blackmamba

For those who want one relaxing music for the entire trip report - check out the Etihad Boarding Music

Zurich - Hello, Goodbye
Flight to Dubai - Swiss International Air
Dubai Part 1 - Lost Bags, Lost Passports, Lost Mind
Dubai Part 2 - A Sweet Sigh of Relief
Dubai Part 3 - Chasing Taxis
Dubai Part 4 - Parting Words
DXB-SIN - Fart-Filled Flying Fun on Singapore Airlines
SQ SilverKris Lounge Singapore
SIN-BKK - Best Care in the Air
Bangkok - Cabbages and Condoms + Soi Cowboy
Bangkok Sunsets
Going Home - ANA Business Class
Tokyo/Narita ANA Lounge Review
NRT - ORD - United Airlines Cockpit Photos + Business Class Review


I’ve been asked this question in every country I visited during this trip – why are you here? I never gave a straight answer because quite frankly, even I didn’t know why I was on this trip. The lazy answer was that it was that the punishing stress from law school and just going out on a whim from my brilliant professor’s advice about how travel let’s off steam. But it was more and I knew it was more. It was simply an insatiable desire for one brief moment of happiness during a tough year that I had emphatically declared to be my best in a New Year’s Eve party 2010. I had been wrong thus far and there was just no way I was going to give up on it just yet.

The key to resuscitate this dying disappointment of 2011 came in a blog post from The Points Guy. Amidst hunkering down for my law school finals, I had come across a “mistaken” (later confirmed to be a non-advertised, official sale for the members of the frequent flying community) business-class redemption scheme on Aeroplan. I had a couple MR points from AMEX to burn from the AMEX Premier Rewards Gold Card promotion (thanks FlyerTalk members for this great find!) and decided to play around with the system and find an epic trip to enjoy. I ended up being invited by my friend from DC to her trip to London and an African safari. I eventually decided to go with her to LHR but skipped out on the African safari for my own round-the-world adventure of LHR-ZRH-DXB-SIN-BKK. Going on a whim, I pulled the trigger on the journey and had a plane to catch in less than 12 hours. No plans, no itineraries, just a plane ticket and a passport. Let the madness begin.


United Airlines
ORD-IAD
Class: J
UA 964


I’m in ORD early. Way too early. The United Club in ORD really isn’t some sparkling oasis if you compare it with the other airline lounges in Asia. A straightforward, business club with a selection of juices, coffee, pre-packed cheeses and some crackers, there was nothing to write home about. The lounge windows were boarded up and the glasses fogged to leave no traces of a view of the tarmac. I did get a lot done as I made some last-minute emails and other agendas.

I have no pictures of UA 964 but I’m surprised that the plane was fitted with the long-haul business class product for such a short flight (possibly for an onward journey to an international destination). Some refreshments were offered but other than that cabin service was very light.

Washington, DC – London Calling by The Clash (First Problems)

I walk of the plane pretty excited to meet my friend only to find out that I’ve got a text message while I was on the plane – “Urgent, Call Me.” Nothing good ever comes from those text messages. Somehow, nothing good is ever designated as “urgent.”

I finally get a hold of my friend and she’s frantic – she had to change her flight and won’t be in LHR until the next day after I arrive. She had the accommodations planned (from CouchSurfing) and so I go into panic mode as I basically had nowhere to sleep in London for the first day. I spent most of my time in the lounge reading through a bunch of FlyerTalk Hotel Deals to no avail. Finally, I came across a little tidbit from the Frugal Travel Guy about how certain mileage programs can allow you to book a hotel. I decided to go shopping using my Avios Points (or the more apt – Adios Points) using British Airway’s surprisingly efficient hotel booking system for last minute finds. I had 100,000 points to spare (thanks once again to FlyerTalk’s recommendation of the Chase BA Card) and decided to book a night at the Holiday Inn.

United Airlines
IAD-LHR
Class: J
UA 918

After spending most of my time choosing and booking a hotel for the one night, I had completely lost track of time. Suddenly, the PA system was blaring my name. I run to the gate, which thankfully was right next to the lounge, and the gate attendant smiles and says “there you are! everybody’s been waiting.” I apologize but the plane gets delayed further as there are some “mechanical issues.” As an avid fan of NatGeo’s Air Crash Investigations (MayDay), those really aren’t the best words to say right before a flight. Everything gets fixed up and I settle into my seat.

