Day 42: IN THE AIR

Dubai airport is a zoo.  We arrived overhead 20 minutes ahead of schedule, and were sent out over the gulf to circle for 35 minutes.  After we finally landed we had to wait another ten minutes before we could cross the active runway to go to parking.  They unloaded us into buses out in the middle of nowhere, and then we had a 15 minutes .... Yes 15 minutes ... Bus ride weaving between work sites to the terminal.  And did they drop us off at a gate near the baggage claim?  No, we had to walk the entire length of the terminal to get to passport control and baggage.  After that plain sailing to hotel.

Then the drama.  Midnight by now, and I discover that I have lost the keys to suitcase lock.  And I know exactly where it happened -- at Athens where he security had made me empty my backpack and all my pockets, then hurried me on.  I guess I dropped it there or didn't see it in the tray as I retrieved my things.  I tried to pick lock with a needle lol....so down to reception at Ibis and told my sad story to the lady there... She just smiled and said she'd send someone.  5 minutes later a maintenance man arrived with his bag of tricks and jemmied the lock off in 30 seconds.  I said to him that he looked like he had done this a few times before and he just laughed.  So Ibis have gone up 100% in my estimation for service.