Greetings from Manchester!
Got up at 4:30 Dubai time no worries - by my Aussie time clock, I've had a bit of a sleep in. On the way to the airport, the main street is busy with cars. At 5:00 am? The bus driver kindly explains that this is yet another souk of a rather special kind. In case I miss the point, a number of the girls are between customers, some of them look like they are also between outfits.
The airport has an excellent selection of US franchised food outlets. I get an espresso from a Dunkin' Donuts shop - I drink it, and wish (briefly) that Japan had won the war. The local paper fills in a bit of time - Dubai has a good selection of English language newspapers.
We fly out promptly. The inflight entertainment is cactus, and many of the people on the flight have small children. A recipe for disaster!!! I watch the desert as we fly over - it is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful - at least, when you are sitting in an air-conditioned cabin thousands of feet up it is. I should have tried to get photos. There is nothing I can say (at least, not when I'm this jet-lagged there isn't) that can describe it.
The inflight entertainment comes back on just as we clear Iran - thank God, because we travel above cloud level for most of the flight over Europe, and I would have gone totally spare. We get in at about 12:00 Manchester time, and I manage to get myself into town safely. With a great stroke of good luck, I get myself into town using the same train line I'll need to take tomorrow to go to Buxton! Cool!
I don't have quite so much luck finding the Tourist Information Centre. I eventually ask for directions at a Spanish language school. One of the gentlemen there is on his way out, he takes me most of the way to the TIC, reminiscing about his travels in Australia as he does so. Luckily, everyone was very nice to him when he visited, and he feels moved to repay the kindness.
I am now staying in a youth hostel called the Hilton something-or-other on Oldham St. Lesson for the day - ask TIC staff to book me at hostels with LIFTS from now on. I managed to drag my case up the five flights of stairs, but I didn't enjoy the experience!! Luckily, I was the only one in the dormitory (hopefully when I get back, this will still be the case) so I could lie down and grab a shower to recover.
I've done a bit of souvenir shopping at the Manchester Craft Centre, and scrounged dinner at a local mall. To contrast with the eight dirham kebab, today I paid nearly £3 for a baked potato and beans. No contest - if I'd known, I'd have stocked up on the kebabs!! I'll do some sightseeing tomorrow, and catch the train to Buxton at about 16:30.
The airport has an excellent selection of US franchised food outlets. I get an espresso from a Dunkin' Donuts shop - I drink it, and wish (briefly) that Japan had won the war. The local paper fills in a bit of time - Dubai has a good selection of English language newspapers.
We fly out promptly. The inflight entertainment is cactus, and many of the people on the flight have small children. A recipe for disaster!!! I watch the desert as we fly over - it is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful - at least, when you are sitting in an air-conditioned cabin thousands of feet up it is. I should have tried to get photos. There is nothing I can say (at least, not when I'm this jet-lagged there isn't) that can describe it.
The inflight entertainment comes back on just as we clear Iran - thank God, because we travel above cloud level for most of the flight over Europe, and I would have gone totally spare. We get in at about 12:00 Manchester time, and I manage to get myself into town safely. With a great stroke of good luck, I get myself into town using the same train line I'll need to take tomorrow to go to Buxton! Cool!
I don't have quite so much luck finding the Tourist Information Centre. I eventually ask for directions at a Spanish language school. One of the gentlemen there is on his way out, he takes me most of the way to the TIC, reminiscing about his travels in Australia as he does so. Luckily, everyone was very nice to him when he visited, and he feels moved to repay the kindness.
I am now staying in a youth hostel called the Hilton something-or-other on Oldham St. Lesson for the day - ask TIC staff to book me at hostels with LIFTS from now on. I managed to drag my case up the five flights of stairs, but I didn't enjoy the experience!! Luckily, I was the only one in the dormitory (hopefully when I get back, this will still be the case) so I could lie down and grab a shower to recover.
I've done a bit of souvenir shopping at the Manchester Craft Centre, and scrounged dinner at a local mall. To contrast with the eight dirham kebab, today I paid nearly £3 for a baked potato and beans. No contest - if I'd known, I'd have stocked up on the kebabs!! I'll do some sightseeing tomorrow, and catch the train to Buxton at about 16:30.
posted by Andrea at
11:29 AM
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