Traveling home via Dubai
I travel at least once a year to come back to Pakistan to spend time with my old folks. I've been doing this since I moved to Liberia in 2003 and, it usually takes me about 2 days to get home. I've mostly traveled via Accra and Dubai on the Emirates route. Almost every year, I managed to get a glimpse of Dubai's growing grandiosity and mind-blowing ambition thanks to 24-hour stopover.'s There aren't that many connecting flights between Dubai and Islamabad so I would end up being accommodated for a full day by Emirates, which allowed me to get some rest and do some sight seeing.
In those days, I was making good money with UNDP so I foolishly splurged and, traveled business class for at least 3 years. So, in one of my first stop overs, I hired a car for the day and the chauffeur drove me around Dubai and, showed me all the new construction. Dubai Marina had just begun to be constructed.
In another trip, I gawked and enjoyed the magnificent Ibn - e - Battuta Mall and also watched "Nacho Libre" in the cinema at the mall.
In another trip, one of my brother's friends invited me for dinner at a fancy Thai restaurant in Jumeriah.
It turned out a school from our days at the American School of Bucharest had also turned up in Dubai and started a career in journalism.
In another trip during one of the 24-hour stop overs, I went to meet an ex-WFP colleague who was living there with her family.
My best friend also moved there for a couple of years so I sneaked in a few days and, stayed with her in JBL back in 2012/2013.
After I hooked up with Haresh, I really got to see Dubai from a desi family's point of view as his brother, sister and father live there.
Traveling home via Addis and Dubai
This year, I traveled to Pakistan via Accra - Addis - Dubai. Haresh got a good offer from a travel agent to go via this route. In fact, we were all supposed to travel together during the Christmas holidays but we did not realise Kavita's passport was about to expire. Moreover, we had to obtain Kavita's Pakistani visa from the Pakistan Embassy in Morocco. So, Haresh went ahead to Dubai and then Mumbai to spend time with his elder daughters (one of them had flown in from Australia). I was finally able to travel in early April. Don't ask about how much we paid in date change fees.
I had thought traveling through 3 airports would be especially exhausting but somehow, it was not as bad as I had imagined.
There is an ASKY flight which departs from Spriggs Payne Airport very early in the morning. Having the 45-minute/1-hour drive to RIA (Roberts International Airport) cut out from one's travel is indeed welcome. Haresh dropped Kavita and I early in the morning at the airport. Check in was pretty smooth and, Haresh requested the check in staff to check us all the way to Islamabad. They did but we later realised we were given different seats and they had not weighed the luggage, which later posed a slight problem in Dubai.
The ASKY flight was smooth. It's a small aircraft. The crew was very pleasant and polite. We were given a hot meal but Kavita and I just napped.
We landed at Kotoka International Airpot hardly a couple of hours later. I have landed so many times at this Airport that every angle, facet, wall, and desk is familiar. I've landed here at night and in the day time. I feel I even know the way the sunlight slants in the corridors. I asked about the new Terminal (under construction) and, apparently, it's going to be inaugurated soon.
This time, thankfully, transit passengers did not have to exit the Airport and then come back in. Airport officials gathered all the transit passengers and, escorted them to the Departures Hall. Because I had boarding passes for the onward flights, I just had to proceed to Immigration. We swept through towards the Duty Free. Kavita desperately wanted to go up to the Sanbra Lounge but since we had less than 2 hours, it wasn't worth it. We got some chocolates and, then waiting in our assigned lounge for a good hour or so. The lounge was quite warm even though it had massive standing AC units but some smokers had opened the windows.
Accra to Addis
How do you pass time these days while waiting? I guess you are stuck to your phone. In the lounge, I noticed so many people scrolling through their smart phones, some with a serious face, some light heartedly. Others, wanted to take pictures of Kavita. A few Chinese passengers wanted to take a photo of Kavita. I said, if only I can of yours.
Eventually we boarded our flight to Addis. It was a new plane and, I immediately liked it. Some of the female crew were dressed in traditional white attire and, they looked very beautiful. There seemed to be a good enough selection of films. Kavita and I settled in and enjoyed our entertainment, seats and ambience. We weren't given the same seats but the air crew sorted it out and let us sit together. It was not a full plane. The 6-hour flight was smooth.