The seat itself is well designed and the cushion is just right. The great feature of having the armrest drop down is an effective way to add some extra inches to the bed for sleep (something Swiss Air should have done with its own business class seats). The IFE was great and packed with an incredible array of the latest movies and TV shows. The widescreen was also a welcome sight and it really brought out Dog Day Afternoon, Hangover 2, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy and Curb Your Enthusiasm haha.

Meal Service – The meal service was decent. The meal started with a smoked salmon loin with some cucumber relish with some seasonal greens. For the main course, I ended up choosing the Braised Beef Short Ribs draped in roasted shallot sauce topped with oven-roasted fingering potatoes with grilled asparagus. The beef was well-done and naturally had a tough texture to it. The asparagus was a little oily for my taste. Overall, it was a decent 7.5/10. The service was a 5/10. I got a rude FA serving me. I don’t ask for much, all I want is a smile and a non-snippy attitude. A small breakfast of fruits and breads were served before arrival.

London – Don't Stop by Foster the People. (Living in Squalor with the Harry Potter Experience)

Arriving in London with Fast Track was a breeze. The immigration officer was really nice and she was intrigued about my planned trip around the world. To the dismay of the few other individuals behind me in the queue, I ended up chatting with her about the best way to see London. She recommended a definite visit to Westminster and the University of Cambridge (if I had time). I thank her for her tips and whisk off to the baggage claim area.

The UA Arrival Lounge is found on the upper floor just above the departure area. Tucked away from all the noise, the place offers a nice retreat for last-minute WiFi use and a shower for you to start the day fresh. I decided to stop by and use the shower services before I continued by trek to the Holiday Inn.


The service in the place was amazing and I spent a good time figuring out the logistics of the trip. By the time noon was rolling around, I decided to venture out and buy myself an Oyster Card and a bus ticket to the Holiday Inn. Worried that I might get lost, one of the staff members of the Arrival Lounge, A, actually caught up to me took me through the whole process of purchasing Oyster Cards and bus tickets. She even volunteered to pay for the tickets herself, which I graciously refused. Her dream was to eventually work her way up as a manager within the airline industry (hopefully with British Airways) and she told me about must-see sites during winter including the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. She was a wealth of information and I left her a commendation in the guest book of the arrivals lounge.

I finally ventured into the city and arrived at the Holiday Inn. The room was basic but well kept. It was a great place to finally unwind after a long day and take a short nap. After a while, I eventually ventured to the malls of Watford Junction and settled in at a bar with a Half-Off Mondays special. I got the first taste of authentic Fish N Chips and eventually went back to the hotel room late at night to await the arrival of my friend in the morning.

As I head down for breakfast at around 10AM, I eventually get a chance to do a quick check of my emails to see when my friend’s flight was arriving. As I logon to GMAIL, my heart sank again. There was another message in capital letters – URGENT READ ME NOW. Again, nothing good ever comes as urgent. Apparently my friend had been escorted off the plane as she was too sick to fly and now she can’t meet up with me in LHR. She had the accommodations in hand from people she had met through CouchSurfing so now I was once again left with no place to live for the night.

This time, the BA booking service couldn’t save me, as it was less than 24 hours left for the reservation. I decided to search through LateRooms.com and do a quick booking at any decently rated hotel in Trip Advisor. I thought I lucked out when I found a hotel room for the night for a decent rate. I quickly searched for it online and found that it had a decent 3.5 stars out of 5 on Trip Advisor and quickly booked it before the rooms ran out.

If there is anything law school should have taught it would be to READ THINGS CAREFULLY. Probably like many other hasty bookers, the Google search for a Trip Advisor rating for the Crown Hyde Park Hotel in Paddington turns up a search that says Quality Crown Hyde Park and the words “Not Affiliated with Crown…” trailing off.


Noticing my mistake, I do a quick search of the real Crown Hyde Park Hotel. To my dismay I get greeted with these as descriptions of the 2 star rated property – “the worst hotel I have ever stayed in,” “total nightmare,” “nothing less than disgusting,” and “London Vacation Nightmare.” Oh no, what did I get myself into!

I suck it up and head to the hotel at noon. I’m repeatedly assuring myself that it can’t be as bad as they it is. Nothing really is. I end up at the hotel at around 3PM. The hotel is basically a townhouse tucked in Paddington. The check-in was fast but the guy at the desk kept sighing probably because he noticed the amount that I had paid for the room. He throws the keys at the desk to me. I ask him where my room is and he points at this closet below the staircase right next to the hotel desk! “You have to be kidding!” I’m thinking to myself. Who am I? Harry Potter (for those of you who do not know, Harry Potter lived in a closet under staircase when he lived in London)?

