Dubai day 1

After a seven or so hour long flight, we arrived in Dubai. Before mentioning anything about the airport and its magnificent arrival hall, let me just emphasize how great, comfortable, spacious, silent the A380 is. I have flown many many planes, but this one is...wow. You do not know what flying is before you fly in an Airbus A380-800... Plus, Emirates is extremely customer-friendly and pays so much attention to details...Wish Emirates was the French official airline. That being said, back to DXB...once deboarded, you cross huge halls with waterfalls and, in the arrival hall, you are welcome by a matrix of glass-like pillars, which seem to support the entire airport structure. About 30 booths also welcome you...the passport control. A taxi ride will cost you about 100 AED (about 20 euros) to reach the Jumeirah beach hotel area, where we are staying till next Wednesday at the Sofitel.

When entering the room, macarons and a chocolate cake were waiting for us, as a congratulation gift for our wedding. Two thumbs up...though, at 2 in the morning, it is rather difficult to eat chocolate...macarons, however... Our room has a partial view on the sea...temperature outside: 31 degrees centigrade...

The problem, when you get up at noon, is that half of the day is gone. After spending a big part of the afternoon at the infinity pool, we left the hotel by cab in the direction of the tallest man-made structure in the world, the Burj Khalifa tower. Hanna had a great idea to book this sightseeing trip before my dive of Tuesday, cause, with its 800 meter height, one must wait 18 hours before visiting the tower after scuba diving. Getting up the 124 floors takes the elevator 1 minute...and when the doors open, an amazing view hits you in the face.

I have been on many observation decks, from the Eiffel tower in Paris to the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller center in New York...seriously, those towers are for kids...nothing compares to the Burj Khalifa, not even the unbeatable price for going up there (17 euros pp, if you book in advance on the web). You don't even feel the height, merely a gentle breeze...unforgettable and thrilling...If Dubai already owns the eight wonder or the world with the Jumeirah Palms island, I believe that Dubai also owns the ninth wonder of the world with the Burj Khalifa.

Back on earth, we had diner on the waterfront, at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa tower In a Lebanese restaurant, which is part of the Dubai Mall, while enjoying the famous Dubai dancing water fountain. A short taxi ride later, we were back in Jumeirah, ready to enjoy a last mint tea, before resting. Tomorrow's a big day for me as I will be diving with the sharks of the Dubai aquarium and underwater zoo, and as Hanna will be shopping till she (or her credit card) drops in the Dubai Mall.