DXB: Dubai

As a reserve pilot, I was very luck to snag a trip to Dubai this past weekend. It was a very cool trip and I'd like to share it with you.

First off, the trip lands around dusk. If you are lucky to have some sunlight and some dry air, you'll get some good views as you fly in from the NW. DXB is 8 hours ahead of Dulles, so its really around noon ET. You should'nt have any problems heading off to have a pint or two.

The Hotel is the Marriot, Festival City. It is the nicest hotel that I have stayed at personally during my UAL career. It's 5 star all the way with rooms that are impeccably made up. The most unique aspect of these rooms is the shower window that separates the bed area from the bathroom. There is a shade that you can lower for privacy if you bring a friend. The shower tub is top notch: you can select the water to come out of the bath faucet, an overhead rainshowerhead, or a hose sprayer.


The pool area is superbly maintained with golf course-like green areas (with big fluffy lounge pillows) and plenty of lounge chairs. The pool area is shared with the Intercontinental Hotel next door, so together there are 4 pools and 2 hot tubs to choose from.

The Dubai currency is the dirham (or Bull Durham, as tour guide Mohammed calls it), and the exchange rate is fixed to the dollar at around 3.65 dirhams to the dollar. Dividing dirhams by 3 will roughly get you close.

The gym has very good equipment with all the basic machines and free weights to get a good workout in.

Wired room internet access is free for crews. The bill will be adjusted by checkout.

Crews also enjoy a 20% discount on food at the hotel restaurants. This doesn't include alchohol (ouch!) or room service.

So, most of the crew ended up moseying down to the Belgian Beer Cafe. It was a very good time, but it was not cheep. I had 2 pints of Hoegaarten and the price was about $9/beer. They do a very good job with the Euro menu. I had the mussel large mussel plate with garlic and drawn butter. The fries came with mayo in these neat holders (tres euro!). We initially sat upstairs since that was the non-smoking section, but a headscratcher. All the smoke rose up to the upstairs anyway! We then moved to outdoor seating, and that was a bit better. It was a bit warm, but the ambiance and lack of confined smoke make it worth it.





After dinner, a few of us decided to check out the Eclipse Bar on the 26th floor of the Intercontinental next door. It was a neat bar with plenty of ambiance, but it was very pricy. I actually chose not to have anything there due to my sticker shock at the Belgian place. A smallish martini ran about $15 and a little 1/3 liter beer was $10. But, if you go up for the view and some elegant surroundings, you won't be disappointed. One word of caution, there are in-shell pistaccios mixed in with the regular nuts. Chomp at your own risk!

I recommend that you take a tour from Mohammed. He is a great tour guide of the city of Dubai. He's got quite a few one-liners, and neat little tidbits about the city and its government. His english is very good, as he spent 15 years in Minnesota and even got a Masters degree in the states. Give him a call or an email before you go to set up the tour. The three of us each payed him around $40. It was well worth it.

We started the tour at 10am and it lasted about 4 1/2 hours. The photos below are just a few of the shots I took on the tour. Have fun and ask lots of questions. Listen to Mohamed closely as the jokes might fly right past you!

LHR: Mandalay Restaurant

If you'd like to try a great little restaurant just up the road from the Hilton Metropole, then give Mandalay a try. It's an authentic Burmese restaurant that will treat pilots right! If you know nothing about Burma (Union of Myanmar), then this Wiki article will at least get you started. The cuisine is similar in taste to Indian

It just about a 8 minute walk from the Hilton. Go Northwest on Edgeware (under the flyover) and Mandalay will be on the right hand side, directly across from where Cuthbert Street T-bones Edgeware.

Here is a Google map:

View Larger Map

The service was excellent. They were very friendly and accomodating for the large crowd we brought (a gaggle of 7).

So, stop by and give Mandalay a try. You won't be disappointed.

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Comfortable Seating for a nice crowd


They joined a couple of tables together to seat the 7 of us.


I forget his name, but our waiter was the classic good natured Burmese, complete with the great accent.


I forget what these are called, but they are a Burmese specialty. They are batter-fried veggies.


Sorry, I took this pic after I dug into the plate a bit. But it was absolutely awesome!




I told 'em, you can take my picture, just don't chop off the top of my head.


Me and the jovial waiter.


With full bellies, its now off the the Green Man for Karaoke!

LHR: The Church

The Church is a must-do event at least once for every hearty traveller. So named because it used to actually be held in an abandoned church, it is a Rugby style Aussie beer fest that is wild beyond your imagination.

CORRECTION!! The Church has moved to Clapham Junction! You get there via an "Overland" Train (non-Tube commuter rail) from either Waterloo or Victoria Station. The quickest route from the Melia White House Hotel is the Victoria tube from Warren Street Station to Victoria Station. Then Overland trains to Clapham Junction. At the Clapham Junction Station, follow the signs for the "Way Out" and Town Center/St. John's Hill St. The Grand is just across the street and up the hill about 50 yards. You can't miss it, especially with all the crazies milling about. The London Overland trains in these zones accept the Oyster card, so it really makes it easy if you have it. Refer to this Oyster map. See my Oyster Card post.

The Church convenes every Sunday. Doors open at 12 noon and everyone's kicked out by 3:30. You'll pay £7 to get in the door, and £9 for each trio beer bag you buy inside. Well, you actually buy beer tickets and then go to the bar and ask your your favorite trio of beers. Most people tie the beer bag around their belt loop and it acts as a mini cooler on your ass.

An Oyster card is totally cool to have. It doesn't cost you any extra, and if you find yourself in London a lot, it's invaluable.

You can get in free if you are wearing a costume of some sort. All I had was Cluck, and that did not classify as a costume (although I tried...)

Be prepared for some sort of a International Beer drinking competition. If you go with a group of friends, try to make get enough Yanks to make a go of it. In the two times that I've been there, we have not been well represented, if at all. Good luck.

The Emcee will rib the Yanks, but that won't stop the place from rockin' to Bon Jovi at the breaks. Besides, hes an equal opportunity ribber...

For the die-hards, there is indeed an after party party. Ask a regular where it is because I'm not certain that I have the name right. I think its called the Backpacker pub near the Shepherds Bush tube stop. This is near where the original location for The Church was.

Correction (10/31/2010) The main after hours party is at the Aussie Bar called "Walkabout" near the Shepherd's Bush station. Follow the gaggle...

Go and have a great time!

Here are just a few of the photos from my short 3 hour Church excursion this past Sunday...


Kentish Town Road looking south. (away from the Forum)



Mecca.



Aussies I met on the tube. Amazingly, I guessed right that they were going to the Church.

The bar is well organized chaos...

When you're done, just toss 'em...

Cluck gets a lot of action, as you'll see in the next few shots. I swear, none of the shots were orchestrated. Cluck just seems to bring out the animal in everybody!

The Aussie chicks that made a go for it at the beer drinking competition.

Some Louisiana boys (and girl). Notice the stage is full of girls. The Church allows 'em to get on stage for the closing dance songs. Quite a show...

The sea of inebriated humanity spills out onto the streets at 3:30. Please be polite and not piss on the sidewalk or toss yor cans. Besides, there are Church bouncers every 25' to be sure you don't...