So I open the door to the Harry Potter suite and I get greeted with an odd and pungent aroma. There are no windows and the room and the room accommodates exactly one bed and that’s it. There is no space to walk, much less unpack your belongings. I also begin noticing that I could hear every person who walks down the stairs and every breath the guy at the check-in desk takes. The bed was also peppered with dust as if the sheets hadn’t been washed in ages. Great.


I quickly take my things and head out to blow off some steam. I’ve got no plans so I decide to hop on the Underground and head over to London Bridge. I spent the night doing the touristy stuff and absorbing the history of the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. I eventually walk around the city area and soak in some of the amazing architecture before walking all the way to the Shakespeare’s Circle Theater, Millennium Bridge, St. Paul’s and Westminster.


After a long walk in the cold, I was looking forward to a nice, hot shower only to find that the hotel didn’t have hot water! Discouraged, I just rolled into bed and fell asleep. A couple hours later, I woke up to the sound of an angry American yelling at the hotel desk clerk about his night’s stay. I could hear him barreling about how his bed had sheets with blood with them, how the faulty sockets had electrocuted his children and how the rain from the leaky window had soaked his bed. Geez, and I thought my stay was bad.

I eventually get up and tell the clerk that there was no hot water. He says that the plumber is coming and there was nothing to worry about it. I head downstairs for their “buffet breakfast” only to end up in a dungeon-like basement. The hot topic for the morning’s discussions was the debacle of a night everyone had at the hotel.

I was glad that this was my last night’s stay in the hotel. I was off to the Holiday Inn Heathrow after whirlwind stops at Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace.


The Holiday Inn M4 J4 is a decent choice for anybody looking for an overnight stay at the airport. A bus service from the hotel takes you straight to the airport for a couple of pounds and leaves every couple minutes or so.


Check-in for Swiss was smooth and I’m in the lounge at no time. The Star Alliance Lounge is quite busy but is well stocked with some great hot food choices. There’s also a great bar available with a wonderful selection of beers (even German beers).


Next - Zurich

yerffej201

Looks great so far. Can't wait for DXB-SIN

blackmamba

Swiss International
LHR-ZRH
Class: J
LX 317

Boarding the flight was a total mess. The flight was delayed and everyone was squeezed out to the outer gates because another Lufthansa flight (which was also delayed) was sharing the same gate. Needless to say, there were no seats in the waiting area for the Swiss passengers so everyone on the flight just stood outside.

There was no priority boarding for Business class passengers and the seats were the short-haul style, middle-seat blocked Economy class seating configuration. There were several passengers on a connecting flight to Shanghai so naturally everyone was pretty stressed that they wouldn’t make the flight.

Meal Service: A small breakfast consisting of an omelet, fatty bacon, oven-roasted tomato and hash-browns were served. A small fruit salad was also provided. I chose the Quollfrisch Beer that I’ve seen a couple times in other Swiss Air trip reports.

The meal was decent but it was the service that really made this flight incredibly delightful. Two male FAs were in charge of the packed business class cabin and both did an incredible job in providing everyone with their needs. One of the FAs even planned a short itinerary for me for my 24-hour stay in Zurich!







As I arrived at the Flughafen Zurich, I was struck by just how immaculate everything was. Immigration was a synch and the immigration officers were no-nonsense stamping machines. Within 15 minutes, I was already at the Flughafen Bahnhof (Train Station) waiting for the train to take me to Messe where my Holiday Inn was.

I had a quick chat with a local who was traveling alone but was carrying three huge bags with her. Apparently, she had just come from Hong Kong and all her bags were filled with goodies for Christmas! In fact, she had to ship all her clothes back home, as there wasn’t enough space left for her things at all. She talked about how cheap things were in Hong Kong which I found incredulous as the prices in the city aren’t exactly bargains anymore. “Wait till you go shopping in Zurich. You’ll know what I’m talking about,” she said.


As I walk out of the train station, a storm is brewing and the rain is coming down hard. As I slosh through the streets of Zurich, I finally get to the Holiday Inn. The hotel is right next to the tram station and is a convenient, 1 transfer ride by the tram. I spent the night snapping pictures of old Zurich in the cold rain. None of them really turned out very well but I only had 24 hours there so I had to make the most of it.

