This is How My Solo Trip Began
So this is how the nightmare began. I shouldn’t say that, though. Many people must have had it much worse.
I was in Dubai at my friend Haninder’s house, working on my newsletter, when I read a message from him. He had gone out.
“Heard the interceptions? Loud blasts?”
What blasts?
“Not really? You did?” As if that wasn’t obvious.
I checked the news.
Dubai airspace shut down. Flights canceled. Iranian missiles and drones hitting UAE. UAE intercepting the Iranian air attacks. Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan bombed as well.
NO. NO NO.
“This shouldn’t be on the news.” I texted him, thinking of my parents back home in India. They were living at my sibling’s house, so that was a good thing. They were not alone at their home. Someone else, other than me, could give them real information, cutting the WhatsApp noise. The Indian news channels that pick up the most blaring red sensational photographs from the internet and post them with fake headlines were already shouting at full volume.
I wrapped up my newsletter about the beginning of my solo adventure in Abu Dhabi and waited for my friends. Haninder had been telling me about the Israel and US attacks on Iran, and I had been listening to him, my attention flickering. The war seemed so far from me that I was more interested in thinking about the place to visit in Dubai next.
But, as I have said before, those who are far away start to smell the war in the air too. The US-Israel bombing of Iran has poisoned our air faster than one could imagine.
Iran decided to send missiles and drones all over the Middle East. The idea was that they were targeting the US army and navy bases, but we can’t be sure now as the Middle East airspace beyond the US bases has been infiltrated too. Iran has apologized for bombarding their neighbors, but more drones and missiles are being intercepted as I write this article. The attack on the UAE started last Saturday, which was on February’28. I called home to wish my parents a happy wedding anniversary but also to tell them that their youngest daughter was safe in Dubai. The news had made them anxious. After listening to me, they relaxed a bit. My mother asked a lot of questions about where I was, how it was around me, and whether I would continue to Turkey after Dubai, as planned.
“Your sister says third World War is about to begin. Don’t go to Turkey. Come back to India,” She said.
“Third World War is not beginning. This was a long pending conflict between Iran and the US. Don’t worry. All is fine. These interceptions are happening far away from us. Nothing here,” I replied, my neck craned upwards, my eyes focused on the missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky above us. I hoped she didn’t hear the loud bangs from the blasts.
That weekend was horrible for people in the Middle East. In Dubai, we heard fighter Jets in the air, then saw the blasts, massive clouds of gray smoke, and heard the loud interceptions. Some windows broke in central Dubai. When I stepped out of Haninder’s house into the garden, both of our heads turned upwards, eyes locked onto the big smoky clouds, he immediately asked me to stay under the eaves. There was news of debris falling on buildings and people. One Pakistani driver died in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai (recently).
I scrolled through CNN, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, BBC, and other credible news channels. Iran was at war with the US and Israel. They were bombing each other. Iran’s supreme leader was not declared dead yet, but he would be soon. U.S. Army and Navy bases in the UAE, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, were under attack from Iran as well.
The thought that the US army base was 200 kilometers into the desert from us was calming. Then why was there an explosion near the beach? I read that Jebel Ali port in Dubai is a US Navy settlement, and so it had been attacked by a drone. All Saturday, the sky was on fire. Locals and tourists panicked alike. All flights coming to or leaving the UAE were canceled. And given the immense number of flights that go through the Middle East airspace, we can safely consider that the world had come to a halt.
Travelers were stuck around the world. Dubai airport must have been overspilling humans.
Locals living in skyscrapers panicked. When you are at the 40th or 50th floor up in the sky, the chances are that you are looking up, watching the blasts, hearing them louder, and wondering that something will definitely come to you. You are closer to the action. Of course, you don’t want to be.
A friend of Haninder’s called to say that he was coming over with his family. I moved out of the room that had been given to me generously. The family arrived in panic. Their faces were colorless, and on Haninder’s suggestion of food and drinks, the older generation gasped. Haninder’s friend, his wife, their son, and their parents would soon sigh with relief. Being closer to the ground felt good.
Everyone was worried that the tall glass buildings would be the attacker’s target, and even if not, they would shatter with the tiniest debris. The glasses would break in a second. The window glass of some of the tall buildings had cracked.
Even in the evening, the collisions continued. We started getting used to the sound of the jets searching for the enemy’s invasions.
