Departed Brisbane International Airport 9:15pm for 14 hour flight to Dubai. There were good movies to watch, meals and drinks provided and we both got some sleep and the flight appeared to go quickly (12,164 klm). We arrived at 5:15am local time (11:15am back home). Temperature a tad warm at 35 degrees when we arrived reaching 42 at 1:00pm.
Dubai International Airport is the major airline hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. The airport is massive and construction is underway to expand the facility even further.
After checking into the Traders Hotel and freshening up we headed to the Dubai Mall - claimed to be the largest shopping mall in the world covering 2.1 million square feet (and I don't doubt it as we walked and walked and walked.......). It is packed with every fashion designer label one can imagine and many brand names familiar back home including Starbucks, Billabong, Hallmark, Sunglass Hut, Subway and of course McDonalds.
The entire city just oozes wealth wherever you look - the architecture, the vehicles, the merchandise and the engineering. It is truly amazing that such a sprawling metropolis (and it is huge!!) has been built where previously there was nothing but desert.
Tomorrow - onward flight to London......