Marc and I arrived very early in Dubai last Nov. 20, 2017. After a 12 hour flight from San Francisco, a seven hour layover in Istanbul, and another four hour flight from Istanbul to Dubai, we finally arrived in our destination after a total of 23 hours travel time. Our plane touched down at 6 am. We were exhausted by the time we landed. Anyway, going through immigration and customs was a breeze. Going to our IBIS hotel located at Deira City Center was likewise very easy. Just three stops from the airport and the metro ride was cheap and quick.

How I wish I could tell you wonderful stories about our first day in Dubai. But, it was really pretty uneventful. Here's why. While the staff at the check in counter in our hotel told Marc that check in was at 2 pm, I was able to convince Janika, the lady who Marc initially spoke to, to let us go to our room as we were tired and exhausted after a long trip to Dubai from San Francisco. Sensing our dilema, she said, "Oh, actually, I can check you in now!" Marc couldn't believe it. He was so happy that I once again was able to use my charm to get what we wanted. Speaking the staff's language always helped. My knowledge of Tagalog and Spanish have always helped in our travels.

By the time we went to our room, it was already 8 am. We went to the mall right across our hotel and had something to eat. I had Chinese food while Marc had a burger and fries. Not long after, we went back to ur hotel room to take a nap. "Just three hours" Marc suggested. That was 10 am. By the time we opened our eyes, it was pitch black outside and 6 pm. We slept through our entire first day. The only thing we did was return to the mall we had visited in the morning and have dinner this time.