Goodbye, Dubai - Hello, Durban

A very crowded shuttle bus brought us from the Copthorne Hotel back to Dubai International Airport. There wasn't much to see en route, squashed midst other passengers. We cleared through Immigration and Security quickly and had a couple of hours to wait for our flight. A little internet, a cup of coffee and a walkabout and the on-time flight was ready to board.

As we departed Dubai, I couldn't help notice the brown cloud that hung over the city. It's not just LA  that sports a brown haze.

The flight was eight more hours of movies, iPad games, meals and naps and finally we were back in Durban. We could see the sweeping curve of the Durban shoreline as we made our approach at King Shaka Airport.

About 40 hours after leaving LAX, we stepped off the plane in Durban. It was warm and windy. The shuttle ride back to the marina was an interminable 2-1/2 hour circuitous ordeal in an overcrowded van filled with lots of grumpy, tired passengers. This seems to be a recurrent theme lately.

Finally back at the Durban Marina, we toted our luggage down the long dock and there was Nine of Cups waiting patiently for us, apparently no worse for the wear. In the dark, we didn't notice the Durban grime nor the bird poop on the decks. She looked great. We climbed below, got all the luggage emptied and stowed, cobbled together a dinner of sorts and signed in relief. Home at last!