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An Unexpected Journey: Dubai and Kuwait on SQ J/Y and EK Y

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  • #31
    But if you thought the J config was dense, spare a thought for the hoi polloi languishing in Y (Including yours truly).

    This plane was configured 3-4-3 in Y. I generally love flying Triple Sevens. They are engineering marvels. But somehow when you stick that tenth seat into a row in Y, the plane morphs into something approaching an instrument of torture...



    This was a full flight, and I had a middle seat. Thank goodness this was just a one hour 20 minute hop. If the flight were any longer, I would have started displaying symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder...

    If you ever find yourself booked on this equipment, do all you can to get an emex row, or at least an aisle seat. You will find it much more bearable.



    At least legroom was decent...



    Sculpted seat cushions, and a pillow on each seat...



    Unobstructed legroom...



    I was stuck between two average sized gentlemen. Even then, I could not help rubbing shoulders and elbows with my seatmates. We're all in this together, I guess.
    Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:08 PM.

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    • #32
      Hard product aside, Emirates service and soft product were pretty good.

      Hot towels were handed out...



      On this short sector, a full breakfast was served, consisting of cold cuts, cheese, bread and fruit



      The food tasted quite good (although it may not be to Asian/Chinese taste).



      I did find that the narrowness of the seats meant that I had to keep my elbows in while eating, which made eating off the tray slightly uncomfortable, to the point of detracting from my enjoyment of my meal.

      IFE was full AVOD, with a wide selection of programmes, accessible via controller or touchscreen. That said, the screen format was 4:3 and not widescreen. Picture quality was ok, but not a match for Emirates newer IFE on their A380's.





      There was wireless internet on this flight as well, which I did not use this time round.

      Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:09 PM.

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      • #33
        Not a moment too soon, we prepared for descent into Kuwait.



        Kuwait is not a large country. It is 205km by 176 km, with total land area 17280 square kilometers, which is 24 times the size of Singapore, with a population of 3.5 million. It is a fairly flat country by the sea, mostly desert, although some parts of the coastline are very green through extensive (and expensive) irrigation.



        We touched down in Kuwait on schedule.



        A Kuwaiti Airways A300, a rare sight these days...



        There was attractive aviation-themed artwork lining the passageway from the departure gates.





        There is a visa-on-arrival collection booth on the upper level of the departure gate area. This is only for on-arrival visa applications. If you have applied for a visa via the hotel or business, you should proceed downstairs to the immigration area to collect your visa there.

        For some reason, all the airport road signage is in a bright shade of pink…

        Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:09 PM.

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        • #34
          The city itself is fairly flat, comprising beige and sand coloured low-rise houses and buildings.

          There are many striking and new looking skyscrapers in the city center...



          ...as well as the Kuwait telecommunications tower, now known as the Liberation Tower.

          The tower is visible in the background in both pictures below...



          Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:09 PM.

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          • #35
            Other parts of the city...











            Whatever patches of green I saw were entirely due to extensive irrigation.



            Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:10 PM.

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            • #36
              It was a 30 minute drive to the Sheraton Kuwait. This was a low-rise Sheraton, apparently the first Sheraton to open outside the United States, way back in 1966, and now a Luxury Collection property.



              This was old style luxury: a lot of marble, chandeliers and opulence. An impressive hotel, but to be very frank, not really to my taste – there was a modern high-rise Four Points Sheraton adjoining the hotel, for those who prefer a more modern style of hotel.





              Arabic coffee was served in the main lobby.

              Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:10 PM.

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              • #37
                There was also a lot of history at the Sheraton. The hotel was occupied during the Iraqi invasion in 1990, and heavily damaged in the process.

                None of the damage was apparent any longer, but some photos in the lobby showed exactly the damage the hotel suffered during invasion.



                Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:10 PM.

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                • #38
                  The rooms were large, and luxurious in an old-world manner.









                  The rooms were well equipped, with DVD (and VHS…), mini hifi and printer/fax machine. A trouser press was also present.



                  Bathroom amenities were of superior quality, provided by Bulgari.



                  Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:11 PM.

