When I found out that my first layover on the way to Bali was in Dubai I was really excited because I have heard so many good things about it. Then I realized that my flight was landing at 12:40AM. Usually not an auspicious time to find open stores.

Well, I have been thoroughly surprised by the Dubai Airport. Apparently, everything is open all the time. As the women at the duty free store told me, “We never close.” Crazy!

Arriving at the Dubai airport is the equivalent of flying into a high end shopping mall. There are Clinique counters, Armani and Hermes boutiques, and cigar shops.

I contemplated going through customs just to say that I made it out of the airport in the UAE, but that seemed to hard. So here I am. Hanging out at Starbucks waiting for my flight.

After this I fly to Kuala Lampur where I have an hour layover and then on to Denpasar, the capital of Bali. My flight left Istanbul at 19:25 on Saturday and I arrive at 18:30 in Indonesia on Sunday. Wow, a whole day lost flying! I think it will be worth it though.