where there is a moving walk-way between the belts? - there are so many of them and the area is so large.

I noticed some clear signs for the Emirates limo  transfers, and there is also an Emirates Help Desk - remember only Emirates uses this terminal.

There were no other flights in and I was out of there very quickly - Into the 42 degree heat and a sand storm.  I was immediately directed to a Ladies Taxi - there was a whole row of them - complete with pink stripes and a lady in pink uniform (in my case a roly-poly Pakistani lady who looked like a giant cupcake) and she drove me to The Emirates Towers where I am for 2 nights.  The extra night rate at The Address was a bit rich and my buddy from Jumeirah gave me a good rate (a minute before she left the company and went to Egypt to work!). I stayed here when it first opened and while its fine and still quite hip and happening it is certainly showing some signs of wear which, given the very high rates, is a bit naughty.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I went along the road to the new Mall of Dubai - the world's largest.

There are only 700 shops open to date, and suffice to say that if you have heard of it, it is there - quite amazing.  There is a giant ice-skating rink - no doubt to compete with Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates.  I had a snack in a bakery and the lovely young man who served me was from Burma.  Nice to see them spreading their wings - they are the best hospitality people.

I am going to try and have a look at The Atlantis this afternoon.

Love  Anne