We are in the Haballa Lounge or something to that effect. Free bevvies and lots of food. Strolled around the duty free area---lots and lots of shopping and the the good stuff--IWC watches, Cartier, Hermes, Toblerone bars big enough to use as wheel chocks. Whatever. Too dang tired to hustle up a cab and get a tour and I leave for Joburg at some bass fishing hour like 4am. At least the flight is all downhill...

Emirates does a bang-up job and the cabin staff is very attentive. Only bizarre moment is when the safety video was running--the life jacket model was wearing a white robe and knited beanie and when he pulled on the inflator straps, I flinched, thinking he was gonna explode.

The other interesting moment was seeing a posse of black-veiled Saudi women tootle up to Starbucks for caramel frappachinos. There are multiple levels of irony there.

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