Monday, November 28, 2016

Day 9 Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review Part 1 & Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, and the Grand Mosque.

After our first class treatment from the security line at Munich to the curb at the Dubai Airport, we were finally ready for....  MORE first class treatment.  Having waited patiently for us to sort out our hat mess, our limo driver helped load our luggage and got us settled in the back.  Originally I had my reservations about the limo service, as my experiences in the U.S have been typically lackluster.  But this particular ride met my expectations.  We utilized Dubai Exotic Limo for the trip from the Dubai International Airport to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, choosing the Dodge Charger VIP 2013 Limo.
Our driver was pleasant, but overall we didn't interact much.  We took advantage of the bottled water and relaxed for our hour and a half trip.

Relaxing is the best you can hope for during the ride, as subsequent rides in taxis and even the hotel limo (A BMW 7 Series) gave a little too much view of the dangerous and nerve wracking traffic ahead and around us.  On our trip up we saw one car on its side along the freeway.

The cost of our limo was significant at 1200AED plus an additional 250 AED Tip (Approx $400 total) and you can easily find cheaper transportation, but I'm a fan of pulling out all the stops.
The sole image I have of the outside of the Limo.

-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

Finally we had arrived at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi.  We checked in (review to come), got a temporary room while they prepared our suite, and promptly completed all the things we wanted to do in Abu Dhabi passed out for 3 hours.  We were lucky enough to be woken at around 2 P.M when the phone rang to inform us that our suite was ready.  We gathered our things, moved into the new room, and set out to grab a cab from the front.

Our taxi driver from the hotel to Ferrari World was friendly enough, and one of the safer drivers we encountered.  At one point during our 25 minute ride from the hotel to the park, I pointed out another bad-looking accident to Kim, and our driver calmly announced "someone is dead".  I couldn't block Kim's view before we both saw the blood doused shrouds.  Fortunately it was the last major accident we passed, though it would not be the last of crazy road experiences.

Soon after, we pulled up to the front entrance of Ferrari world.  We got out and paid the approx $15 in cab fare.  We crossed the street and went up the Yas Mall escalator to the sky bridge linking Ferrari World.  We purchased standard tickets, as judging from the crowd we would not need fast-passes.  It was 3:30, and our tickets ran $70 per person, with the park closing at 8:00.  I only had one goal though- to hit all three coasters in the park.  First up was the Formula Rossa, the most important coaster on my list, and the fastest roller coaster in the world.  We entered the queue, went down the stairs, around some ropes, and finally to the stopped line.  The line did not look bad at all, but looks were deceiving.  The coaster was not launching, and they appeared to be water cooling the tracks, delaying any of the line from moving forward.  We kicked back against the rails, and after about ten minutes the coaster began its circuit. What looked like a fifteen minute wait turned out to be closer to an hour and fifteen, and as we got closer to the front we saw that the fast-pass ticket holders definitely had an advantage.  But we were in no particular rush, and we ended up spending even more time in line so that we could sit at the very front.  As the two lines between fast-pass and regular ticket holders merged, we handed our loose items to a check-in desk and received a wrist chain at no cost.  We would turn it in and get our items back with no trouble at the end of the ride.
The line split again for those that wanted to be at the front and the rest of the crowd.  We were finally down to two people ahead of us when an employee opened a side gate and let another couple ahead. While Kim and I knew what was going on, the two women ahead of us protested, and the employee had to explain that the people he allowed in had a priority ticket.

Finally we were in our seats.  The adrenaline began to kick in as the coaster pulled forward to the starting point.  Queue a fancy sound effect and a three second countdownnn-annnd-holy-cow!!!
You can't help but smile as your body is pushed hard into your seat and your heart starts to race. What resulted was 1 and a half minutes of smooth and speedy hills and turns that made the hour wait incredibly worthwhile.
Before Formula Rossa
After Formula Rossa




















It's a high you have to come down from, and you'll still be smiling minutes after you exit the ride... whether you want to be or not!

Next up was the only real "exploration" of the park that we did: the Galleria Ferrari. Essentially just a small collection of classic and new sports-cars, the facts offered around the miniature museum did offer an educational and interesting alternative to "just the rides".  The remainder of the sights we took in were on our trips to the next two roller coasters.  A good portion of other rides at the park require a higher-end ticket or extra fare, and still others are designed for kids.  There are coaster tracks coming out of various walls, some appeared just to be decoration, others may be part of future rides.  It was hard to tell which was which.  The whole park still seems to be a work in progress.

