11 NOVEMBER 2006

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Arriving at Dubai at about 4am local time the temperature as we stepped off the plane into a waiting bus was a pleasant 26C, so we were thankful that we were not stopping to see the heat of the day. Ed made enquiries regarding his lost travel documents at the transfer desk whilst Bruce and Tony sailed through security. Once again Eddie was hauled up at the x-ray machines, this time they had taken exception to the walkie talky in his hand luggage. Bruce had to take the blame for this one having included it in Eddie's sack when re-packing at Beijing. The nonchulant staff could not be peruaded to let the radio go through and told us it was not a permitted item and wanted to know where the other radio was. We explained everything and insisted that we wanted to reclaim Alister's radio in London. We were told to return in half an hour when the Emirates staff would be available. After inspecting Ed's sugar supply and fishing out the bits and bobs that had disappeared into the desk's grating, we were allowed to proceed. At this point, we attended to Eddie who had mislaid in Beijing his boarding card, paper ticket stubs and our baggage tags for the onward flight. We headed up the escalators to the Emirates offices yet again through another xray check and were redirected by the disinterested counter staff into the nearby staff only offices. Here we were made to recheck Ed's bags on the tiny office floor at which point the sugar spilled all over the floor. After initial confusion and a comparative inspection of Bruce's ticket counterfoils, Ed was left to pay the $53 charge on his plastic. Bruce returned to sort out the confiscated radio whilst Tony continued to enjoy his duty free shopping and a glass of overpriced beer in the bar. On his return, Ed was still tied up with the boarding card problem and had had to draw out money from an ATM or foreign currency exchange. Tony treated Bruce who was hot and bothered to a $10 pint of Guinness and they sat down where they could see Eddie return.

By this time, we were ready to board and Tony headed off to Gate 17 for a flight to Manchester and Ed and Bruce 15 next to it. Ed presented his new boarding card but was held up from entering the departure lounge for 20mins whilst Ed dischared his hand luggage onto the floor for another relentles search for the ticket stubs. Eventually he was allowed through and within minutes had mislaid the boarding card stub for final entry onto the plane. Poor Ed who was understandably flustered, hot and dehyrated from the hassles of travel has then lost his insulin and performed another hand luggage search in a quieter corner of the aircraft which was filling up with passengers. The onlooking staff helped look after the pair of large (2ft diameter) woven split-cane farmers hats that Eddie had been carting around for several days.

The flight departed and although there was many aisle collisions with the shapely stewardesses and some trolley crashes from the seemingly inexperienced staff, the flight went well and there was plenty of drinks made readily available throughout.


Tony H arrived back at Manchester to be greeted by his wife. Apparently this was the longest they had been apart.

Bruce and Eddie arrive on time at Heathrow to be met by Bruce's dad. The confiscated radio surprisingly trundled thrugh on the conveyor belt sealed in an A4 envelope. The Emirates baggage officer spotted it first an delivered it to my hand. He was a little surprised that it turned up based on previous experience.