Addis to Dubai
We landed in Addis around 8 or 9 PM local time. We disembarked onto the tarmac. Dubai passengers were asked to stay in a corner. We stood on the tarmac, enjoying the cool night air. Eventually we got onto a bus which took us straight to the plane. So, we settled into our seats (again, had to request the air crew to let us sit together because the check in staff at Spriggs Payne had not checked us in together). By this time we were quite tired and, slept during most of the 4 hour flight.
Dubai Stop Over
The Ethiopian Airlines flight landed in Dubai at around 3 in the morning. And, we seemed to have landed in some remote part of the tarmac and, had to descend the plane and get on to a bus. This bus drove for quite a while and, dropped us off to one of the terminals. I proceeded to the nearby Emirates desk and, asked from which gate and terminal I would have to board my Islamabad flight. I was also interested in inquiring whether I could purchase a visa/hotel together as one usually can at the Dubai Airport. One of the fellows
The fellow told me to get to a bus to another Terminal. Kavita and I walked for miles (that's what it felt like) until we got to the point where we could get a bus. It was a huge hall, rather empty, kind of eerie. There was a lone passenger and, one staff at the door. We had to wait for 20 minutes for the next bus. We patiently waited. I charged my phone in a wall. Kavita was quite cheerful and happy at this point. She kept going to the water fountain to get a drink.
Whenever I find myself in a large room without a personality lit by electric tube lights, emanating a harsh light, empty and, banal, I am reminded of the hauntingly freaky film The Langoliers. This wasn't a shabby place at all, it was quite shiny and glamorous (as is Dubai and Dubai Airport) but still, I couldn't help feeling rather haunted.
Finally the bus arrived, we boarded it and then drove for a good 10 or 15 minutes. We entered the next Terminal and there was an Emirates desk near the door. I asked Kavita to wait while I chatted with the staff. I wanted to get my boarding passes (they could not issue me a boarding pass at Spriggs Payne) and, make sure my luggage had arrived.The staff could not issue me boarding passes as they couldn't locate my luggage. The luggage tags I had were not correctly labeled or issued. They did not have the weight on them. After 10-15 minutes, they located one bag. Kavita at this point needed to use the toilet. For the first time I can remember in my travel history with Kavita, one of the very nice ladies offered to take Kavita herself to the toilets! I was extremely grateful. How nice ! How novel. The Emirates staff I was dealing with (was a lady from Fiji) kept calling Asky, Ethiopian, Luggage, etc and, it kept going on and on. Finally, she felt some pity on me and went ahead and issued me boarding passes so I could get on with my life.
I proceeded then to try to Exit the Airport with a visa and hotel booking. To my supreme annoyance, I found out I could not obtain a visa from this Terminal but should go back to the one I came from. What?! The staff in this Great Big Hall (I am so familiar with it, having spent hours and hours and hours on various trips) politely smiled and said perhaps the Dubai Immigration folks could make an exception on my behalf. They gestured towards them and I went to them with a polite and meek smile but to no avail.
I then went off to another desk to pay for the Airport Hotel for 12 hours.
We took the enormous lifts back up to the Departures and found ourselves checking in at the hotel in the terminal. Kavita was excited and she chatted with the reception and anyone else who would pass by.
Needless to say, the room was quite nice and luxurious. Kavita and I took extended warm showers in the beautiful bathroom. Kavita donned the bathrobe and, even though it was too big for her, she somehow looked the part. We winded down and, soon went for a much needed sleep.
We slept through the afternoon and, then went into the Duty Free to get a bite to eat and roam around.
We boarded our flight on time and, finally ended our journey in Islamabad.
End Note
Traveling is eventful and, one still can absorb so much of the experience of modernity, space, time, technology, retail therapy, glamour and, entertainment during flights, and interacting with fellow passengers.
But it is also exhausting and even emotionally taxing. I somehow feel uprooted and supplanted when I journey across such distances. As much as I get excited at the prospect of enjoying international air travel, enjoying in-flight movies, and buying souvenirs at airports, it can be stressful and exhausting. It's also never easy to say good bye to whoever you are leaving behind.
Accra to Addis
How do you pass time these days while waiting? I guess you are stuck to your phone. In the lounge, I noticed so many people scrolling through their smart phones, some with a serious face, some light heartedly. Others, wanted to take pictures of Kavita. A few Chinese passengers wanted to take a photo of Kavita. I said, if only I can of yours.