After reading about a few of the cars, we continued to the new Flying Aces Roller Coaster, which had opened just 2 months before.  In all honesty, while I'm a coaster fanatic, I do get sick nowadays, and I was definitely feeling it after Formula Rossa. Albeit in that case the smoothness of the ride and the adrenaline shooting through me muted that sick feeling.

We dropped off our bags at a locker area specifically for Flying Aces, before entering the queue.  The guardrails led us through a series of themed rooms, and it was about a 2 to 3 minute walk to the back of the line.  The line for the ride was quite short, and we were on board within 10 minutes.

Flying Aces took me to the brink of my breaking point.  It was awesome, smooth, fun, and not overly intense, but definitely the limit of what I can handle nowadays.  The Flying Aces coaster has set the world records for the steepest and fastest incline (and it definitely was steep and fast- from starting position it appeared nearly completely vertical), as well as the worlds tallest inverted loop. Essentially, at the top of the loop the coaster train sat upright and twisted downwards on the way back.

I was definitely nauseous upon exiting the ride, but I was determined to conquer the third, easiest coaster in the park: the Fiorano GT Challenger Racing coaster.  Two sets of steel tracks that, like the Formula Rossa, take you outside the comfort of the indoor park into the desert heat... albeit at a much lower pace.  You'll race alongside another coaster, and Kim and I took front seats in competing trains. Unsurprisingly, her train won the race.

We completed our trip to the park with that ride, and made our way out through the gift shop, where everything from sunglasses to miniature, $2000+ Ferrari models were on sale.  After crossing the skybridge back to the Yas Mall, we went downstairs to grab a drink from Starbucks and to gain internet access so we could determine our next course of action.

That next course of action turned out to be dinner at Al-Fanar Restaurant.  This restaurant is located on the second floor of the Yas Mall, very close to the skybridge leading to Ferrari World.  It appealed to us because of the opportunity to try local cuisine, and by looking around in the food court it seemed this was one of the only options (if not THE only option).  We passed on several restaurants found in the U.S.

Ultimately the food was good, and the setting was perfect as the sun was going down.  We sat outside with a view of some of the fountains, and we enjoyed a Machboos Deyay (essentially chicken and rice).

Machboos Deyay at Al-Fanar Abu Dhabi.
Upon completing our dinner, we grabbed another taxi to bring us to the Grand Mosque.  It was another $15 fare, and upon reaching the mosque our driver politely insisted that we return to him to take us back to the hotel, mentioning that the rate would be much cheaper than the starting rate of other drivers waiting at the mosque.  I which I was happy to oblige him, and was completely content with what turned out to be an approximately $20 fare back to the hotel.

The toughest part of being an American at the Grand Mosque turned out to be finding the entrance so we could borrow the proper attire.  There may have been an easier way, but we ended up looping around on various sidewalks, taking an escalator down to a parking garage, walking across the parking garage to a small area where hijabs and robes could be borrowed.  As we were both already dressed in conservative clothing (mainly to protect ourselves from the sun), all that was needed was a hijab for Kim, and the staff only took down her ID information, they didn't require leaving ID with them. (Your results for required attire and leaving your ID may vary, bringing your passport is recommended)

We walked back across the garage and up the escalator and entered the mosque, leaving our shoes amidst dozens of other pairs stowed away at one of the massive hallways.

We spent around an hour to an hour and a half admiring the incredible architecture and decor of the mosque, and dusk was the perfect time to do so, with a cool temperature providing perfect ambiance.









Grand mosque interior 360.  To view larger version, click HERE.
The above pictures can't do justice to the scale and grandeur of this place, but can give you some idea of what to expect.

Upon dropping off Kim's hijab and making our way back to the parking lot, our driver waved us down and we were off back to the hotel.

I took some video of our day's adventures.  Check it out to see the Formula Rossa complete a circuit (non-POV), a POV of the  Fiorano GT Challenger Racing coaster (second half of the circuit), a view from the Al-Fanar Restaurant across from Ferrari world, and a brief clip of the Grand Mosque interior:



Ultimately our single night in Abu Dhabi was well worthwhile.  We would have liked to have had tea at Emirate's Palace, but our jet-lag was a bit too strong.  I may return one day to see what else the city has to offer and to spend a little more time enjoying the Park Hyatt.

A review of the Park Hyatt Abu-Dhabi is soon to come, with details of our check-in, the room we crashed in, the suite we spent the night in, breakfast, and our hotel limo (Upscale Sedan) to the Park Hyatt Dubai.