I can’t believe I am writing this article. Before leaving India for my long solo trip, my partner, Sagar, and I were researching travel insurances. We were looking at the coverages and the sum insured with each disruption. One major thing to note was that multi-day hikes weren’t covered. That was a problem. Adventure sports, such as bungee jumping, diving, etc., weren’t covered either.
Another thing. War wasn’t covered by the insurance. The policy mentioned that injuries or illnesses related to war would not be covered. Most policies offered by Indian providers had written this clearly.
Sagar and I chuckled. “It’s fine. We don’t have to think of as extreme as war. Let’s get this done quickly.”
We spent two hours finalizing and paying for the insurance, ignoring the war clause for we had to do a lot of tasks. I ended up taking a six-month insurance policy from Reliance General Insurance, and so far, I am not happy with them. Their call center is untrained, they send emails without any context, and I still get calls from their sales team because I had searched for insurance on their website two weeks ago.
War. Am I in a war zone? Ahh!
I would say not really, but I am sort of in a war zone. I mean US, Iran, and Israel are at direct war with each other. Because the US army has a presence in the Middle East, this continent has come under the war indirectly. We don’t have to worry about the day-to-day things that Iranian citizens or Ukrainians must be thinking about. Evacuations, bombing, army moving in. Though the Dubai Business Bay, a Central area, and the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, were evacuated for safety measures, everything else is running normally. Supermarkets had also run out of toilet paper and groceries during the weekend. When the government declared they had enough stocks and asked the citizens not to panic, people calmed down.
I was wondering if my flight would be canceled. Would I travel to the airport and get stuck? The airport authorities and government had advised to travel to the airport only if they had a confirmation from the airlines that their flight was running as per schedule. My worries were resolved soon. While I was at the Marina beach, I opened my inbox to find an email from my airlines Ajet (part of Turkish Airways). My flight was canceled. Okay. So I had clarity. This was March 2.
While roaming on the beach, I made a plan. I would contact my insurance, Goibibo (the travel agent through whom I had booked the ticket), Ajet (if need be), and so on. That evening, I arrived home at eleven pm and fell asleep. While on the bus, I had sent an email to Reliance, written to Goibibo, and probably to Ajet as well.
The morning started slowly. No one had replied to my emails. After a few follow-ups, Ajet asked me to speak with my travel agent. Goibibo was clueless and unhelpful. The insurance asked me to start my claim and told me I would get a fifty USD refund for food and accommodation for the delayed days. As per the policy, I would get a maximum of six days of coverage.
Things weren’t moving. Meanwhile, I checked for flights from Dubai to Istanbul. There were no flights for the next few days, and the flights that were shown were sold out or were triple the regular prices.
My friend and Haninder’s wife, Aina, offered me her phone. “Call them. I have unlimited international call credits. Call whomsoever you have to.”
I called Goibibo multiple times. Their inflexible customer care agents told me they couldn’t do anything for me, except for a refund. They weren’t able to rebook me into another Ajet flight. They didn’t have the option.
“What the hell does that mean?” I spoke loudly.
I was on call with three Goibibo customer care support people that day, and after the two calls, who repeated the same thing, “We don’t have the option, madam,” I wanted to pull my hair. Meanwhile, Ajet told me to contact my travel booking agent. Somehow, I found the Turkey call number for Ajet (they didn’t have a toll-free number or other Dubai numbers working) and dialed. Over the call, I was given the same excuse.
“Please ask your agent. We can’t do anything.”
“They can’t do anything either. You know I was booking through Ajet but somehow my transaction had failed. I would have booked through you directly. Please help me. They are not seeing an option to book me a replacement flight.” I pleaded.
“They can call us. Or there is an email support team for the travel agents,” The Ajet staff replied calmly.
The travel agents or third-party ticketing systems could only speak with the airlines through email and had to wait for their responses. I was stuck. Later, a Goibibo call center employee helped me out by calling the Ajet airlines, and she was given the same answer. “Please correspond through our email system.”
The Goibibo support staff promised me she would call me within twenty-four hours to confirm my flight. I never received a call back. By the third customer care call, Ajet emails, and the sun setting outside, I knew better. I tweeted about my flight cancellation and that I hadn’t received any support. No alternate bookings, calls, or accommodation promises. My tweet caught Ajet’s attention, and they responded. I received a call back. Thankfully, I had recharged my phone for international roaming an hour ago, and so I could receive their call (they called me on my phone, not on my friend’s).
