I was only in Abu Dhabi for about 8 hours but decided that that was too long to spend at the airport particularly as those 8 hours were my normal sleeping hours! A hotel was called for. At around 20h00 it was not a busy time on the roads so the trip downtown was quite quick. My next flight was at 08h35 so I enquired at Reception as to what time I should leave to get to the airport in plenty of time. I was told it would take 2 hours for the return journey!
I queried this. I would be travelling before 06h00. Would the traffic be so bad that it would take 2 hours for the trip? It was explained that, as it was Ramadan, many taxis would not be running at that hour because the drivers would be spending extra time on their prayers. I agreed to a comprise time of leaving at 05h30. Therefore could I have a wake-up call at 05h00?
I didn’t need a wake-up call! The muezzin did it for me, at 04h45. I got up, got ready and was down at Reception before my booked wake-up call. I had pre-paid everything I wandered out onto the street and hailed a taxi straight away. There were lots available – so much for all the praying!
It took just 30 minutes to get back to the airport so I had plenty of time to search for a new camera. The two I had brought with me, I managed to fill up with dust in Africa. And I had time to have a croissant and cappuccino in the Etihad lounge before I had to board my 5hr flight to Dusseldorf.
I arrived in Dusseldorf without hassle some 20 minutes early which was good but it just prolonged the already 5 hour lay-over. airberlin do not have a lounge at the airport except for a screened off glass area. There was a coffee machine, which I didn’t investigate as you have to pay for a cup, not a problem per se, but I hadn’t the Euro coins needed. Even if I had, the number of Euros that I would have fed into the machine would have had little impact on the number of Euros the Germans need to bail out all those defaulting E U countries!
The loos were outside and I wasn’t sure whether I could get back into this little hideaway if I left… I had to talk to a very impersonal microphone to be allowed in. I would have to find out as no doubt I’d have to use the loo at some stage during my 5+ hour lay-over!
There was no Internet but that gave me the chance to finish off all my notes for Africa and even choose the photos I wanted to use in the blog.
airberlin flew me to Copenhagen where I arrived at 20h00 – still in broad daylight. I decided to tackle the Metro and took it to the nearest station to the hotel. A very helpful lady at the ticket office told me which station to get off at. (I’m always being told where to get off!) Emerging back into daylight a helpful taxi driver told me that my hotel was only a ten minute walk away. He happily gave me directions. I bailed up another guy along the way just to make sure and headed blindly onwards dragging my bag behind me. Oh, how it clattered over the little square cobble stones of that street!
Clickerty-clack cobble stones (P1000051 © DY of jtdytravels)
Lo and behold the street I needed came up and I was soon installed in my room with a complimentary ham, cheese and salad croissant. I had just missed the ‘free’ light evening meal. What more could I possibly need except to try the whisky I bought on arrival in Abu Dhabi the night before – only the night before? It seemed like a week ago!
At 21h30 it was still fairly bright outside. The streets were wet so a shower or two must have passed recently. It certainly wasn’t cold enough to put on a jumper.
But it was time to have that ham croissant and a sip of my Glenlivet, then a much needed shower and some shut eye. It was quite a long time since 04h45 that morning, particularly when I had to add 2 hours somewhere along the way. I looked forward to a good sleep in a good bed! D
Photography Copyright © DY of jtdytravels