Useful tidbits and links: I found myself in need of currency at the Dubai Arrivals Area.  I found an HSBC ATM and withdrew approximately 1500 AED.  I could not tell you what the surcharge was, but that it was not all too significant between three ATM transactions in Dubai and Istanbul.  I received an ATM surcharge rebate of $5.45 from my bank, but I am not certain what I was charged for conversions and fees.  I was also able to make change by making small purchases at a convenience store at the front of the airport. (Although they frowned on using super-high denomonations for that purpose).
Dubai Exotic Limo: Our Limo
My inspiration for our hotel stay in Abu Dhabi: Ben Schlappig's review. (My review to come soon)
My inspiration for excursions in Abu Dhabi: Points MD

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Day 8 Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary

Between all we had done over the last week, and our exciting day in Munich, we were exhausted. There was no way we were going to be awake for any portion of our flight to Dubai.... so I thought.

Ready for departure!
-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

After our meal at the lounge, it was time to go to the gate.  Unlike in Washington, nobody came to get us for boarding, we were on our own.  We left the lounge and walked a short ways to find the line had already begun to form.  We took a seat at the edge of a restaurant across from the gate and waited about 10 minutes before the call for initial boarding.  We got up, went to the first class boarding line, and with minimal wait started down the jet-bridge to our seats.

We loaded our hat collection (3 hats for the two of us), and our luggage into the overheads.  Then it was time to change into pajamas before our departure.
Bathroom accent.

Refreshing pre-bed amenities.

Nicer than my sink!

Too much of a regular guy for first class!

Well, you can't exactly enjoy the view while going (hopefully)
After getting ready, the flight attendant approached us and politely asked if we would give up our two middle seats in the first row to trade for two middle seats in the second row.  I was at first confused by the request, until I realized that the only other soul in our cabin was a woman with a window seat in the first row.  The flight attendant was just trying to give us all our own rows.  So we obliged, settled in, and were soon on our way to Dubai.
Unlike our previous flight, we decided to go without a meal for the evening.  The flight attendant offered us caviar, and we looked at each other trying to decide.  We agreed that we'd try it in the morning, and quickly passed out... for just a few hours.... until it was 4:00 A.M and we were awake. A flight attendant noticed we were up and he offered us a drink menu.  Being a fan of dessert wines, I asked for a glass of the Neef Emmich 2013 desert wine.  And then another. And then another.  All told, I probably downed 4-5 glasses of what became my new favorite wine.  We were also served chocolates, and overall just had a great relaxing morning wrapped in blankets 30K feet in the air.  I also took the moment to boast about our treatment and beverages on Facebook.  Of course my main intent with a little boasting is to encourage friends and family to join my points and miles crusade so they can share such amazing experiences with me in the future.  It truly isn't out of reach for any of them.



Pineapple Coco Smoothie
Caviar on Lufthansa First





















We knew there was no more sleep to be had, so we continued to relax as we cruised towards Dubai. For breakfast I took them up on their offer of caviar and enjoyed a pineapple Coco smoothie.  Then it was time to get dressed.
After a smooth landing, we begrudgingly disembarked and trotted up the jet-bridge with our luggage in tow.

First Class Service: Guidance from gate to curb.
Khloe.

We were met just outside the gate by Khloe, who guided us through Customs and out to the curb. Having her by our side all the way to the curb made the experience of arriving in Dubai extremely comfortable.  We gathered our bags at baggage claim and continued on until we reached a lounge by the curb with all of our belongings.  It was at this moment that we realized we had left our 3 hats in the overhead bins and Khloe showed us her true value.  While Kim stayed with our bags at the curbside lounge, Khloe guided me to lost and found.  They in turn got in touch with the gate crew, who informed us that the plane had not been fully cleaned out yet.  Unfortunately there was nothing more that could be done at that time, but Khloe volunteered to follow up with lost and found and get in touch with us as soon as she knew more.  Later that day while in Abu Dhabi, Khloe left a voicemail informing us that our hats would be waiting for us at lost and found.  More on that story to follow.

Day 8 Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary

After the extravagant first leg of our trip, we had arrived in Munich!  We followed a simple set of directions to find the First Class Lounge, just a short walk away from our gate. We were warmly greeted at the entrance, and discussed our options with the front desk for getting into downtown Munich. But first it was time to kick back for a little bit and get our bearings.  The lounge agents sat directly across from the customs agent, and they explained to him that we were going to leave later (thank goodness, because he spoke little to no English).  He had us keep our passports since we'd be leaving soon enough.
LH First Class Lounge Bar.