Ajet, who had earlier denied me any help, booked me on another flight to Istanbul. The earliest available was on March 9, though.
Ouch!
Airspace was still not fully open. Flights had been canceled. Routes were blocked. Obviously, nothing could run as routine in a war zone. I accepted the 9th flight, made a hotel booking in Old Dubai for the next three days, and went out to dinner with friends.
We had a big Thai meal. I was happy. Finally, the blasts had calmed down. People were safe and had started to relax. I would be out in a few days, and I was excited to explore Old Dubai. My hotel was near the Dubai creek, amidst the old souks, or markets.
What more could I ask for?
Well, I didn’t know any better. On March 6, two days in the old city, my flight for March 9 was cancelled. I received an email while I was on the Kite beach in Dubai. Waking up from a nap, my skin tanned and warm, sand in my hair and feet, my stomach grumbling for food, the email disappointed me immensely.
I would have to take care of it again. I went into the water again, packed my things, took some pictures, and walked to the toilet. I showered under the open sky in the common women’s toilets, thinking of the hassle I had to gear up for.
Instead of eating at the beach, I walked to a local restaurant on the main road ten minutes away. As I waited for my grilled fish and rice, I tweeted to Ajet. After dinner and while waiting at the bus stop, I received a call. The support staff asked me if I wanted a refund or another booking. I asked about my flight options and what I would do if the new flight was also canceled.
“Is there nothing before March 12? Even my 14-day entry visa would expire by then. Are no flights running?”
He replied, “12th is the earliest. Everything else is full. While we have been talking, the number of seats on this flight has already reduced from 21 to 17. Four seats are gone.”
I couldn’t take any time to weigh my options. Was Ajet being deprioritized because it is a budget airline? Whenever I mentioned Ajet to anyone, they asked, “Ajet?” No one had heard of Ajet. Were Emirates and Fly Dubai flights given priority? I couldn’t take hours to decide. I would miss the March 12 flight, too, and who knew what was going on with the other airlines.
Later, I checked to find that all other flights were either full, sold out, canceled, expensive, or going via troublesome airports such as Doha, Riyadh, and so on. I didn’t want to include another problematic airport into my journey, and the direct flight to Istanbul from Dubai via Ajet sounded good.
I was booked for March 12.
After that unfortunate weekend of February 28, we have seen only one blast and heard a couple of them. Now, when a loud bang is heard, we are unsure if it is a blast or a construction sound.
Citizens and tourists are receiving emergency SOS’s on their mobile phones.
The emergency warning beeps loudly. “Due to current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek shelter in the closest building, stay away from windows, doors and open spaces. Wait for further instructions from MOI.”
On March 6, I got an SOS while I was having dinner. I was at an Arabic place on the shore of the iconic Dubai creek, the canal that has served as a transport channel and source of water for communities for thousands of years. As the phones started beeping, my heart beat raced. I thought, but I am eating! No one moved an inch. The servers were giggling amongst themselves.
When the waiter came to give me the bill, I asked him, “Did you receive an SOS too?”
“Yes. We are close to the US embassy no. It’s right here? There was a drone earlier there.”
Oh. So I am close to the US embassy? That doesn’t sound good.
“Yeah I had heard of a drone. Must have caused some damage?”
“No. No.” To my surprise, he giggled. “Drone doesn’t do anything.”
I wanted to correct him, but didn’t. I paid the bill and walked around old Dubai.
I was in the lamp-lit Al Fahidi neighborhood, about which I am writing another post. For now, imagine a beige complex of shops and restaurants that takes you back to medieval times. When I called Sagar and told him what the waiter had said and that I had received an SOS, he didn’t laugh. Throughout our conversation, he stayed quiet, as if withdrawn, thinking about something. I realized I had made a mistake by telling him.
“Don’t worry. I am fine. Nothing is happening as of now. Everything is far from us. Though I don’t know how close the US embassy is. The server said it is nearby.”
“Yeah, that’s reassuring. Hopefully it’s a kilometre or two away.”
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“I would like you to be away from the US embassy.”
His concern was valid and endearing.
