Day 4 - Mon 01 Sep 25: Dubai

September 01, 2025

Mon 01 Sep 25: Dubai

A bit of a quick one tonight with photos to come tomorrow - it's been a big day.

So we woke this morning, and Noel's foot was starting to create some real angst for us - the swelling hadn't changed much overnight and the discolouration had worsened, but still no pain or discomfort. All indications (according to Dr Google) lead to the possibility of DVT, so we went to breakfast (we didn't have dinner last night because we didn't want Noel to be walking around anymore, and we were both hungry). On return to our room I called the travel Insurance Company and after providing lots of details, we had Noel booked in to see a GP at 0930am, about 800m away in the Dubai Mall at a place called the Medic Clinic. Within another 1.5 hrs, Noel had seen the lovely Iranian GP, had an Ultrasound and blood tests done. It wasn't cheap, but the efficiency was simply outstanding, The initial verdict - not DVT, rather tendonitis to be treated with rest and Voltaren Gel. More importantly, Noel was safe to continue with travel tomorrow. We went to a fantastic little cafe for lunch looking out over the Dubai Fountain area, then I returned to room to head out for a wander, leaving Noel make her way slowly back to the room on her own. As I almost got back to the room, I noticed a message from the GP, asking to bring Noel back because the blood test results revealed a high level of B Dimer which indicates there had indeed been blood clotting, and she needed further scans. We weren't out of the woods yet. So I returned, and eventually found Noel (luckily as she has no phone service or internet while we're in Dubai). We returned for further scans higher up in her leg which were done immediately, and they thankfully also revealed no current clotting. So relieved once again. I returned to the room, leaving Noel to make her way again slowly, while I headed out to wander in the balmy 40 degree afternoon to explore. I ended up at the Museum of the Future for a look around (just one more piece of amazing architecture in Dubai). Unfortunately it was too late in the afternoon to enter the exhibition, so I made my way back to the Metro and continued out to Al Shindagah, a historical neighbourhood in the old part of Dubai on the banks of Dubai Creek, regarded as the birth place of Dubai. Unfortunately, it was getting late, with not enough time available to go into the the museums, so i just wandered and admired the historical buildings and quiet setting from the outside. By 5:00pm, I started my way back to the hotel to meet up with Noel again. Shower, then down to the bar for a couple of refreshing beers, and a wonderful dinner in one of the hotel restaurants brought to end an eventful day, but relieved it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Walk past the Waterfall from the GP visit on the third floor inside the Dubai Mal

The Museum of the Future located in the financial district, with 7 floors, dedicated to exploring the future of science, technology, and innovation. The windows are in the form of a poem in Arabic about the future, written by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum