Transit in Dubai (6am [local] 8 Nov)

So, the first, longest leg is over. Surprisingly, I managed to "sleep" for 9 hours of the flight! A combination of being given an Exit Row seat (plenty of leg room), wearing noise-cancelling headphones, and persistence, meant that I drifted in an out of actual sleep for that whole time. That's pretty much a record for me, in a seat. I wouldn't say I'm fresh because of it, but I don't feel as smashed as I often do after long-haul flights.

Emirates Airlines and Dubai Airport are wonderful examples of multiculturalism. There weren't two people with the same nationality in the Emirates cabin crew; Africans, Europeans; Middle-easterners; and Britons. Quite the United Nations aloft, it was. Dubai Airport keeps demonstrating flashes of different other airports, depending on the ebb and flow of travellers. One minute I could be in Sydney, the next Frankfurt, the next some African hub; even Asian hubs like Singapore or Hong Kong are paid homage with patches of people floating through.

I've had one piece of excitement before I even left Australia. I checked my bags at the Sydney Coach Terminal when I met my Aunt Cath for lunch on arrival in Sydney. I thought that I could just call back on the way to the airport to collect them. Well, I could, but it turns out that had to be before 5:30pm. So, there I was half-way through a drink at the Customs House Bar in Macquarie Place when my phone rings and the Coach Terminal says: where are you to collect your bags? It goes without saying that I left half a drink and ran off to get my bags. Pitt Street is quite uphill, when you're in a hurry. It must also be about just over 2km from the Quay to Central as it took me 12mins to run the distance. I got to the Coach Terminal in the time I said I would to discover that they actually close at 6pm, but they were not happy that they'd had to ring me! I think that the evidence that I'd literally run from the Quay gave them some comfort.

To lighten my journey, I've been chatting with a young Swiss woman I met at the Gate in Sydney. She's sparkling company and has excellent English. There is much to commend Laura (pictured). She is bright, thoughtful, outgoing, attractive; young! A trained Chef and a trained killer. It's nice to chat. She's been very patient putting up with the old man who wouldn't leave her alone in Dubai!

It's very frustrating: I can see "Free Public Wifi" networks, but I can't get an internet connection.

(Posted from my hotel room in Cairo.)