Dubai

A stopover in Dubai to break up the journey home from Indonesia. I was expecting heat, but not this hot.... hard to bear, especially since when you come from Bali you come down with a fever. The doctor at our super hotel, Medinat Jumeirah, tells me.... you have a fever of 39, don't move from your bed. Come on, how could I, it's not like I pass through here every day, and then we treated ourselves to the luxury of a night at the Jumeirah, taking advantage of low-season rates, only to shut ourselves in the room? It really was tough, 45° on the beach was a lot, but the Burj al Arab, a stone's throw away, deserved at least a visit. Stunning, hypnotic with its ultra-luxurious interiors. Sadly little else, apart from the Emirates overbooking surprise and an extra night in Dubai, this time in an anonymous airport-area hotel.

What to say about Dubai: dizzying skyscrapers, luxury, ostentation, extreme engineering and growing tourism. Worth visiting? hmm, it has its charm, but certainly not in August... for anyone who wants to be pampered far from home it can be a good alternative. There's no shortage of entertainment, distractions and sports. Maybe it's the right place for a “white week” during our cold winter....