At Expo 2020

At the pavilions of Indonesia, UK, Pakistan, Myanmar, South Sudan and Ukraine.

The Dubai Expo 2020 has been running since October but we had not managed to go. The children went from school in October and saw a couple of pavilions only. We planned to go when the weather was cooler in December, but the Christmas vacation saw such a massive rush that we decided to postpone our trip to January. Then we contracted Covid, and then followed my freelance work and now kids' exams - Ash is having a steady stream of exams from Pre Board 1&2 and then Boards in April. 

I decided enough was enough and finally dragged myself out of the house on my own last Wednesday. I took the free Expo Rider bus from Al Jubail bus terminus near my house,  and luckily got a lone female passenger for company. The bus was packed and we had to wait in a queue, but anything was fine for a free ride. Though the ride was supposed to take 1.45 hours, we reached in 1 hour flat thanks to less traffic on a weekday afternoon. I had a complimentary pass given by V's bank, and together with a green pass on my Al Hosn app, I gained entry to the famed grounds. Even otherwise, Expo ticket rate has gone down from Dh 95 per day to AED 50 for the last 50 days (the show is coming to an end on March 31). The bus dropped me at Opportunity District. The pavilions are in three districts, the other two being Mobility and Sustainability and Al Wasl Dome and Al Forsan park in the centre.

Since Mira had asked me not to visit the bigger pavilions without her, I trooped into the smaller country pavilions which didn't have serpentine queues. I sat and watched videos of Iraq's civilisational glory during the Babylonian and Assyrian rule, then went to Bahrain (in a huge steel dome that didnt have much; the only exciting thing being walking through a long tunnel to the pavilion), Brunei, and some 15 other pavilions. Ukraine had a war tank replica that provided the perfect backdrop for some. While I  skipped India (not looking forward to the Ram temple model and Patel statue at the entrance), I visited our neighbour's pavilion which is one of the most commended by visitors.

Ash had asked me to get him a burger from Jail Bird or Al Baik, so I tasted one and packed JB burgers for both. 

Took the metro back, and was picked up by V from Burjuman station. Planning another trip with Mira and V; Ash may not come as his exams seem never-ending.