Recently, on my way back to India from San Francisco, I had to make a stop at Dubai International Airport. My connecting flight to Bangalore, my hometown, was to depart a “mere” 6 hours after my arrival at Terminal 3, so I had time to kill.
It was overwhelming at first, for I was all alone in this huge terminal with no one to talk to. After having just spent 16 hours talking continuously to my friends in an airplane, silence just seemed out of place. However, since wallowing in self-pity would just make time pass by slowly, I decided to make the best of out of this situation.
1. After locating my boarding gate, I found the Haagen Daz shop near the B departure area and got a milkshake.
Haagen Daz has an amazing selection of ice creams which they make into shakes if you prefer it that way. In addition to getting sweet treats, one advantage of going to Haagen Daz is the fact that they give you Dihrams ( the local currency) as change if you pay with dollars. Dihrams do come in handy when you want to make a quick purchase at the airport!
2. Savoring my milkshake, I went window shopping to find anything to buy in addition to chocolates for the family.
Terminal 3 has such a wide variety of shops that one can call it a "Shopper's Paradise". From local delicacies to jewelry, it has got it all. You can spend a good hour and a half browsing through. However, due to the exorbitantly high prices of stuff, way beyond a college student's budget, I ended up not buying anything.
3. I went to find the nearest Emirates Lounge, attempted to get in, but failed.
The Emirates Lounge offers amazing food for free, comfy sofas to lounge in and unlimited wifi to all Skywards Silver, Gold, Platinum members, along with the First and Business Class passengers. Since I was a Skywards Blue member and was traveling by Economy, I knew that I wouldn't be let inside. However since my mom traveled a lot more than me, she was a Gold Member. I tried my luck to see if I could enter the lounge due to her points, but was refused entry. This is because apparently, she had to be traveling with me in order to do so. So much for the free wifi!
4. All the walking made me hungry, so I went to find a suitable place to eat.
There are restaurants catering to different cuisines all over the terminal. I didn't have the energy to scout for a place in the A or C departure areas, so I decided to look for something in the B departure area. Emirates had been generous in giving all Economy passengers who had a 6-hour layover a meal voucher which could be cashed in at many restaurants all around the terminal. So I found Olive & Fig, a nice little Italian cafe, on the list and ended up going there. The cafe was very close to where I was standing, so I didn't have to tire myself any further. Distance aside, I have to say, they serve some of the best wraps that you can taste!
5. I FaceTimed my parents and friends before the free wifi ran out.
Terminal 3 offers free wifi to all passengers only for an hour. It will be more than hour if you have more than one device, obviously. So in that short period of time, I called home, spoke to my parents and grandmother. Later I called my friends who were just about to sleep and begged them to keep me company. Once the wifi ran out on both my phone and laptop, I walked to my boarding gate.
6. I caught up on some reading on my kindle and fell asleep.
When you don't have the internet to keep you company, you tend to go back to man's oldest travel companion, a good novel. In the midst of a hectic quarter, you don't have the time to sit back, relax and enjoy a novel. Since I am new to Eoin Colfer, which is a shame to admit I agree, I began to read Airman. Half way through reading about Conor Broekhart's adventures, sleep got the better of me. I ended up sleeping on the seat.
And before I knew it, six hours had flown by! It was time for me to go home. It was a wonderful feeling for I hadn't been home in over six months! Tucking away my kindle in my bag, I boarded the flight. Goodbye Terminal 3, see you again in 2 and half weeks!