Next - Flight to Dubai

JohnDP

deleted.

blackmamba

Flight to Dubai - Paradise by Coldplay

Swiss International
ZRH-DXB
Class: J
LX 242

I’m falling in love with Swiss Air. Cathay Pacific had always been what I’ve compared every other airline to and my experience with Swiss just blows them away. Check-in was smooth in Zurich and I quickly went to the lounge to get some breakfast. The selection was excellent and they had a lot of choices for the hot meals. Boarding was smooth and I quickly head to the business cabin.

I chose the “Throne Seat,” one of the many “A” tagged seats on even aisles that have single seating but have two huge armrest spaces. Naturally, there was ample storage space for everything I had and even more. I chose the champagne for the pre-flight drink – a glass of Jacquart Brut Mosaique. The seats were great and comfortable. In my opinion, the massage function in the seat didn’t work very well but you can’t win them all. The IFE system had an amazing selection and I ended up spending most of my time going through The Help and Blood Diamonds.

Meal Service: The first course started with an appetizer of seasoned smoked salmon with avocado cream with aronia berry jelly mixed with a lovely cream of wasabi. For the main course, I chose the beef fillet with cocoa nibs, crushed potatoes, and prommery mustard green beans. For my dessert, the FAs brought out a little of everything just for me. Asking nicely really works all the time if you want to try everything on the menu!


Next - Dubai Part 1

blackmamba

It was absolutely magnificent! My friend from Bern told me to be in the Christmas spirit if I went to Zurich but I wasn't expecting it to be so well-adorned with Christmas lights! I'd love to go back sometime again, especially when it's not raining haha.

halfcape

Very interesting report and good photos. That "hotel" in London looked really dreadful, glad to see that your next accommodations were much nicer.

Looking forward to seeing and reading more.

blackmamba

Yeah the place was just terrible. My only suggestion for anyone who books a room there is to buy a gun at the same time, too and just shoot yourself.

blackmamba

Dubai Part 1 – Under Pressure by Queen (Lost Passport, Lost Bag, No Clothes = Good Times).

The best and worst things in life come unexpectedly. I only have that one photo of Dubai from my four-day trip - a last-minute snapshot of the city’s extravagance as I get whisked off to the airport. The trip represented the highs and lows of this entire experience. A seemingly convoluted sensation of pain and euphoria packed in a nice package of forgettable and unforgettable experiences.

It started with arriving in Dubai. I’ve heard nothing but great things really – a true gem of tourism of the Middle East and home to the most extravagant things the human mind could ever dare to dream of. Naturally, I was excited. Instead, I was greeted with quite possibly one of the longest queues for immigration that rivals the madness in LAX or Manila’s NAIA Terminal 1 (for those of you who’ve had the blessed experience to pass through the hollowed corridors of what was recently voted as Asia’s worst airport, you know what I’m talking about!). I get shifted from line to line only to end up worst than where I was before. By the time I finally get my passport stamped, I’ve lost a good 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Lost Baggage

As I proceed to the baggage claim area, I notice that my bag isn’t in the bag pile that has accumulated near the carousel. I walk up to the baggage desk only to find a couple of the other people sitting next to me in the Swiss flight there as well. Apparently, Swiss had forgotten to load some of the bags of the business class passengers onto the plane in Zurich. Great, just great! Now I’ve got no new clothes to change into until the next flight arrives at the evening the next day. I’m walking out of the airport just thinking how this trip could get worst. By this time, my excitement was pretty much gone and I hope in the taxi to my hotel.

#$@&%# You Lost My Passport??!!

Around 12:30 AM, I finally get to the hotel in Bur Dubai. It’s called the Winchester Grand and had some pretty great reviews on Trip Advisor. As I checked-in, I was greeted with a really nice Indian and Filipino staff. They gave me my room key and took my passport for scanning. A member of security staff escorted me to my room as they assured me they would return the passport to me within 10 minutes.

I walked in the room and was amazed at how spacious it was. It had a full kitchen, pots, pans, all the essential utensils, a large fridge and spacious desk – all the things needed for a long-term stay. As I settle in the room and unpack some of my belongings, I noticed that it was already 1:30 AM and there was still no sign of my passport. I go down to the desk and kindly ask for it. I’m told that the passport was being scanned and would be returned to me promptly. After a couple minutes pass, there was still no sign of my passport. I return to the desk only to be told that there was a slight problem – some way or another, my passport was misplaced.

HELP! My brain is totally fried from exhaustion but adrenaline revs in and I’m going beserk. If the lost time in immigration and the lost bag in the airport wasn’t enough, now the hotel losses my passport! I came on this trip to escape stress, now, fresh from the frying pan; I’ve being thrown back into the fire!