“Yes, of course. I am getting lost in this neighborhood. But I am walking towards where I had come from.” The aircrafts soaring into the sky in front of me were reassuring. “You know flights are taking off continuously. The Dubai airport is close by.”
“That’s a good sign! I will be happy when you will finally get out of there.”
I was excited for March 12. On March 7, I focused on work, watched the Avatar movie, and finished some other chores. I ignored the news, though I had heard a bang in the morning while I was asleep. I wasn’t sure what to make of the sound. I wanted to ignore the possibility of another interception.
When I came out of the movies and grabbed dinner, I didn’t check the news. Sitting in the food court, while writing about my experiences in the UAE, I received another SOS on my phone. The three girls next to me turned to look at me. They had been laughing and were reacting to the SOS’s booming around the food court.
“Another SOS,” I said to them.
They replied, smiling, “Yeah. This is ongoing.” The girls were from Morocco, and I quickly mentioned that I had been reading about Ibn Battuta. The guy had always intrigued me, and a mall in Dubai named after him made me research him.
“He is from Morocco too, you know? I never knew!” I turned my laptop screen to show them the Wikipedia page of Ibn Battuta.
They laughed, probably at me and not with me.
When I told them about my flight cancellations and reschedules, they said, “There was something today morning too. The airport had closed for a bit.” I tensed. We had received two SOSs since morning, and I had also heard something. I had a hunch that something might be going on.
One of the girls told me she worked for Emirates, in case I needed help. I would need her to book me a ticket that didn’t cost me a fortune, I didn’t say. When the girls wished me luck and left, but only after taking pictures of my book they intended to buy, I finally checked the news.
The official Dubai Media News and other dependable channels had fresh headlines. There was news of debris falling on an airport concourse. I squinted and brought my face close to the laptop screen.
Here are some updates from the official Dubai Media Office Twitter page on March 7:
“For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended. All procedures are being managed in line with established safety protocols.” [At 11:30 AM]
“Authorities confirm that debris resulting from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the façade of a tower in Dubai Marina. The situation has been contained. No injuries were reported.” (at 10 PM)
“Authorities confirm that debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver.” (at 11 pm)
The airport had been shut for a few hours, and flights had been canceled, but operations had resumed.
The SOS’s we were receiving weren’t a hoax. We also received another message after twenty minutes or so after every alert: “The threat has now been avoided. You are free to resume your tasks while being cautious…” Something along the lines.
The news was horrible. I focused on writing.
I reached my room at 11:30 pm, after an hour of commute from the Dubai mall to old Dubai. I opened my email, and there was another email from Ajet! My flight for March 12 was canceled too. Hopelessness filled me. AGAIN? I brushed quickly, finished the night chores, and instead of sleeping, sat on my bed with my laptop on my lap.
I searched for flights from Dubai to elsewhere, but mostly to Turkey. I looked for flights on Skyscanner, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and Ajet. I read about the Oman visa, buses from Dubai to Oman, and flights from Oman to Istanbul or anywhere in Turkey. A lot of people had been telling me that expats and travelers are going to Oman by road and flying out of there.
I browsed flights out of Dubai to anywhere. Most flights were canceled or expensive or sold out. Airlines such as Qatar clearly said they had suspended operations until further notice. I don’t know why Skyscanner was still showing flights from Dubai to Istanbul via Doha through Qatar Airways when the airline itself had said it wasn’t functional. The bus service from Dubai to Oman displayed a message that online bookings weren’t allowed in the interim. We had to call to book.
I didn’t find any flight that suited me even remotely. Unless I wanted to pay more than 50,000 INR for a flight (roughly 500 to 600 USD). I am a budget traveler, writer, and freelancer. I travel long-term and can’t afford this kind of ticket. Also, there was no guarantee that the flight would go. Thank you, but I won’t be booking a flight via Doha as of now. (I am still considering Oman as that’s the least troublesome as per the news.)
And I can’t just go back to India.
I had been planning this trip for a long time, especially after I had stayed indoors writing my book for years. I was traveling within India, but for months, I followed one routine. Get up, write, read, write more, sleep. Repeat. This is my time to be out and about, having fun. I am not going to give up on everything, as people are suggesting that I go back to India and wait.
Wait for what? My partner, Sagar, and I were trying to list the places that would be safe to travel.
