Tuesday 20th April....Dubai.............panic!!!

Our day began very early as we had heard that flights were on the go...However, no flights to the UK and when I rang bookings they said no flights to Hamburg! So...letsmove on and plan our day. Claire and Jill, the two ladies I met at the camel rides and shared dinner with, were planning to do the Big Bus tour of Dubai so I set about connecting with them and booking a seat....however....a text message came through from Ginger @ ABC News in Cairns asking whether I would do an interview with her...and a phone call verified that we were to be connected at 10.30am Dubai time/4.30pm EST Australia!!!.....WOW......Thommo I knew you were the instigator...great work!....
So, in hindsight, thank heavens I didn't get to book or leave for the bus tour because the next hour turned Hollie and I upside down!!
 Hollie found me down having breakfast and updating my diary with the news that she had been informed her flight to the UK was leaving @ 11am....she had quickly packed and we ordered her a taxi and sent her off to the airport....we were so excited that one of us was on the move!...However, I discovered on the noticeboard in the foyer of the hotel that flights to HAMBURG were departing.........WHAT?????????........I quickly rang bookings to discover there were no lines available and to ring back later.....I ran upstairs, checked my flight online @ Emirates booking site to find out that MY FLIGHT EK059 was listed as LEAVING DUBAI @ 11am....................!!!!! OMG.....It was 10.25am....my phone interview was coming in @ 10.30am.....but I had to go....if I missed this flight I would have to wait until 28th April before I could book another flight and I'm sure Emirates wouldn't have looked after as they have been in the last few days!!!............
A.......C.....T.....I.....O.....N......>>>> textmessage Ginger....can't take call ring me on mobile....reception please help= taxi called......pack bags in 2 minutes flat.....fly down to ground floor....a phone call @ reception for FRAN BRUTY...it's ABC news..."Fran can we call you on your mobile in 2 minuntes for the live interview....mmmmm  "No problem, I will do my best to negotiate taxi man who doesn't speak clear English....and talk sanely to Ginger on Live radio.....and not PANIC.....about the fact that I only had 15minutes before my flight DEPARTED!!!.......I'm not really sure what I actually said to Ginger...."Thanks Ginger for being so understanding...You were so reassuring... ".I hope I didn't sound too panic stricken because my stomach was churning and my legs were shaking....but we finished the interview just as the taxi pulled up at Terminal 3! I found some money and ....RAN....I don't think I have run as fast as I didn loaded up with my cabin bag...Kelly...backpack and suitcase with hopefully, everything from my room, in it. I pushed into the front of LONG LONG queues.....to get from one checpoint to the next. When I got to the bag drop off I was a wreck....but the Emirates people...after their first concern that I only had 7 minutes beofre the plane flew....actually checked in my bag while a lovely lady by the name of Lyn calmed me down and helped me with the practical things like clsing zips and securing passport....Thanks Lyn and every other wonderfully helpful person I accosted as I ran blindly in my quest to get through to departure gate #217...........
No minutes to spare.....
.....and so I stared at my fellow travellers, who all seemed to have their eyes on me.... to hear the announcement that Flight EK 059 was delayed for 20 minutes!!!.....I felt certain that this had occurred because they needed to load my bag!

I reorganised my cabin bag and backpack and took a few deep breaths.....
It is now 12.30pm.....1 1/2 hours after my frantic dash to get here and we all wait in anticipation.....My concern is: Is this flight going to be safe????....but I guess I wouldn't drive a car if I had that thought all the time....The prayer chant has just begun so I am going to leave you and join them...I think that I need all the help I can get!!
I will keep you in the loop!
Cheers...Fran.....yet again stuck in the Dubai International Airport!!! :-))
................Hang on a minute.............I didn't even get time to pray......they have just announced that my flight EK059 to Hamburg has been.......wait for it................................... CANCELLED!!!! 
Straight on the phone to Premier Hotel.....my room 316 is still booked in under my name......atleast I will have a bed but I have just realised that now I don't have any luggage AGAIN!!!!
...............until I know what's happening in my life.....cheers! :-))
You Gotta Laugh.!!! 

Update:

We were moved out from the waiting area to another small area where we were detained as our flight was now going to Vienna!!! Oh No....not all of us wanted to take this option but we didn't know if we had any choice in this....People were crying and spent....the emotions were so overwhelming...my heart went out to them but there was nothing I could do to help apart from giving them a hug and wishing them a quick journey home! I knew that I had a bed being paid for by Emirates and chose to stay in Dubai....not fly to Vienna where I could easily be in a similar situation with no support and having to find my own way to Hamburg. I knew I could manage this but chose the security of waiting it out here. I was reassured that having given up my flight to Vienna, I would still have a seat on the next EK059 flight to Hamburg....we will see?!

I am a happy camper...I finally got my luggage back after trying firstly, to get out of the Arrivals/Departures floor...through customs....etc, etc, and secondly, enduring 2 hours yet again... of waiting in queues.... On my travels back to the hotel I met many other travellers with a similar story..a single Mum with 3 little children had been at the airport everyday waiting in line to get on a flight only to have them cancelled. She had given up and is going to wait it out hoping Emirates will come good with their promise of a flight for her family..I have nothing to compain about when I see people struggling ....those who have no money left...elderly people who can't travel the long distances by Eurail if they take a diverted flight....families who haven't got accomodation....people losing jobs because of the domino effect.....etc, etc....

Hollie, Shafik and myself took the free shuttle bus to The Mall of The Emirates to be treated with a beautiful sunset over Dubai then on to delight in some window shopping...gloating in Tiffany's...I thought of you Jo and selected the next piece of beautiful jewellery Parky will buy you! ...a Starbucks coffee - Hollie was in her element....I thought of you, Aidan as we watched the skiers having fun in the Winter Ski Park and realised that I so need to go skiing this season....then we dined - Shafik's shout .."thanks heaps mate!"....at a Lebanese restaurant...

On returning to the hotel, Hollie and I decided that we would enjoy a well earned drink. There was very large social group of travellers outside. People were unwinding, sharing stories, socialising, playing pool or watching the TV....we slipped right in, sharing our own stories alongside the high spirited crowd!