Dubai

Arrived in at 7am, Dubai time and it was already 32 degrees. The airport was huge we were walking for about 30minutes to baggage claim. Bags came through after we had waited ages. Went through to get a taxi. It was boiling outside and they tried to help with big fans circulating very warm hot air. The taxi had a little Tv in the back with adverts telling us about things to see in Dubai. The traffic is really bad in Dubai. The driver was saying the traffic is always bad, at whatever time your out in. When we were sat in traffic, he would just read his newspaper chilled out and relaxed. So we just relaxed too.

Got to our hotel at about 8:30am (The Lotus Hotel) very nice reception. When checking in the manager came out to say hello and asked us if we would like to go to another Lotus hotel in Dubai for one night, as our room would not be ready until 2pm. It was a new hotel (The Grand Lotus Hotel and Apartments) and we would be upgrading for one night to their Deluxe hotel and apartments. So we said yeah Ok, because we were very tired as we didn't sleep on the plane.

When we got there the apartment we were given was massive and very new one. That new that when we climbed into bed the sheets felt like cardboard. So we got the hotel towels placed them on the bed and pillows to give us something soft to sleep on. After about 4 hours sleep I had a shower and the towels were also very new, as in the white towels left white fluff all over me .In my hair, on my face, arms and legs. But at least we were the first to use everything.

We when to the beach by taxi, its so cheap. A 15 minute journey only cost about £5.........bargain!!

The beach we went to is in a national park called "Al Mazmar Park". It cost only 5Dirhams each which is about 75p. Once inside the beach is massive. We set up our towels and headed in to the sea. People have told me about going on holiday a saying the sea was like a bath but I've never felt a sea so warm. The water a really warm, even further out too. As we stepped into the water there were tiny baby crabs in the sand. Then I saw a couple of fish, didn't tell Hannah as she would a shoot out the sea faster than a bullet. But then I saw a jelly fish and we both got out the water. Not a big fan of jelly fish!

We sunbathed from about 4pm until around 6pm. The sun was still really warm and we walked along the beach for a while. Then went off to get a shower, a drink and a taxi back to the hotel. The showers are on the beach and the water is really hot and some of the locals after sun bathing were washing with shower gels and "Head N shoulders".

Now for everyone old enough....we got a can of 7up, but thats not it. The can had old style ring pulls. The ones that pull off the can. It was a major flash back to the past. On our way out of the park we also saw a little baby monkey sleeping!

Then waited for a taxi, learned not to be so nice and English. The taxi rank was a free for all and the locals just flagged them down and jumped in. So we did to ;-)

That night we went out to another local hotel food dinner as our hotel was that new the restaurant menu was fully up and running. We had too main courses for under £10. We also found out that our hotel has only been open a few days before we had arrived. Off to our original hotel tomorrow.