Mumbai to Dubai – December 29
Fab and I ran around trying to find a post office that would ship a parcel of ours back home. At one location, we were told that only one office in Mumbai shipped parcels internationally, Victoria Terminus, but that was across town and would be a nightmare to try and navigate. Another location told us that they did indeed ship parcels internationally, but that we had to have the package wrapped in white cloth by a tailor (another one of India’s charming idiosyncracies). When we went to a tailor, he said he could wrap it, but didn’t have a box to put our stuff in, so we went back to the post office to try and work something out. Low and behold, they said the package didn’t need to be wrapped, but that they preferred it that way. Then they told us they were closed even though we were standing at the counter and people were busy working away.
Devika ended up finding out that the airport had a 24hour post office that shipped internationally. After bidding farewell to the Shah family, we went to the airport with our box in hand. At the airport, the man at the post office weighed our package and then gave us a price off the top of his head. According to the shipping rates back in the city, he was way off. When we told him the price was high, he gave us another price off the top of his head. Not wanting to cave in and line the guy’s pockets with rupees, we decided to take the package to Dubai and ship it from there.
After clearing security, Fab and I decided to toss around a few of our left over rupees and have a beer in the airport lounge. We took a look at the price list and decided against it. The prices were as follows (and I shit you not): $15 US for a bottle of beer, $50 for a tumbler of whisky and $80 for a glass of red wine. Not sure who they thought they were fooling. Even a cup of tea cost $5 and that’s just hot water and a tea bag. Needless to say, we held off and boarded the plane to Dubai.
Much to our surprise, we were upgraded to business class. We spent the duration of the 3hr flight downing as many expensive, yet complimentary, drinks as we could. The free booze combined with ample leg room and stellar service made for a pleasant getaway from India. Although, India kicked our asses we knew that we were going to miss the place, despite all the hair-tearing madness.
When we arrived in the Dubai airport, or more accurately, the Dubai duty free shopping mall, we picked up some cigarettes, wine, beer and champagne – all of which cost less than a glass of red wine back in Mumbai. We had thought that the airport would be relatively empty due to our late arrival, but that was not the case. Upon exiting the terminal, we were immersed in masses of people from every possible nationality.
Our hotel picked us up at the terminal and promptly brought us downtown. My first impression was that the city was very clean. My second impression was that arriving in Dubai was like arriving in a city that was only half finished, like some kind of science fiction movie set weeks before production was due to begin. There were bridges with thick beams of neon across the roadway, cranes lit up in green and sky scraper skeletons twinkling with pin pricks of white light. Short, squat palm trees lined the side of the streets and expensive sports cars whizzed past us pumping techno music.
Our hotel room was something else all together. The room was illuminated by futuristic track lighting, the closet doors glowed and the bathroom had yellow orbs jutting out of the mirror. There were also speakers above the toilet so you could take a crap and without missing anything on TV. Added to this was the most comfortable bed I have ever had the pleasure of lying on. As Fab said, “I know it’s not right to think that luxury is important, but right now it feels important.” Well put.
