***I wrote this on a word document last Saturday and I’ve been waiting to upload it, but internet connection for me has been difficult to come by***
I left Chicago with a group of 9 other girls at 8:30pm Chicago time, and arrived in Dubai at “7:10pm” the next day after a 13 hour flight. I had heard Emirates was a very nice airline, and it was – we were even offered fresh steamed towels to wash with before the in-flight meal was served. I gather that this is a custom in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), as our dinner during our layover also observed this custom and we were served towels before any food was brought out.
Emirates even provided a night-sky atmosphere on the plane!
Even though we emerged from the airport after night had fallen and the sky was dark, we were hit by a wall of heat that was incredibly shocking. It was a heat that would have been striking at high noon, so I can’t imagine what daytime would feel like. After taking a shuttle to our hotel and freshening up a bit, the ten of us got hotel assistance in hailing two taxis to take us to the Dubai Mall, where one of the girls in our group had made reservations for dinner. Apparently a family friend of hers owns the restaurant in the mall, so we were receiving a complimentary dinner. I did not expect the experience we had: a private curtained-off room in the back of the restaurant, with absolutely breathtaking views of the city and of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Unbeknownst to us, we also got a private viewing of a water and lights show from below, all while being served incredibly expensive gourmet food. Our menu was served chef’s choice, and we were delivered several courses of dishes, more than we could finish. While we didn’t see the bill, we speculated amongst us that the food we were served probably amounted to between $1.5-2k for the 10 of us.
The Burj Khalifa
The Dubai skyline as seen from our private room in the restaurant
Just some of the food that was served to us…delicious!
One interesting thing I learned is that Dubai does not serve alcohol (except in hotels that have bars in restaurants for tourists) because the UAE is such an observant Muslim country. While I didn’t have to cover, I observed many women wearing the hijab or the full black abaya which covers everything but the eyes, as well as many men in the floor-length white thobe and head covering. Also, it seemed that the scent of sandalwood incense was everywhere – in the mall, in the taxi – which was quite lovely.
We arrived in Manila Sunday, early evening, and were met by Tito Mon, IWU’s Dr. Amoloza’s brother, who took us to the Hotel Benilde where we would stay until we could move into our respective internship sites. Although we were all quite tired, we were able to admire the breathtaking skyline which could be seen from our window, as well as from the open-air skydeck on the roof of our hotel.
Manila!
Watching the sun set over Manila…13 hours before it would set at home.