Day 56

Day fifty six
Thursday - 12th March 2020

Current position
Dubai Airport
N 25°14.8374'
E 55°21.8352'

Well we sort of enjoyed the Residence Hotel but in the end we were pleased to leave as although it's advertised and all the reviews say it is an exceptionally good hotel I'm afraid we didn't think so as we've stayed in far better.
Again I think my review says it all:-
"To be exceptional an hotel has to be exceptional in all ways at all times.
During our two night stay we encountered the following inadequacies which turned what should have been an exceptional experience into just average.
1. During our evening meal we asked for sparkling water and got still.
2. After our evening meal the bill included two bottles of wine when we only had one
3. At breakfast my baked beans were nicely presented in a dainty bowl but were stone cold.
4. At breakfast the seal of one of  small pots of jam was broken and the contents had been partly used.
5. We were not offered dishes for the cereals and we had to resort to taking them from an adjoining table as the waiters had left us unattended.
6. There was no fresh orange juice for breakfast.
7. Tea bags coffee rusk biscuits and sherry and bar of soap were not replenished in our room.
8. We ordered a side dish of potato wedges with our evening meal and they did not arrive until we were halfway through our meal.
9. The check out process was mechanical with no pleasantries feeling or smile. Infact we were glad we were leaving.
My wife and I had spent eight weeks travelling the length and breadth of South Africa and had eaten out every night from lowly cafés to expensive restaurants and the quality of food and service at each and every one was outstanding and all at a reasonable prices. The meals at The Residence are very expensive by comparison offering very small portions of what we can only describe as average quality food.
All in all what was meant to be the pinnacle of our trip turned out to be a damp squib.
(Yes perhaps we should have mentioned some of these things to management during our stay but we came to enjoy not to complain)".
We spent a good part of the morning packing and wrapping up Nelson strapping him with tape and cling film to the side of my case.
At 2.15pm we checked out and as arranged the hotel's driver took us to the airport in his gleaming Mercedes Benz.
We hesitantly went to the check in desk to find that they wouldn't accept my bag and Nelson wrapped together. The girl behind the counter was adamant that it was not allowed. I argued in a pleasant way that it was one package and was within all the rules and regulations which I'd read on the Emirates website. The package was under the weight limit and within the size restriction. Still she was having none of it saying that they needed to be separated and checked in as two items. She also stated that there would be no additional charge. So in our book that was a result. Ros asked if she'd got any tape for the re-parcelling and she went off returning with a full roll of wide sellotape. Fortunately we had left my penknife accessible so that with a few precision cuts Nelson was freed and with the rest of the cling film and the sellotape he was wrapped up as well as could be expected . Fingers crossed he'll be OK.
The girl smiled when I said we'd named him Nelson after Nelson Mandela and asked her to look after him as we've grown quite fond of him.
With that done we made our way through security with all staff  wearing masks and surgical gloves. Oh dear it's the first time we've come face to face with the effects of Coronavirus.
We made it to the lounge where we  relaxed waiting for our flight.
It will be interesting in Dubai as we apparently have to have our temperatures taken. Hopefully we'll be OK but if they're high I presume we won't be able fly. I hope poor old Nelson will be OK.
We were welcomed aboard by the stewardess who said in a bright voice welcome back Mr and Mrs Belcher how lovely to see you both again. How she remembered us I don't know I'm afraid I didn't remember her. Still we took our seats and presume that we shouldn't have been surprised that the plane was only half full. This Coronavirus is having a big effect. The couple across the aisle from us were wearing masks and the chap in front of them had a mask and sugical gloves. Ros and I felt quite naked in comparison. We had to laugh as the couple across the aisle partway through the flight gave up with their masks but the chap in front of them persevered. The man behind us kept coughing so we may all be infected and die before we hit Dubai.