what money can buy in the desert..

dubai is a very odd place - i only saw the airport and the airport hotel - and an aerial view as we took off - but there is a sense that everything can be bought. you want culture, you build a venue. you want tourism, you build shops and hotels. you want golf courses, you pour money in to the sand until the grass grows. the news channel felt like pr more than news and the people they were interviewing came from every nation under the sun.

the aiport is absolutely huge - with ranks and ranks of emirates planes - and people busily spending money on gold.

hung about, drank tea, bought paracetamol, caught a plane, sitting next to a kiwi who works in dubai.

sat and sat and sat and sat. that's what long haul flying is pretty much about. watched films. walked up and down. looked at my watch and couldnt believe that i'd only done 3 hours so did more sitting, watching and walking. about 5 hours to go, i hit the 'i don't think we're ever going to arrive' wall but they came round with chocolate and everything felt better. but 13 hours is still a looooonnnnnggggg time.