They came in search of paradise...

DAY 1 - Well we arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5, slightly later than planned due to the M25 car park being...well being a car park actually.

After check-in, baggage drop-off and security we eventually made our way to the Business lounge, where we were forced to eat and drink good food and wine, prior to the flight, where no doubt we will also be forced to drink and eat even more. Being forced to partake in such (drinking & eating) activities, is possibly an infringement of my civil liberties....

Arrived at Calgary Hotel at 9.30 pm Canadian Time, after a relaxing flight which certainly didn't seem to take nine and a half hours courtesy of BA's "lie-flat" beds, and consequently more sleep than you'd normally expect to get on a flight. However, the "experience" of flying Business Class becomes even more costly - if measured by the amount of time you stay awake to "experience" it, otherwise it is a vey expensive "sleep".

One thing that cannot be said about Dubai, is that the city as a "whole" is greater than the sum of its parts. In fact one of the disappointing things about the "whole" Dubai experience is the predominance of "holes".

I am sure that once it is finished - in around 2083? - it may look as amazing as the planners originally envisaged, but for now it appears to be a series of amazing structures in the midst of one of the world's biggest building sites.

However, that is not to say that we didn't enjoy the experience, because we did, nor could it be said that we didn't maximise our time there as the following itinerary hopefully demonstrates: -

Day 1 - 6 hour flight from London lands in Dubai at 8pm, and we're partying by 10pm!

Day 2 - The day started with a drive to the old part of the city and an hour's cruise down the river, which was great value, as with some strange "reverse negotiations" the boat owner managed to haggle us down(!) to about £5 a head. Later in the morining we paid a visit to one of the world's biggest shopping malls - so big that it contains a massive ski slope with real (albeit man made) snow; in the afternoon we headed off for a 5-hour dessert safari, which included racing across the dunes in a convoy of 50 jeeps, prior to an evening bar-b-que, as the sun set over the dessert - not to mention a short camel ride, which added to the experience!

Day 3 - After the excitement of the previous day, today saw more culture and refinement, attending a mosque in the morning, and a really interesting talk ("Open doors & open minds") from one of the muslim clerics, prior to heading to the Burj al Arab 7 Star (?) Hotel for afternoon tea on the 26th floor overlooking the Dubai skyline/building site.
At £70 a head we didn't really expect to get value for money, but the quantity and quality of the food and the overall experience, made it something that I would recommend any visitor to Dubai doing.
Later in the afternoon, we visited our 2nd shopping mall, this time "the world's largest" and which contained a full size ice rink, prior to a late meal outside, against a backdrop of an amazing musical fountain show, that Disney would have been proud of.

Day 4 - An early rise at 4.30, prior to leaving Dubai and home for lunch-time on Sunday.

Despite the fact that it's quite a long way to go for 2 full days in the city it was a fun experience. I wouldn't rush back, but I'm very glad I went.

Having been warned that this country was on its financial knees, and yet at the same time incredibly expensive, we found no signs of eitherr.

The only downside of this long weekend, was that when it was booked I had not envisaged a 7 hour flight to get there from Chicago, via Boston, or for that matter having to stay for an extra day on my own in the hotel, not knowing whether I was returning to the UK or Chicago for business reasons.

Anyway, apart from those trivial 'work-related' issues