“Where can one go where it is perfectly safe?” I asked him.
“Russia, Ukraine, no. Israel Iran Syria Afghanistan Myanmar No. Things keep happening in the US too. Canada has had a wave of immigrant hatred. So where? Anything can happen anywhere anytime.”
And sometimes, one has to go.
Also, I had to check out of the hotel the next day. Given my flight was very early morning the day after tomorrow, I didn’t need a room for the next night. But I would need one now. I made another booking at a hotel. The staff here had been unrelenting. I went to bed at 1:30 am. Of course, I had forgotten everything about the Avatar movie.
In the morning I called my insurance, who clearly told me war wasn’t covered, and the price for a new ticket wouldn’t be reimbursed. Though the support center employee said they were not supposed to say that the claim would be rejected, she told me others’ claims for new flights had been rejected. I had heard enough.
I started packing. I cut two pieces from a French bread loaf and an avocado for breakfast. I tweeted to Ajet and Goibibo. No reply from Goibibo. Ajet called me approximately two hours after my first Tweet. The support person said he would book me into the March 15 flight, the earliest available, and would send me the ticket. I didn’t receive a ticket. Meanwhile, I showered with my phone in the bathroom. Seeing an incoming call, I turned off the shower. Must be something about the flight. Gobibibo was calling to say they couldn’t help. I hung up on them.
I got dressed and ate, spilling breadcrumbs and avocado all over me, and reloaded my email multiple times.
No ticket.
I tweeted multiple times to Ajet to send me the ticket. I was not born yesterday. I knew it would have been very easy for them to tell me the ticket had gone, and now the next availability was on March 20 or so. I couldn’t risk it. So even after the call center person had told me, “You don’t have to worry, Miss,” I worried.
I packed, requested a half-hour extension of my checkout time, and walked to my new hotel. Just five minutes apart from each other, they were worlds apart in their customer support. The old place was rude, unwilling to give me a bill. The new hotel upgraded me from a simple room to a suite, and when I asked for the bill, they said they wouldn’t be able to provide one, as I had paid Agoda. They offered to print the Agoda copy for me, though.
I have a panoramic view of the ancient Dubai Creek from my suite room, and right now, I am on the sofa writing this article. I plan to go out soon. My ticket is booked for the 15th, but I am also trying to make a backup plan, in case the flight gets cancelled again. Airplanes are flying out of Dubai across my window, and I would like to be on one of them.
I am positive things, at least in the UAE, will calm down. I wish everyone the best.
Just in: My March 15 flight has been canceled too. I have to find a way out of Dubai now. Wish me luck 🙂
Update March 14: As Ajet kept canceling on me, I booked myself on AirArabia from Sharjah (UAE) to Istanbul (Turkey). I arrived in Istanbul last night, and I’m excited to explore this city. My host says Turkey is completely peaceful and far from the war. In fact, a lot of people who left UAE have come to Turkey.
The ticket was super expensive, but I didn’t have any other choice. Ajet and Turkish airlines had canceled their flights to and from UAE, and I couldn’t keep waiting on them. In fact, I should have booked an AirArabia flight earlier. Well, you only learn with experience. Definitely, more money can take you out of situations.
I don’t know how all other tourists are dealing with the flight cancellations and hotel accommodations. But this has been my journey. For six days, I am covered by the insurance, and I would bear the rest of the cost myself. I have decided not to deduct these days from my travel time, which is approximately five months or so. This is extra buffer time that I don’t have any control on.
I hope airlines do not surge their prices so much. I hope more flights run and take people where they want to go. That Iran stops targeting the airports of a country. I mean why? That hotels are kind and not arrogant at this time. And that everyone may celebrate Ramadan in peace.
Next time I will buy insurance that covers war, too. You never know!
What would you do in my situation? Do you think the world is at peace?
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Glad you made it out safely , hope.you have a wonderful trip that will give us, the readers , a joyful time
Thank you so much, Eduard. Hope your own India trip is going well. Yes, I have been having a great trip, so far, despite the setbacks, and so many stories would soon be up on the blog. Stay well 🙂
Really hope the ordeal gets over soon & you have a safe journey, Priyanka
Thanks, Varun. I could, finally, get out of UAE. I booked another airlines from Dubai to Istanbul and arrived last night. How have you been? Thanks for checking in 🙂