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                  • #39
                    Although the old world luxury did not do much for me, what I did appreciate was the variety and quality of fine dining restaurants in the hotel. This was the kind of hotel where I would not mind spending my entire stay dining within the hotel itself, trying the various restaurants and dishes on offer.

                    There were very fine Indian, Lebanese, Iranian and Italian restaurants in the Sheraton – all in addition to the main restaurant in the lobby serving local and international fare.

                    For my first meal in Kuwait, I tried the Lebanese restaurant, Le Tarbouche.



                    A Middle Eastern lunch as a solo diner can be a frustrating experience, as many of the small plates and mains are meant for sharing, and as a single diner there is only so much one person can order from the large, mouthwatering menu. But I did try my best

                    Every diner gets a complimentary plate of vegetables, olives and pickles to start.



                    And a basket of bread...



                    There was also freshly made soft, thin bread, in addition to the usual Middle Eastern flatbreads and pita bread.



                    Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:11 PM.

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                    • #40
                      I started with Moutabel, an eggplant dip, eaten with bread...



                      Followed by lentil soup...



                      My main course was a wonderful Lebanese mixed grill, which included quail, Arabian lamb, chicken and beef shish kebab. Tender and delicious, and served piping hot after being freshly grilled.

                      Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:11 PM.

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                      • #41
                        Lebanese desserts were offered on a trolley for guests to pick and choose. It was time to forget about calories and indulge…



                        And a complimentary platter of fresh fruit...



                        A spectacular lunch, which was only the "tip of the iceberg" as far as the menu was concerned...
                        Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:12 PM.

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                        • #42
                          After a massive lunch like that, I simply had to work off a few calories.

                          The Sheraton is less than a kilometer from the waterfront, where there is a walking path.



                          I hesitate to say that it was a jogging/running track, because it was so hot that day that I did not see anyone else running – some folks in fitness gear were walking briskly, but the heat was stifling. You did not see the usual running crowd you find in many other countries.

                          This ice cream seller must have done roaring business during the day...



                          Some of the locals were on the beach. Many of the women were sitting on the beach fully clothed and covered head to toe in black garb, with only a rectangular slit for the eyes. Not an ideal way to get a tan, but they seemed to be having a good time on the beach.



                          Some views of the Kuwait coastline as the sun set during my evening run...









                          By the time I ended my run, it was dark. At a nearby basketball court, some of the large foreign worker community, many of them Filipinos and Chinese, were unwinding after work at a very lively game of basketball.

                          Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:12 PM.

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                          • #43
                            After my run, it was time for dinner...(Hopefully the running and the eating cancel each other out...)

                            I orderd an Iranian mixed grill from the Iranian restaurant Shahrayer, from the room service menu. The trolley which arrived in my room was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate...



                            An Iranian dip made from chilled chopped spinach...



                            A wonderful Iranian mixed grill and curries, with combination rice, a riot of colour and different-flavoured rice. Sublime...

                            Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:12 PM.

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                            • #44
                              For my meetings in Kuwait, I hired a car from the hotel travel desk. The driver was a Somali who had been living in Kuwait for close to 30 years.



                              A jovial, engaging person, who spoke good English as well as Arabic, he came to Kuwait as a young man, and was now married with 8 children, all living in Kuwait. He lived through the Iraqi invasion, and when he talked about it, his good cheer deserted him momentarily, and you could still feel his ill-will towards the old Iraqi regime when he talked about the experience.

                              "They came, they stole everything, they took everything from the city....I could not go out of my home for two months..."



                              But he thought things were good now, and that Kuwait was prospering. He told me that there was a museum, the Kuwait House of National Works: Memorial Museum, that contained exhibits about the Iraqi invasion, and recommended it for a visit if I had time. Perhaps the next time round.

                              To be continued...
                              Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:13 PM.

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                              • #45
                                One point I neglected to mention so far...Kuwait is a completely dry country. No alcohol is permitted, even for foreigners...

                                I didn't have the heart to try the non-alcoholic Budweiser beer that the Sheraton had on offer. After a couple days of smoothies, mocktails, juices and Arabic coffee, it was time to head home.



                                Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 05:13 PM.

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