I couldn't enjoy my upgraded hotel too much because we had an early flight. Well when I say early it was 10:00a and we were only 2 miles from the airport. Still this is a foreign country and I wanted to give myself extra time. The day before, we thought it would be wise to find the hotel before the gig so we wouldn't have any problems returning. Finding the hotel was horrible. It took us an hour and a half...traffic is so bad in Dubai. Everything is marked in English...but its not marked very well. So even though we scouted out the hotel ahead of time, on our return we got lost and drove around for an extra hour. So i thought we'd leave early for the airport just in case. It took the receptionist 20 min. to check us out of our hotel. Already im getting a bit antsy. Nowhere on the ticket did it say which terminal we were flying out of...and i forgot to check. I do remember the guy in a very thick hard to understand accent tell me to return the car to A-2. So I thought terminal 2 gate A. We head out of the hotel at 7...and traffic is stopped. Its only two miles...but we are crawling. Im glad we left early. We pass terminal 1 and that little voice inside of me (God's voice) said turn here. I thought no...we are supposed to be out of Terminal 2. You'd think as clear as God had been talking to me, i'd be able to recognize his voice for a little directional help. But no.....We passed Terminal 1, and Terminal 3, Terminal 2 was on the other side of the airport and there was an accident so traffic was extremely slow. Its 8:00 and im getting a tad bit nervous because we have to check the equipment in and that takes awhile. So we finally get to Terminal 2....and Bahrain Air is nowhere to be found...Terminal 1 we find out is where we need to be. That was on the other side of the airport and we had passed it already. So we hop back in the car and boom...another accident. 30 minutes later, we get to Terminal 1. There are absolutely no signs of rental car return anywhere. But Manoj said, he saw a rental car sign in Terminal 3. Since we are at Terminal 1, Manoj and Saji wanted to get out and check the equipment in. Being separated in a different country with a cell phone that was spotty...I still have an American plan and what is the country code for UAE anyway? Plus Manoj and Saji's phone were out of minutes. That didn't sound like a good idea. So there we are at Terminal 1, in front of our airline with a rental car that had to be returned. 8:50...clock ticking. We ask a security guard...he tells us Terminal 3, rental car return...you go...go...he says. So we go to Terminal 3...its on the other side of the airport but not as far as Terminal 2. Finally we do see the sign, a small one at that....Rental car....Relieved...because its now 9:00 we see Thrifty and pull in. We get out of the car...and we try to give attendant the keys...but he didn't seem to want to check us in. Im in a rush...so i talk to the manager. He tells me i have to return the car to Terminal 1...Wha.....???? Its now 9:15, im thinking...will Bahrain air let us change our flight?...what will the charge be? Do they fly out more than once a day. I see plenty of Indians sleeping in the airport. See picture below. Manoj tells me sometimes the Indiana/Pakistanis have to wait 24 hours for their flight back to India for their once every 2-3 years one month vacation. Im thinking...i might have to stay overnight...I have no blanket. Its only a 55 minute flight but it seems like Bahrain to Dubai is a half a world away. My blood is starting to get a little hot about now. Keep in mind, I've only lost my temper three maybe four times in my lifetime...with the majority of those happening within the last three years because of the divorce. Still the frustration, fear of a foreign country, being out of control, being in charge, the weight was getting heavy. The Indian manager gruffly said...you return the car to Terminal 1, we have no drivers. I let a little bit of my frustration show...and asked for help...he got gruff right back at me...He wasn't willing to be cooperative at all...even though we only had a half hour to catch our flight. I though Saji..would come to my rescue since he's an Indian too...maybe they could talk countryman to countryman...but Saji is a quiet guy. Hardly ever says anything. So i wanted to blow my top..instead i said a quick prayer under my breath. God help us make this flight. So i started a different tact. Habibi (Good friend) we're in trouble...can you please help?.... I explained the situation about the security guard... and the manager said...come on get in. So we got in the car and hopped in. He drove us to Terminal 1. He passed by the Gate where my gut told me earlier to turn...and explained that's where i should have returned the car. I need to listen to that still small voice more often. The manager said the security at the airport always gives out wrong information. He said he knows of many instances where people have missed their flights to Mumbai...and they have to wait an additional 48 hours at the airport. So we get out...its like 9:40. We are able to get through security...we go to the gate to check the bags...we were overweight...so they charge me an additional $150 USD...Wait..it was only $50 coming over and we had the same equipment and the same airline...but apparently different cities charge different rates. Their is little uniformity between the Gulf states. I test my luck and argue the point and I get them to shave an additional $50 off the baggage fee. Still we have 15 minutes...its a long airport. But we fly through security...finally. We get to the gate with five minutes to spare...The plane was late taking off to boot...So we waited 25 minutes. Finally we get on the plane. Manoj..is a smart guy..he just hasn't flown that much. The plane took off. He got really concerned that the plane wasn't moving and that it had stopped. We were 24,000 feet in the air above the Gulf. He had no sense of perspective that we were actually moving because there were no clouds in the sky. Because he didn't see anything moving, He thought we were about to drop.
So we get back to Bahrain and there is a long line for customs. I wait for a half hour in line...and they tell us all that we standing in the wrong line. So we have to move. So we wait another 30-45 minutes...and another line opens up. So im next in line, i prepare to move then a group of about 25 chinese oil workers try to push in front. I don't want this to sound racist...this is just part of their culture. The chinese aren't ones to stand in line...they just push and push and push. Its not malicious...it just is the way it is with them. So i have to push to make sure they don't push their way past me and we'll have to wait behind 25 more guys. Finally i get to the passport gate. Im worried they might not let me back in. Im on a two week visitor Visa where it clearly says...no work can be performed by me while im visiting. My work visa is in process...but it might take me a month to get it. Im here illegally technically at the present time. But i slide pass immigration...with an Al Salaam Alekem and a smile. The guys slide through easily too...home free right? No. The customs see our cameras and they get nervous. Apparently they let everything through ok, but cameras make them nervous. When we checked in, i didn't have an equipment manifest. So they wanted to see receipts that we bought the equipment in Bahrain. Some of the equipment was 20 years old...we didn't have receipts. They wanted to know who we worked for what we were doing, why we were doing it. I answered that question about 10 times both going and coming. I get hustled into an customs department manager's office. Suddenly i remember i had a business card proving where i worked. I flashed him the card...then i thought...what if he checks my passport, and sees visitor visa not allowed to work...and i have a business card showing im working here. Im afraid i might get stuck in the airport like my co-worker Armand the South African, who was stuck for four days...or worse Tom Hanks who was stuck for a month. He looked at the card...Khalifa Shaheen...The movie director? he asked. He's the one. He recognized the name. Khalifa has a reputation locally. I tried to charm the guy playing on his ego. And the name Khalifa Shaheen, my American passport...was enough to squeeze us by. He gave me a stern warning what to do the next time...and i gladly promised that i would.
Whew...30 hours spent on a business trip...that seems like 30 days. What a full day.
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