-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers


Macaron Selection at the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich.
Snacks at LH First Class Lounge
After sorting the confusion, we were led into the lounge and we took a seat and started munching on some Macarons. At first, I was hesitant to eat them, as they appeared to be more for decoration. But within a minute or two of eating a few, they were immediately replenished by a lounge attendant.

I was not very hungry after our breakfast so I didn't indulge in much, but there was definitely a variety available... from the macarons to gummy bears, soft pretzels and more. They also had fruit infused water available, and they had a full bar.
Beverage options at LH First Class
Lounge

While I kicked back on the couch, Kim went exploring and discovered the showers. After our long and rather warm flight over from DC, we definitely needed one.

While tolerable for her, I discovered that I could not get the water warm enough for comfort, and an attempt at a different shower room yielded no better result.  I eventually gave up on freshening up and went back into the main lounge.


Sink at the shower room.
Perfume at the shower room. LH First Class
Lounge MUC
On my way to the showers, I also noticed a Cigar Lounge. While it's not something I'd ever partake in, it certainly appeared classy, with comfortable seating and available whiskey.
Cigar Lounge at the Munich First Class Lounge
After gathering our things, we headed out to the city, dropping off unneeded luggage at the lounge storage room. We walked through and out of the terminal and followed the signs for the metro rail. We purchased two day passes directly from a station agent and made our way down the escalator onto a waiting train.  After a five minute minute wait, the train departed towards Marienplatz, Munich's city center.  The trip to Marienplatz is about 45 minutes long, and is relatively comfortable.  The train is akin to a subway or metro in the U.S.  It cost us approximately $26.50 for the day passes ($13.25 per person).   Very shortly after we departed the airport, an attendant began requesting to view people's tickets. I suggest you keep it at the ready if you embark on the same venture.

Just outside Marienplatz Station
We arrived to a bustling and loud city center.  It may have been the day of a soccer game because there were marches, there was chanting, there was general excitement in the air.  We took the escalator up the the ground level and found ourselves in the midst of some incredible history and architectural wonders.

It took a moment to take it all in. Church bells rang every so often, and the noise came from all over.  Chanting continued from nearby.
The air was slightly chilly, and we began walking in a generally random direction.  We found a chocolate shop (I believe it was Chocolaterie Beluga) , a miniature farmers market (Victuals Market), some cafes, some retail shops.  We continued along some of the sidewalks and passed by some adult shops displaying the latest in fashionable adult toys.
We picked up some postcards at a convenience store and walked a block down to Caffe Piemonte, a hidden gem tucked nearby the Heiliggeistkirche.

That's right, I made this photo extra-large.

Apple Strudel at Caffe Piedmonte
It was here that we both indulged in some delicious apple and cheese strudels, while enjoying the atmosphere.  We then continued to visit the Heiliggeistkirche Munich, a gothic church built in the 14th century.

We spent only a short amount of time inside admiring the detail and architecture of the building and its interior.  While there were a few worshipers, it seemed the mass of the crowd inside were like Kim and I: cameras out.
Inside the Heiliggeistkirche Munich.





Altes Rathaus: Old Town Hall, Munich
After finishing some photos and taking a couple postcards (available in the back with donation), we continued out to the town square where we started, and found the tower of the Altes Rathaus.  We entered the base of the tower and climbed some stairs to the entrance of a toy museum.  But despite a relatively minor surcharge to visit (about six bucks a person), we were pretty much out of cash at this point, so we elected not to continue.

Outside the Neues Rathaus.
Next up we visited the courtyard of the Neues Rathaus, one of the most prominent pieces of Architecture visible from the town square.  During business hours tourists are able to visit the clock tower for views of the city, but as we were running out of time we decided to skip out on this opportunity.  Instead we walked a little further down the road past several retailers and through another rowdy football crowd flanked by police over to the Frauenkirche, another incredible church.  Then it was time to head back to the airport.  For our entire time of exploring, we had never wandered far from the train station, and the hardest part of the navigation was finding the proper tracks once we arrived at the station.  After traversing several escalators and meandering around several paths, all while surrounded by the noisy football fans, we found our train, and were on our way back.