Addis to Dubai
We landed in Addis around 8 or 9 PM local time. We disembarked onto the tarmac. Dubai passengers were asked to stay in a corner. We stood on the tarmac, enjoying the cool night air. Eventually we got onto a bus which took us straight to the plane. So, we settled into our seats (again, had to request the air crew to let us sit together because the check in staff at Spriggs Payne had not checked us in together). By this time we were quite tired and, slept during most of the 4 hour flight.
Dubai Stop Over
The Ethiopian Airlines flight landed in Dubai at around 3 in the morning. And, we seemed to have landed in some remote part of the tarmac and, had to descend the plane and get on to a bus. This bus drove for quite a while and, dropped us off to one of the terminals. I proceeded to the nearby Emirates desk and, asked from which gate and terminal I would have to board my Islamabad flight. I was also interested in inquiring whether I could purchase a visa/hotel together as one usually can at the Dubai Airport. One of the fellows
The fellow told me to get to a bus to another Terminal. Kavita and I walked for miles (that's what it felt like) until we got to the point where we could get a bus. It was a huge hall, rather empty, kind of eerie. There was a lone passenger and, one staff at the door. We had to wait for 20 minutes for the next bus. We patiently waited. I charged my phone in a wall. Kavita was quite cheerful and happy at this point. She kept going to the water fountain to get a drink.
Whenever I find myself in a large room without a personality lit by electric tube lights, emanating a harsh light, empty and, banal, I am reminded of the hauntingly freaky film The Langoliers. This wasn't a shabby place at all, it was quite shiny and glamorous (as is Dubai and Dubai Airport) but still, I couldn't help feeling rather haunted.
Finally the bus arrived, we boarded it and then drove for a good 10 or 15 minutes. We entered the next Terminal and there was an Emirates desk near the door. I asked Kavita to wait while I chatted with the staff. I wanted to get my boarding passes (they could not issue me a boarding pass at Spriggs Payne) and, make sure my luggage had arrived.The staff could not issue me boarding passes as they couldn't locate my luggage. The luggage tags I had were not correctly labeled or issued. They did not have the weight on them. After 10-15 minutes, they located one bag. Kavita at this point needed to use the toilet. For the first time I can remember in my travel history with Kavita, one of the very nice ladies offered to take Kavita herself to the toilets! I was extremely grateful. How nice ! How novel. The Emirates staff I was dealing with (was a lady from Fiji) kept calling Asky, Ethiopian, Luggage, etc and, it kept going on and on. Finally, she felt some pity on me and went ahead and issued me boarding passes so I could get on with my life.
I proceeded then to try to Exit the Airport with a visa and hotel booking. To my supreme annoyance, I found out I could not obtain a visa from this Terminal but should go back to the one I came from. What?! The staff in this Great Big Hall (I am so familiar with it, having spent hours and hours and hours on various trips) politely smiled and said perhaps the Dubai Immigration folks could make an exception on my behalf. They gestured towards them and I went to them with a polite and meek smile but to no avail.
I then went off to another desk to pay for the Airport Hotel for 12 hours.
We took the enormous lifts back up to the Departures and found ourselves checking in at the hotel in the terminal. Kavita was excited and she chatted with the reception and anyone else who would pass by.
Needless to say, the room was quite nice and luxurious. Kavita and I took extended warm showers in the beautiful bathroom. Kavita donned the bathrobe and, even though it was too big for her, she somehow looked the part. We winded down and, soon went for a much needed sleep.
We slept through the afternoon and, then went into the Duty Free to get a bite to eat and roam around.
We boarded our flight on time and, finally ended our journey in Islamabad.
End Note
Traveling is eventful and, one still can absorb so much of the experience of modernity, space, time, technology, retail therapy, glamour and, entertainment during flights, and interacting with fellow passengers.
But it is also exhausting and even emotionally taxing. I somehow feel uprooted and supplanted when I journey across such distances. As much as I get excited at the prospect of enjoying international air travel, enjoying in-flight movies, and buying souvenirs at airports, it can be stressful and exhausting. It's also never easy to say good bye to whoever you are leaving behind.
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