Tamani Hotel Marina Dubai

... to go to Dubai Ski. It was absolutely surreal to find myself skiing by -8˚C when moments earlier I was outside by the beach with temperatures over 40.

After skiing I went to Carrefour (A French supermarket chain) - I could not believe they had Carrefour here. The aisles are exactly the same and basically I had the impression of being back home in Fougeres for a second. I bought myself a baguette and some Vache qui rit - So French!

On ...

... the ended. 50Dhs

It turns out that the park is right at the bottom of the Burj - the 7* Hotel. It was cool to be standing right in front of Dubai icon Building! The water park is nothing special by Dubai standard but you are just simply happy to get into the water. The park cost 195Dhs + 25Dhs for the locker (£35) for a day pass. The good thing is that you can go out and back in as much as you want during the day.

I spent a couple of hours there and then ...

I am now on a bus going to Dubai. I don't think I have ever that dirty but I guess I am going to have to get used to it for the next few days. I am going to have a few more drinks (I bought some alcohol at the duty free because you can’t buy any in the UAE). I am behaving like a kid because the reason I want to have a few drinks is because partly because it is illegal to drink here, I just want to push the boundaries. I think ...

... I settled into the room and got some bearings. The room wasn't nearly as nice as the Arabian Courtyard, it was a smoking room (though didn't smell too bad), and had twin beds. I wasn't close enough to walk to the souqs and they'd be closing in less than an hour. So I decided to be a lazy tourist and sunbathe at the rooftop pool before heading to The Mall of the Emirates. The sun felt so good and it was totally relaxing---this hotel was starting to grow ...

... towel dispensers. To see paper towels at all was an absolute luxury, but to not even have to turn a handle to get them? That was too much to believe. Incredulously, I waved my hand in front of the sensor. After a moment of suspenseful red blinking, the machine whirred to life and dispensed its wares. I had just arrived to Dubai's international airport five minutes prior, but I already knew this was going to be a great trip. I also knew it was going to be a very different ...

... lost on his way to the airport and Hassan had to tell him a different route. What's up with people always getting lost in Dubai?? Got to the airport and said all my goodbye's which felt a little weird, I mean this was my home for the past two weeks. It also didn't help that I was running a bit late so I was rushed through the whole process. However once I finally got through customs and passport control I was able to relax a bit and reflect on my ...

OMG I survived another 14 hours without a cig and don't feel stressed. Dubai has smoking rooms. Yah!!! The flight did take forever, but at least the meals are great, and the movie selection was excellent. (even for us steerage folk hahaha) Managed to watch the rest of Iron Man. Which was, to my dismay, only another 3 mins worth hahaha. Dam idiot I am!!! Well, I also watched Kung fu Panda, Narnia: Prince Caspian, 27 dresses ...

... usual souvenir tat that one can buy from any touristy destination. There is a huge range of restaurants and coffee bars. It's a pleasant place to while away a few hours. Outside you get great views of the 'villas' one can stay for some extortionate price overlooking the amazing 7* Bur al-Arab. Having had enough of shopping and still having another 8 days left until this adventure is over, we decided to hire a car and take off into the desert to discover some of ...

... my lesson and shall not frequent these tacky nightclubs, and in the event I do, shall make every attempt to be frumpy, and concealed. This might seem obvious to the person abroad (who might think everyone here is wearing a burka), but the outfits of all of the other girls in the club would lead one to believe that you can get away with any stage of undress that you desire. Not so, dear friend. My advice to you as well as to myself, is to allow ...

... happened to me, and I was lucky this time. Really lucky. As expected, another random stranger stopped and offered a ride...this time, it turns out the guy was an off-duty border guard who knew the procedures and helped me get it all done in half an hour. He asked me where I was going to stay, and I was just like, "I don't know really. I'll just walk around, I guess, till a bus comes in the morning." I left out the part about sleeping ...