After getting back to the airport station and walking across the giant airport atrium to the terminal, we found the first class check-in and security.  Since we already had our boarding passes, we bypassed the check-in counter and went straight to the security line.  With NOBODY else waiting.  It was no less convenient in terms of strictness of the security (and that's for the best), but there was no rush to move through the queue.  After passing through the metal detectors, we started on a journey in the wrong direction, making our way to the standard customs entrance.  My girlfriend smartly guided me away from this area back towards terminal 2 (per what the lounge attendants had advised us to do) and we found the first class lounge entrance, where we gathered our things from the storage area, took the elevator up a level, and went through a simple customs procedure with the agent at the lounge entrance, leaving our passports with him.  Then was time for an hour or so of relaxation and dinner before our boarding.
Dining area, Munich First Class Lounge.

Red Cabbage, German Potatoe Salad, Schnitzel, Spatzle
Beef Filet with Asparagus and Salad





















We took seats in the dining room of the lounge and were soon handed dinner menus.  Though none of it looked particularly appealing to me (more a cause of the descriptions than the actual food), the food actually turned out pretty great.  Admittedly I made the mistake of ordering a beef filet while Kim splurged on Schnitzel, which is the proper choice for dinner in Germany.  I enjoyed a bite of her meal and would have otherwise ordered one for myself but for that we were running out of time.  After finishing dinner we quickly gathered our belongings and headed out for our next flight.
Next up: Day 8 Part 2: Lufthansa First Class MUC-DXB.

Day 7: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC, Summary.

When we first booked our flight from Washington Dulles to Dubai, we were scheduled on United's direct flight in business class at the cost of 70,000 United Miles per person.  Then late last year, United announced they would be ending their direct service to Dubai, meaning we had to rebook. We were changed over to Lufthansa Business Class, connecting in Frankfurt.  Our flight IAD-FRA would be on a 747-8, and our flight FRA-DXB would be on an A330-300.



-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

Normally, this flight would run 80,000 miles per person, but due to United's cancellation of our original flight, we incurred no extra mileage cost.  Fourteen days before our flight, I began to monitor availability for First Class.
Though first class did pop up, the only flight that ever became available was on an A330-300 connecting in Munich.  I questioned whether it'd be worthwhile to change our flights, given that we'd each incur change fees and close-in booking fees adding up to $250 per person.  On top of this, it would be an additional 70,000 miles per person (for 140K total per person), I would not get to fly on a 747 (something I've always wanted to do), and we would be unable to experience Lufthansa's First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
We decided against it.
But then, the night prior to our business class flight from Washington Dulles to Dubai through Frankfurt, we changed our minds and upgraded our flight to first class.
At first, it became apparent that we had made a terrible choice.  Due to a snaffu involving misinformation from customer service and my eagerness to get the flight booked ASAP, I ended up spending 3 hours on the phone with United.  This detracted from spending the last night in D.C with my family, and it loaded me with a heavy amount of stress.  After several agents, the snaffu was resolved, but not before I unnecessarily transferred 40,000 Ultimate rewards points into Kim's United account, something I was kicking myself for during a good portion of the call.
In the end it was worth it, as all $500 of change fees and close-in booking fees were waived because of the confusion.  Kim still has those 40K United Miles in her account, and we have yet to determine what they'll be used on.

Our final booking was as follows:
LH415 IAD-MUC  Seats 1D & 1G.  Depart 10:30 P.M Arrive 12:45 P.M (8hr, 15mins)
LH638 MUC-DXB Seats 1D & 1G. Depart 10:15 P.M Arrive 6:20 A.M (6hr, 5 mins)

Our total cost for this flight was 140,000 Miles and ~$75 per person.
Estimated cash cost for a one way ticket: $11,000+

After saying goodbye to my dad, my mother drove Kim and I to Dulles at a ripe 7:30 P.M.  It was my belief that such time was far too early, but it turned out for the best.
We made our way to the first class check-in, though given how early it was, there was only one other couple in the queue. Ironically, despite the other couple standing in the business class line, they were called over first.
Not much of a biggie.
We were assisted quickly, though I didn't specifically feel any more special treatment at the counter than I might normally receive.  We took our boarding passes, clamped in a fancy first class folder, then hopped over to a currency exchange to get some Euro's.
I'm fairly confident I paid more than necessary for the exchange (I couldn't tell you now the rate), but we were on vacation, and convenience always wins over cost (to a limit).
From the exchange, we took the escalator down to security.
It was at the bottom of the escalator that I noticed both boarding passes were in my name. No, not just the two passes for the two legs, all four printed passes were for me.  We took the escalator back up, went right back up to the desk (there was nobody at all in the queue at this point), and got the error resolved.
Again, no biggie and no hard feelings against the agent, but in general you could probably expect a more efficient process.
Finally we were off through security, onto the tram, and over to our terminal.  From the tram exit we made our way to the business class lounge and the real experience began.

