Seven’s Day Awoke to an amazing sunrise and hot air balloons drifting past. It is a very busy weekend in Dubai – the Rugby Sevens, the world parachuting championships and the UAE ballooning championships. We went downstairs for breakfast – this hotel is much nicer and the breakfast much nicer. The staff are certainly way more friendly and helpful here as well.

I can’t really remember what time we got away now, but it must have been around 9.30am. We had heard that taxi was the best way to get out to the stadium – about a 30 minute ride and it should cost around Dh85. We went out the front of the hotel and walked down past the Novotel and then asked the security guard how much a taxi should cost us. He told us Dh85 and then called one of his mates from across the road to come over. He chatted away to him, then told us he had negotiated a price for us. The driver said yes Dh85 and showed us into a really nice car. Narms said, No, we were expecting a taxi with a meter. He explained that the security guard had negotiated a price and that he was a limousine and he would take us for the same price as a taxi. So we had a nice comfortable trip out to the stadium.

What an amazing set up they have here. Very efficient. And so much to do – there are four pitches where games are being played and there are dozens of other activities – such as ball skill games and pushing a Landcruiser. Loads of stuff for kids, and all the food and drinks can only be purchased with tokens which you purchase from a stall. Plenty of food and drink choices. Oh forgot to mention, we had our bags searched – not allowed to take any food or drink into the stadium. Luckily Narms had heard about this and so I emptied my bag before we left the hotel, but Narms smuggled her lunch in. Not sure how she got away with it, as her handbag was only tiny. We made it to the main grandstand just as New Zealand were about to play England. And to our shock, horror, England beat New Zealand. And then later in the day, NZ was beaten (well actually thrashed) by the Australians. Oh dear. Not a good day for the kiwis. I managed to get some good photos of the kiwi players

but shortly after taking my last photo, I realised that I had lost my camera bag, containing my credit cards. OMG, panic panic panic. I emptied my backpack three times to check that it wasn’t hiding in there somewhere, but no such luck. So then we walked backwards and forwards around where we were standing taking photos of the NZ team, but couldn’t find anything. I had this awful sick feeling, but I rang the ANZ Bank and cancelled my money card. Luckily I had my travel diary with me and it had photocopies of the cards in the back so that was easy to do. My Diners card was proving a bit more difficult to cancel as I hadn’t copied that one into my diary, but I was hopeful that it would be okay as I had tried to use it twice and had not been able to, do it would seem that not been places accept it. So decided to wait until I got back to the hotel and then worry about that one.

Because NZ were now not in the final we decided around 5pm to head home, I was pretty much rugbied out (and I must admit that the games were not particularly exciting and just as you they get into it, it’s all over) And it would seem that pretty much everyone is just here for the partying. We did catch up with Narms friends in the Heineken tent, and yep they had partied hard yesterday and last night, and it appeared that was what they were going to do tonight as well. So we headed off to catch one of the free buses. On the way out I asked if there was a “Lost and Found” and was directed out a side gate, to the last tent in the row. As I went in the door I saw a young lady holding onto my phone case, and the guy beside her was going through my cards. Oh phew!!! What an incredibly amazing feeling. And they were concerned because my phone/camera was not in the wallet, but I assured them that I had the phone. How lucky was that. Just another example of what an amazing country this is. So we proceeded out to the bus line-up. We had been told by Narms friends to head to Barasti – that was the place to be – so we got on the Barasti Bus at just after 5pm. The bus was scheduled to leave at 5.30 or when the bus was full, whichever was last. And because the rugby was still being played, there weren’t a hell of a lot of people wanting to leave right now, so we waited and we waited and we waited. Guys got on, some got annoyed at waiting so long and got off and went and got taxis, but we waiting and finally we were full. We then had to wait another ten minutes, (not sure why, but a great cheer went up went we finally pulled out of the car park. It was a forty minute drive back to Barasti and when we got off the bus, a group of guys escorted us into the bar. One was a South African, one Welsh and two poms. Really nice guys who then showed us around the place and bought us a drink. They had all been working in the Middle East for many years, and told us that the Barasti Bar was the place where all the ex-pats hung out. What an amazing place, absolutely buzzing. Just across the water is the Atlantis Hotel. Yeehaaaa, only three more sleeps and we will be there. The guys gave us heaps of suggestions about places to go and things to see – we need at least another three weeks here!!!!! Two of the guys – the one from South Africa and the Welshman, work at the airport and they gave Narms their card and told us to ring when we get there on Thursday and they will look after us during our two hour wait. We caught a taxi back to Ibis MOE and after a shower I went down to the hotel restaurant for a very late dinner. I was feeling incredibly tired by this time – Narms had already crashed!! But a yummy dinner – lamb chops with skinny chips and a delicious salad. Doing well on salads still but not getting to experience very much of the local cuisine. I was too tired, to continue writing this to post last night, so headed up in the lift, walked into the room, lay down and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It is now almost 7am and I am about to get up and go down for breakfast. I want to head off to Jumeriah today – would like to go to the Mosque and there’s a big themed mall, with one section Egyptian, one Persian and three others which I can’t just remember what they are at the moment. Narms is wanting to go to the Outlet Mall, but I am pretty much over shopping, just want to see the different cultural things now. So we will probably go our own ways today. Only four more days. 