We’ve slipped into the luxury lifestyle of the Emirates a bit over the last couple of days. With no diving to distract us, we’ve been centred on the facilities in the hotel. There are excursions to go on….. but to be honest we’ve done a lot of them, some of them several times. If we were here for the first time, we’d be out there exploring the desert, wadi bashing… seeing the odd fort…..but we’ve been there, done that. Done it more latterly with Lu at the wheel of her desert modified 4×4 – see earlier Dubai blogs….. So it does not particularly appeal as a commercial excursion.

Anyway, no excuses…. we’ve been sloths. Loving this hotel. Enabled by the fact that we are staying here on points, eating free as a perk of the points, and drinking also free. It’s not the same as all-inclusive as enjoyed by our Russian fellow guests and hopefully our swimsuits are not therefore straining to quite the same level as their’s….. Wowzer there are some sights….. But having said that, it doesn’t impact on our enjoyment at all. They are not on the Club Floors, only eating in the buffet….. And being Ramadan, all the outside drinking venues are shielded from the public gaze, no alcohol around the pool… so we don’t see that either.

A typical day has been: wake up. One of us uses the Nespresso machine to make 2 cups of coffee which we enjoy in bed or out on the balcony looking down at the sea. About 830, we get up, wash, dress in beachwear and head down to the breakfast buffet. Our waiter brings our first cups of coffee or tea, then we get our own. It’s very good. I go and get breakfast. My breakfast is invariably: fresh papaya, plain yoghurt, chia seeds, unbelievably delicious seedy granola. Then 2 soft poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, 2 pork sausages and some crispy bacon. Come on…. It’s got to last me some hours!!!! Bob goes full American breakfast with poached eggs and hollandaise, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, sausages, hash browns…. then the most superb croissants and pastries. Positively frugal by the standards of those around us, and we are careful to only take what we are sure we will eat.

Then, down to the pool with takeaway coffees and set up our camp for the day. Lots of swimming. Lots of reading. It’s quite peaceful. No music, no aerobics or anything like that. About midday, Bob goes to the lounge and brings back a carrier bag with free soft drinks, plastic glasses with ice and some cookies for him. I have soda with ice. He has 7Up. More lounging till about 4pm when we have had enough and retreat upstairs to shower off, cream up and put loungewear on. I then go down to the lounge where High Tea is being served and get 2 plates of savouries, sandwiches, quiche etc and bring back to the room where Bob has made tea. We watch Dune 1 to refresh our memories in advance of seeing Dune 2 later this week in Dubai. We drink a glass or 2 of our free sparkling wine. 730 we go up to Astros, the rooftop cocktail lounge and eaterie that services Club guests. We eat a platter or two of free appetizers, drink 2 or 3 free gins with mixer of choice, eat 2 small plates of paid-for dinner. About 930, we go back to our lovely room, watch something on tv and fall asleep…… Everything is just lovely….. I am going to have to go hard on the diet when I get home but think I’ve been reasonably good this winter. All the new size clothes still fit.

We have booked seats at the IMAX in Dubai for Thursday afternoon to see Dune 2. It’s out of IMAX in the UK by the time we get home. Planning quite a few things for our 2 days in Dubai. But until then… we have another full day of slothdom tomorrow….