We are on our way to Uganda and have a night layover in Dubai. Stepping off the 15.5 hour flight, I was immediately suffocated by the heat. Did I mention that it's already night here, so it is actually "cool" now?

Might I say that Emirates airlines rocks my socks off. Never mind that you're given a hot towel that smells like lavender and a traveler's kit right away or that they seats are much more spacious and comfortable or even that the food is actually pretty descent. Let's get to the fact that each seat has its own personal entertainment system, with a screen on the back of the seat in front of you. Games, movies, television shows, news, music…oh the possibilities!

Culture shock best describes my initial feelings at the airport. Signs in Arabic. Fellow travelers and airport staff in burqas. Separate waiting line for women outside the airport. We're definitely not in Kansas any more.

Lance arranged to have a quick tour of the city, as this will be the kids' only chance to see it. Lance and I will have a few days here on our way back. Our group of twelve piled into two vans and marveled at Dubai's architecture, Ski Dubai and the Persian Gulf.

My lack of sleep must have left me a bit disoriented. Leandra and I had arranged for a wake up call in the morning. There's no clocks in the room, so when I awoke to the faint sound of music, I assumed that must have been our wake up call. I showered and got ready for the day, only to later find that is was actually the Muslim call to prayer. Maybe I don't have culture shock, after all. I seemed to transition quite nicely!

Off to another flight…only 8 hours this time!