15.2.11 One Airport is much like another.....

Eventually landed in Dubai, six hours late.  As we approached the airport, the night was illuminated by flares from hosts of oil wells, as far as the eye could see.  Disembarqued into the warm, dark, humid air.  This arrival time has deprived us of a free night in a Dubai Hotel, and instead we are to be sleepless for 48 hours.  Well, so be it.  As long as this airport does not take a liking to me as well, I will settle peacefully on this shiny red chair, alongside the shiny chrome moving pavement, upon the shiny marble floor and wait to be called through the shiny glass doorway to the plane.  There are huge triangular windows covered with geometric patterns – very Arabic but not very easy to see through - which allow the dawn light to filter in.  Day has dawned surprisingly quickly, revealing a landscape of square concrete multiblocks, tall concrete towers, curvaceous concrete flyovers, and a little copse of palm trees, looking a bit awkward, as if they have somehow found themselves at the wrong party.  Airports are festivals of multinationalism, sprinkled with glittery bling and scented with powerful, expensive perfumes.  Here a slim girl in a soft cream Indian outfit of dress/trousers decorated with brilliants and hands covered in winding exotic patterns; there a tall Arab gentleman in a flowing white robe and red and white checked head dress; Chinese, Indian, Arab faces, and a lot of exhausted Scottish ones.  The sun is now fully out, and the tallest building in the world stabs its jagged finger skywards, a mosque with two minarets sits to one side of it, and in the distance, the sail-shaped hotel reflects the sun.  And endlessly the fat white Emirates planes trundle past.

And now Kuala Lumpur.  Night again, another shiny glass and chromium airport, but surprisingly sporting a smart red carpet – unusual at 37 degrees.  An hour or so here, and then off to Melbourne.

And Melbourne.  Trees and gentle hills, a cloudy sky, looks very like home actually.

And at last!  Auckland.  More of this tomorrow when I can keep my eyes open...