UAE, Dubai – How to Spend Six Hours of Waiting?

It is one hour in the morning, we disembark an airplain in Dubai and I am slapped by what I have been looking forward to every year. I feel warm aroma of the air with sand perfume. This is the first moment that says to me: “The time of your vacation has come.” All fear is gone. I stop thinking about everyday worries and let myself free to enjoy the joy of vacation. 

I wave at a pink cab. A woman with round face let us know that we have to get in fast. An Emirati cab driver in fine pink Kashmir dress turns on her mileage counting machine right away. The fee for getting in at the airport is 25 dirhams for 4 persons and only then she asks where to. Tereza with her lofty language of a lawyer says: „Burj Al Arab“.

Thirty minutes later of a fast ride we get out. We decided to take taxis separately to not to pay for a waiting period. Burj Al Arab is located right at the sea. It truly looks like a sailing boat. However, we are fascinated more by the sea than the yacht. In this dark night I have never felt the sea the way I did then in Dubai. Whisper of waves travels the air. Waves hitting beach reminds me of a beat of the heart of the sea. I smell humidity, energy, and power in the air. I breathe in and out with the easiness of living. Perheps that’s why unlit yacht is of our least interest compared to the sea. Burj Al Arab rules the coastline only until the midnight. Then its lit circumference gets lost in blackest night.

The sea enchanted all of our sense. It was hard to leave the place but we have to catch another taxi. Forty minutes later a nice taxi driver drops us off at Burj Khalifa that immediately catches our attention. The 828 meters tall skyscraper seems elegant. One can hardly see its peak. Every time an airplane flies around I got goose bumps. Allegedly, an elevator should get you to the top under a minute. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm whether its true or not because the building is closed. But it has something into it so we watch it for a while longer.

We catch a third taxi. Another pleasant driver. Terka in her lawyer English says: “To the airport.” The driver asks where we fly to and then explains he has to drop us off at the Terminal 3. He asks where we come from and we proudly say: Czech Republic. He tries to repeat it but it is obvious he has never heard of Czech Republic . We traveled to the airport for thirty minutes and it was truly a fast ride.

Perfect way to make waiting pleasant. Now we only have to hit shower. True advantage at the Dubai airport. Showers are almost in every restroom for free. There is even liquid soap and shampoo. The airport offers great playground for children. The six hours of waiting in Dubai cost us 180 dirhams (about 1 200 Kč) and we slept a bit even. What a great start and something tells us this vacation is going to be great.

GPS: 25°14'58.3"N 55°20'56.9"E

Text: Šárka Vacková

Photo: Tereza Daňková