Next - Dubai Part 2

Jinxy

Oh no!!! What a trip you've had!

blackmamba

It’s 5:30 AM and I’ve spent the whole night playing detective with the hotel staff. We’ve looked through every nook and cranny in the reception desk and gone through the hotel security camera twice. Running on no sleep, I was incredibly inconsolable at this moment. My trip to Dubai lay in ruins and, to top it off, it will take nearly 2 weeks at the minimum before the American Consulate can come up with new travel documents. The hotel staff tells me to go to sleep and guarantees they’ll find the passport in the morning. We shall see.

I get a call at 9:00 AM with a voice peppered with the undertones of defeat – “Sir, we are terribly sorry, but we’ve lost your passport. The police are coming to investigate the matter.” Great. I take a quick shower and head on down to meet with the Dubai’s police. After a long chat of recounting the story, fingers are pointed and finally the Inspector in Charge of the Dubai Central Police Department is called to investigate the matter.

The theory the police are going with – I look like a person from China (or as he pronounced it – Cheena) and that the hotel must have mistakenly given my passport to another tiny-eyed, raven-haired fellow with a yellow complexion. Yes, since all Asians look alike, it would only be natural that the hotel would have mistaken me for another. Thanks for your quaint observation, officer.

They eventually take me to the central police office and sign some documents. Since all the people handling the case have now gone off-duty, I had to recount the entire story again with the same stupid questions of “are you sure you don’t have the passport with you?” I’m basically fed up now. I’m running on no sleep and I haven’t eaten a meal since I got off the plane. As they drive me back to the hotel at around 2:00 PM, I basically just collapse and fall asleep from exhaustion.


At around 5:00 PM, a member of the hotel staff calls me. “We’ve found the passport, sir! We’ve found it!” Oh joy, too bad you ruined my first moment of sleep in nearly 36 hours! Once again, the police ask me to go back to the police office so I could terminate the report. Once again, I get questioned (by the same people I already recounted the story to!) about what exactly happened. Anyways, time to celebrate!

Next - Dubai Part 3

FlyerChrisK

Ouch. Two weeks? Given how fast they can expedite a passport at an office (inside the US), I'm surprised they can't be more helpful for distressed Americans abroad.

blackmamba

My thoughts exactly! Top it off with the Christmas holidays and I would have been stuck in the UAE for a good 1 month. The CIP, Dubai's Tourist Police, did insist that the hotel pay for my accommodations and my airplane ticket back + they took the whole matter very seriously by sending the Chief Inspector (probably like the Captain of the precinct or something like that) to investigate and handle the matter.

The hotel staff was also extremely helpful so two thumbs up for Winchester Grand and the manager + desk staff from the Philippines and India who assisted me through everything.

blackmamba

Dubai Part 3 – I Ran by A Flock of Seagulls (Lost Passport, Lost Bag, No Clothes = Good Times).

I’ve heard about CouchSurfing for quite some time but never really gave it much thought. Under my friend’s recommendation, I finally decided to make a profile for the planned Couchsurfing stay in London (which ultimately didn’t happen because I ended up getting ditched – read above). I didn’t need any accommodations but decided that it might be a great way to see and experience the city without the tourist goggles on.

I sent out a couple emails to some Couchsurfers but, with the whole AirBnB fiasco a couple weeks back, I was beginning to question whether hosts were curbing their good hospitality based on the actions of one wack-job who decided to plunder a host’s apartment. Either no one in Dubai knew about the news about AirBnB or everyone just brushed it off as I surprisingly received a good amount of replies to meet for coffee and/or drinks.

M was one of the first who replied and she had a particularly interesting profile picture, personal description (a quirky caricature that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around but some how made me feel that it was an apt description of her) and…that’s it because the crazy in-room internet in the hotel is so slow that nothing else is loading up from her profile! I just went with my gut and she replied to my messages pretty efficiently. She’s invited me to Souk Madinat for a Christmas Market with her friends and I hop in a cab to get to Jumeirah Beach.

Souk Madinat is a labyrinth and contrary to what I always say, I am terrible with directions. These stupid arrows in the Souk are pointing at all the wrong places and I comically always end up in the bathrooms for some odd reason. I finally find the place after a waitress pointed it out to me and I go down to the bottom of the steps to wait for M. She’s got great eyes and she spots me right away. After having a cup of mulled wine with M and her friend D, we went off to Jambase for some live music and to checkout some middle-aged, baldies “dance.”

