RAMBLINGS AND RUMBLINGS: UNITED KINGDOM

Dubai airport

OK, the next trip is here. This time its not to do with volunteer work but a trip to the UK. I flew out of Sydney on 24th December. The first stop was in Dubai. This was only a quick stop before boarding another plane to Manchester in England. The airline was Emirates. The flight was very good. The plane was crowded, but the service and the conditions were excellent. I must say the takeoff and the landing were better than any I have experienced before. I wasn't even sure we were in the air. The second plane was less than half full. This meant being able to stretch out across four seats. After leaving Dubai I was able to look out the window and see snow on the ground and the mountains in what was Persia and modern Turkey.

Dubai airport was huge, but I only spent an hour there. Manchester airport, I probably only saw part of it as you quickly went out onto the street, didn't seem very big. There were not many people about as its Christmas Day. There were just a row of "London cabs" and because its a holiday no other public transport was working! The airport is out of town.

It is cold, but not raining, nor any snow. People are rugged up in coats. It is very cosmopolitan. People are not very friendly....but I will change that! Fashion. The predominant colour is black, followed by drab. Everyone is in dark shades, dark coats, very few splashes of colour. Women wear heavy make-up, especially around the eyes, but their faces are coated. There are lots of hair styles which come directly out of the Carry On movies, piled high on top. The men all have short close-cut hair. The women love fur and especially fake cheetah prints, and leather pants are very popular. High shoes are also in, either high heels or the clunky high shoes. A lot of women also wear boots. The friendliest person and clearest english voice was where I had breakfast the first morning....she was from Lithuania. There are quiet a few beggars on the street.