The long journey to Dubai

It took a total of twenty-four hours to finally arrive in Dubai airport (counting pre-arrival times etc).  We flew Ukraine International Air direct to Kiev and then had a layover for several hours which was extended due to our connecting flight being delayed.  Fortunately on the flight from Kiev to Dubai, we lucked out and got an extra seat in each of our two rows so we were able to stretch our legs on the final lag of the trip.  As the plane was starting to descend, I looked out the window and saw the beautiful outline of this bustling and innovative city and I knew this would be a memorable trip!

Upon landing in Dubai, I instantly recognized I was in a new culture.  The airport was very modern and even had a train which shuttled passengers to reach customs and collect their baggage (very efficient and impressive).  Probably the largest indicator was the fashion.  A large amount of men and women were in traditional Arab clothing:  Long white cloaks with head turbans for men and long black abaya (cloaks) for women. 

We passed customs with a breeze and quickly collected our baggage.  Roj headed to the car rental counter and completed the documentation for our Ford Explorer SUV.   During the last lag of flights, there was no food served and we had been consistently complaining about our hunger, so I used the opportunity of free wi-fi at the airport to Google nearby shawarma shops that were open (note that we landed at around 3am so the selection wasn’t good).  We found one a few blocks over and decided to head there to grab something to eat before heading to our home for the next few days.

It was difficult to find parking at the shawarma shop, so Roj decided he would leave us in the car parked on a side street and walk to get takeout.  When he didn’t return after 40 minutes, dad went out to investigate, and they were both gone for an additional 20 mins.   After much frustration from our end, dad finally returned out of breath and said that he hadn’t seen Roj (and also indicated that he himself got lost during the investigation).  Five minutes later Roj returned, equally out of breath, but with a bag of takeout.  Apparently the streets in this one area of Dubai were very confusing… Roj never made it to the intended restaurant, but found another one and then proceeded to get lost.  Clearly the combination of long flights, not enough food and foreign cities don’t make a good match at 3am.   But the shawarmas were a nice treat after such a long journey!

By around 5:30am we arrived at our accommodations:  Roj’s aunt and uncle’s beautiful home.  They were kind enough to welcome us to their home for the next few days, even though they are travelling overseas.  A few of Roj’s cousins are still at home, so we’ll get to meet them soon as well.   The home is located in a beautiful areas that's apparently '10-15 minutes away from everything in Dubai', pretty perfect in my opinion.  It's just up the street from a mosque and was my first experience seeing neighbourhood development based on sand.  The lack of grass is a big change, but the palm trees give such an exotic feel... its a lovely area.

The next day we woke around noon and proceeded to an itinerary filled with family.  We had some of mom’s cousins come by the house for coffee/tea and then headed Mirdiff Mall to have dinner and socialize with dad’s cousins.  Periodically throughout the day I was reminded how lucky I was to be so warmly welcomed into the family. 

Some highlights of the day:

1.       Dad’s smile when he received his Masala Dosa (a crispy coconut batter pancake filled with potato curry)

2.       Hearing the various prayers being projected across the city from the nearby mosque.  While I can’t understand the words, the melodic verbiage is beautiful and so different from home.

3.       Seeing my first ever mango tree (with little baby mangos)

4.       Swimming in the pool before bed with the magical twinkle lights overhead  (Thanks Joyce Chechi for allowing us to stay in your home!)

5.       Laban Up – an amazing yogurt drink that’s salty and complex (I think I’ve found my favourite form of dairy)