After that, she whisks us off to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and to what is probably the most picture-perfect view of the Burj Al Arab. Where is my camera when I need it! Anyways, I’ve pretty much got this moment frozen in my head. As long as I don’t get Alzheimer’s, I think this image is safe. After that, we head over to 360 and Mahiki to dance the night away. So far so good and I’m really enjoying the company of two incredibly beautiful and brilliant Emirates FAs. Little did I know, the dancing was just a warm-up for the marathon dash I was about to take part in.

After awhile, D is craving some chips (French Fries for us Americans) and M points out that there’s this wonderful place called Burger Fuel down some Arabic sounding neighborhood. Nothing beats a burger after a couple drinks so we were off to a good hearty meal before calling it a night.

Running Under the Influence and Chasing Taxis

We get off the taxi and something was odd. M is patting herself down and notices that she’s missing her purse/clutch/handbag/tote/satchel/whatever they call it nowadays. Forget about diamonds, I know that a girl’s best friend is her purse/clutch/handbag/tote/satchel because, as many women have claimed, their whole life is in there. So I ask her what’s wrong and, in a distressed tone, she says she’s left her bag in the taxi that was now a good 400 meters ahead of me.

F**k it, you only live once. Without thinking twice, I ran after the taxi. I’m running and waving my damn hands and the guy never stops. He finally comes to a halt and I’m thinking “YES! He sees me!” I slow my pace down and bask myself in this euphoric sensation of triumph. I am on top of the world or, as Borat would say, KING OF THE CASTLE!

Then suddenly the guy peels off and turns left. “SONA FA B*****!!” I start bolting and take a sharp turn to the corner and keep running towards this terribly lit street until I see the taxi jump on to the highway. In the nick of time, a red SUV drives right next to me. “Get in my friend!” he said as he waves for me to get into his SUV. I jump into the car and we’re now off to a good-ole taxi chase across Dubai’s highways.

After a good 5 minutes of solid, Tokyo Drift driving, the taxi driver finally notices that someone is following him and stops at the curb. I quickly ran and found the bag and its contents spilled onto the floor of the taxi. I pick them up, thank the river of the red SUV Asian-bowing-style and hop into the taxi back to M and D.

Drinking and driving is hazardous to your health. But so is drinking and RUNNING. By this time, it feels like the dams have burst and the alcohol is seeping into my brain in rapid fashion. Coupled with dehydration and the dry desert air, my head is now throbbing as if I just got punched by Pacquiao. I try to compose myself and make it look like the whole thing was some easy-peasy job. You know, the whole macho man routine – pshh running a mile while I’m drunk is nothing, girl! Sadly, my legs are buckling and I look more like a rag doll. Worst of all, I feel something creeping up my esophagus. At least M is smiling and looks pretty delighted to be reunited with her handbag. Success!

At last, we get to Burger Fuel. At this moment, I’m more excited to use the place’s restrooms to do a little refunding than to munch down on a juicy burger. Well, what do you know, the place is closed early today from some odd reason! Great, now I got to hold this demon-child that I desperately need to exorcise from my body a little while longer.

D is still craving chips (you say chips and I say French Fries. French Fries, chips, chips, French Fries, let’s just call the whole thing off!) and M suggests McDonald’s, an exotic restaurant found only in 30,000 locations in 119 countries. I’m in desperate need of any porcelain throne to hug but I’m keeping my composure so I don’t look like an idiot. We hop in to another cab and I’m pretty happy that we’re heading over to a McDonald’s. There are so many of them so it has to be near right?

Wrong. This has got to be the furthest McDonald’s in the world. The ride felt like an eternity and I resort to chewing on my tongue to prevent barfing on the only clothes I had (remember, Swiss Air LOST my bags). We finally get to the McDonald’s and I’ve completely lost my desire to keep it cool anymore. I know it’s going to be embarrassing but I really had no choice.

I did not make it to the bathroom, much less the McDonald’s. I’m down on my knees in the middle of the street and there goes the mango chutney I had for lunch. Merry Christmas, Dubai! I felt a lot better after Part Deux (this time in the controlled setting of McDonald’s bathroom) and come down to see M and D munching on their goodies. As M and D wrap up their meals, we finally part ways and I was off to my hotel for the first good sleep I've had in nearly 36 hours.

Next - Dubai Part 4

econometrics

Haha, wow, this is really good so far. (sorry for enjoying some of your plights, you just tell it all so well!) ^