Cavatelli with Artichokes and herbed ricotta:
compliments of First Class!
There is no separate lounge at Dulles for Lufthansa first class (the agents even apologized for not having a first class lounge), but a portion of the business class lounge is dedicated to first class passengers, where a full meal is served, drinks are consistently offered, and passenger comfort is of the essence.
Drink offerings at the First Class portion
of the business class lounge.
On arrival there was only one other passenger in the first class section, though that eventually bumped up to about 6 or 7 people.
The agent at the front desk welcomed us, and introduced us to Ebee, who ended up serving us our drinks and taking our food orders.  She was exceptionally friendly, and gave us great recommendations.  She also tipped us off to the secret of our delectable caramel ice-cream: it was Breyers!
Dessert! Toasted Cocunut Cheesecake with
Caramel Sorbet
For dinner I chose the Cavatelli with Artichokes and herbed ricotta. Admittedly I didn't quite know what Cavatelli was, but it turned out decent enough.  In retrospect, it wasn't my cup of tea, and had I known, I might have chosen the filet of Atlantic Cod instead, but my meal was in no way poorly made, and I'm always a fan of ricotta and of artichokes.
We also sipped on Lemon Drops (specially prepared by Ebee, despite the lounge not having the proper ingredients available) and Rum and Coke while awaiting our flight.
For desert, we had an excellent slice of cheesecake topped with the previously mentioned Breyer's caramel ice cream.

We finished our desert just in time (though I was unable to down my entire dinner).  An agent came to inform us that we were boarding.  We grabbed our things and I expected we'd be headed out the way we came.  To my pleasant surprise, the agent led us through a side door out the first class area of the lounge.  She scanned our boarding passes, and we made an immediate left turn to the jet bridge. (Jet-bridge visible in photo of cheesecake).

Admittedly, most of the flight was a blur.  Among the dozens of other activities and hotels and restaurants, it's hard to look back and remember the exact details.  But what I do remember is being warmly welcomed, and gaping at the largest and most luxurious airline seat I've ever seen.

But there was little time to admire.  We were in a rush! To put on pajamas!?!?!

Yes, while economy continued to board behind us, each of the 5 first class passengers (out of 8 seats) took turns changing in the restroom.  Soon we were all kicked back, our belongings stored in various overhead bins and cupboards.

Champagne and Macadamia Nuts
Next up: Champaigne and Macadamia nuts!

As we settled in, I requested a photo from the flight attendants, who happily obliged.  We configured Kim's seat to lie flat and gave her a blanket for the photo, but as it was pre-departure, they did not fully make up the bed.  After our quick photo-shoot, we positioned our seats upright (as required).  Soon, we were off.  As we climbed to cruising altitude, we admired our hard-case amenity kit, which featured a variety of useful toiletries and a blindfold, among other things.

After getting airborne and approaching cruising altitude, we requested our beds be made up.  We were full and exhausted, and definitely ready for some sleep.


Pre-departure photo shoot.

Awesome view from the seat.
Miniature Hard-Shelled Suitcase Amenity kits!
Our Made Up Beds.
Hard as it is to admit, the ultimate in luxury failed me at this point.  Despite a very comfortable, spacious, and private sleeping area, as I've heard is typical with international airlines the cabin was a tad too warm for me.  I tossed and turned for a good portion of the evening, though I did manage to get some shut-eye in the process.  Despite the high temperature, I'm convinced I was in a much better position than had I flown business or economy on this 8 hour leg.  And when it was finally time to open the shades and have breakfast, I was certainly not in a foul mood.  (I managed a little more sleep on the second leg, as well).
The dark cabin slowly became light and others began to stir.  I woke up and we all started preparing for breakfast.  First on the menu was changing into regular clothes.  Everybody settled in before the carts came out.
Lufthansa First Class 360.  View larger version HERE.

We were served more champagne, mimosas, offered a variety of cheeses, and handed an amazing platter of bacon and eggs. To top off the morning we were given a box of chocolates... because life is like it.






Left: Champagne and Mimosa.

Right: Bacon and Eggs.

Bottom: Box of Chocolates.

Adding a monkey to First Class cost no additional fees.
Our flight landed uneventfully, and we deplaned with smiles.  The luxury was far from over.
Next up: Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary.