After a terrible night’s sleep we packed, checked out and headed for the airport. Turkish airports look like a military installation there are so many uniformed guards with guns. And they watch you like a hawk. After checking in we wandered around for a while, collecting a few more tacky souvenirs. Against my best hope, of course there weren’t any shoes here either. Then we headed for the screening point which is where our day became unstuck

I am usually really good about security stuff. My in-flight toiletry selection lives in a clear plastic zip lock bag, which, along with my laptop is always ready in my hands well before I get to the security point. Tweezers and the like are safely stowed in my hold luggage and the sharpest thing in my bag is a felt tip pen for those pesky incoming passenger cards. TC is equally as vigilant. Unfortunately in our tired state we hadn’t really thought too much about it. Concerned that our bottle of pomegranate syrup (kind of like balsamic vinegar) would break and leak all over everything in our hold luggage, we had put it in TC’s backpack. A logical thought process if you’ve ever watched the baggage handlers out the window of the plane). Unfortunately as it’s classified as a liquid, the screening point guard had a different view.

She confiscated it and it was more like an annoyance than an actual problem. Except for the fact that TC had failed to put something else in his checked luggage. His newly acquired peach knife. Apparently you can’t eat fruit without a good peach knife. All well and good but not where the screening point guard was concerned. She pulled him aside and took his details. Lucky we weren’t planning on coming back to Turkey for a while. I got the impression that it might be part of the conversation next time TC’s passport was scanned at the border. With a bit of luck only in Turkey and not on some world super computer that keeps track of transgressions worldwide. Despite my fears – that was it – they took his details, confiscated the pomegranate syrup and the peach knife and we boarded the plane.

We bade farewell to Turkey, flew back over Iraq to Abu Dhabi and despite the fact we still had a couple of days in Dubai to go, it started to feel like we were on the journey home. Recognising that the glitz and glamour of Dubai is still a draw card for tourists, Etihad provide a free bus to take you from their hub at Abu Dhabi to central Dubai. We took full advantage of the opportunity. As we drove along the dark highway connecting the two Emirates, we could see construction work lit up like a Christmas tree by the roadside. As we got closer to Dubai, the lights got brighter and we could see the new train system that will run beside the highway through Dubai. Like Abu Dhabi, the desert heat is still a feature of the Dubai climate so we took a taxi to our hotel, The Palace, the Old Town. (Heaven is a half pipe – OPM – a silly yet extraordinarily catchy tune)

Like most of Dubai, there was absolutely nothing old about it. It was practically brand new. It was in an area of Dubai that included the Burj Khalifa – the incredibly tall building that looks like a series of cylinders, and the largest of Dubai’s malls – the Dubai Mall. I had booked the hotel for a bit of luxury after our Turkey tour so I was expecting it to be a bit upmarket but I wasn’t quite prepared for the extent of the luxury.

The foyer was a grand marble space, fitted out with exquisite wood detailing and the service was extremely attentive but not intrusive. As we made our way to the check in desk in the smelly travel gear we had been recycling for the past couple of days and our dirty backpacks filled to the brim with clothes needing a good wash, I felt more like a Hollywood celebrity that had just been on safari than a dirty backpacker. After a painless check in we made our way to our room. It was like a palace, two (at least queen sized) beds with beautiful cotton linen and fluffy comfortable comforters. The room was huge and the panel of windows along the side included a large sliding door that opened onto a terrace with a view of the fountain (a copy of the infamous Las Vegas casino fountain) and the Burj Khalifa. All set in beautifully manicured lawns. Back inside, there was a palatial bathroom with a fabulous shower and more marble. And it was the little things. The desk had a trap door that lifted up to reveal a lit makeup mirror. All of this for just over $700 for two nights!

First step was to get some laundry done in order to get us home. The prices, while not as cheap as Turkey, were still cheaper than Australia. Not cheap enough for us to return home with a backpack full of clean clothes so we were a bit selective. Washing sorted and left for housekeeping, we called our friend Suzanne, who was spending her last evening in Dubai on the way home from Italy. We arranged for Suzanne and her travelling companion, Rhianne, to meet us at our hotel for dinner.

After showing off our luxurious room, we headed to the hotel pool, where the daytime cabanas served as faux Bedouin tents with an extensive mezze menu. Despite being outside, rather than in an air-conditioned restaurant, it was the perfect way to spend a relaxed evening in Dubai to enjoy the start of the last days of our fabulous holiday. Fabulous food, a wonderful atmosphere and great company. And when we finally went to sleep it was a luxurious experience in air-conditioned comfort and an incredibly comfortable bed. (Heaven is a Place on Earth – Belinda Carlisle – sure it’s a sugary pop tune but better than most and reminds me of nightclub adventures in my spotty youth.)