HELLO DUBAI

Our flight from Bangkok to Dubai on Emirates First Class was as good as flying can get.  We got to the airport, enjoyed the their lounge and boarded an Airbus 380-800.

I was was in seat 1K, and when you close the door, you are in your own room.

After the usual champagne before takeoff, I first ordered their caviar special plus mushroom soup, and Russian vodka plus a Kir Royale:

Doesn't look like much, but that was a huge pile of caviar.  What kind?  Don't know, but it was real caviar. After awhile, having made several canapés, I just dumped the egg white, egg yolk, onions, sour cream and other condiments unto the caviar to finish the meal.  You can repeat all this as many times as you want.

About the liquor, they are very generous, a wall of bottles a few feet from me, plus a full bar.

The bathrooms have showers.

The second course was a salmon salad plus some kind of Thai soup.

I had too much to eat, so skipped what should have been a memorable entré.  That TV screen was huge, and largest I've seen in a plane. The audio system was also the best I've heard. 

The six hour flight started at around 10AM in Bangkok and landed in Dubai at 1PM.  There is a three hour time difference, so noon Dubai is 10 PM in Honolulu.

Checking through customs and immigration in Dubai was flawless and quick.  No forms to fill, same as getting into Thailand.  Something good has happened since the pandemic.  Emirates had limousines to take us to our hotel.

The Le Meridian Hotel and Convention Center in  Dubai is a 5-minute ride.  They have a large hotel area and a new Club wing, where the rooms are weird.  Too much high tech that confuses us.  But fancy and impressive.  The Club Lounge is huge and run in a strange way.  There must have been 150 people already enjoying themselves when we entered, and you are led to a table, where they take your drink order, and teams of staff just go around and serve you appetizers.  They are quick, efficient and nice.  We again drank too much.

Tomorrow a city tour of Dubai.  I am blessed.  We made it here.  We feel fine, and have the best yet to come.

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