I’m sitting in the Dubai International Airport, awaiting my next flight. This place is quite the international crossroads. Even at 6:30 in the morning it’s all hustle and bustle. From where I am sitting I see people drinking coffee, eating seafood, and surfing the internet. Over in one gate area is a Chinese group listening to their tour guide give them instructions on how to be civilized tourists. He’s been at it since before the sun came up!!
My flight from Beijing was on the new A380 plane . It is said that the upper deck of the plane has private suites and a shower. I was slightly tempted to sneak up the stairs for a peek, but wisely decided against it. For about 2 hours of the flight we were over Pakistan. That was a bit surreal for me.
Flying this monster reminded me of our family’s first flight on the Boeing 747, back in 1970. The 747 was a brand new aircraft and was so much bigger than anything else flying. We were flying from London to Chicago on Pan Am. The plane was parked out on the tarmac, so were taken to it by bus. When we got off the bus and my mom looked up at the TWO flights of stairs to climb to board, she announced, “I’m not getting on that thing!” And since that wasn’t really an option, my dad, sister, and I got behind her and literally pushed her up the stairs.
Onward to Cape Town….