Today I forced myself to sleep in again. Simply because I can – and because with these temperatures, it's better to start the day a bit later anyway.

After an extensive breakfast and a short lazy session on the terrace, it was time for some travel planning. I still want to experience two things before my stay here ends:

1. A safari in the desert – for great photos, of course.
2. A guided tour to Abu Dhabi to see the grand mosque and perhaps a bit more.

So I got some advice, gathered information – and then I felt drawn to go out into the city.

First, I drove to the Nakheel Mall. Parking there is fortunately free, and from here the monorail continues towards the city. So I parked the car, took the monorail, and later continued with the tram to Dubai Marina Beach.

From there it was: continue on foot – and that in over 95°F (35°C). Walking for 25 minutes doesn't sound like much, but in this heat, it quickly becomes a real challenge. So I treated myself to a mango smoothie at McDonald's for a small price along the way – cooling down, catching my breath.

My destination: the small shopping area around the Dubai Eye, the huge Ferris wheel on the peninsula. Here I also made a small detour to the Hard Rock Shop, where I collected the obligatory T-shirt for myself and a pin for Rolf. Apart from that, there wasn't much going on at the peninsula. Many restaurants and shops were closed – Tuesday and absolute low season, after all. But that didn't matter:

I found a nice, empty café right by the water, ordered something to drink, and enjoyed the view of the glittering skyline of Dubai Marina. Very relaxed. By the way: right here, on the terrace with a view of the Marina, these lines are currently being written.

And then?

I actually wanted to take the water taxi back to Dubai Marina Mall. But that didn't happen. In Dubai, a posted departure time means that the boat has already departed at that time – not that you should board then. The friendly gentleman at the counter explained this to me patiently. Since the next boat wasn't scheduled to leave for 55 minutes, I decided to walk back to the tram after all.

At least: I got a few pretty skyline photos in the process.

Back at the Nakheel Mall, where my rental car was parked, I was already quite exhausted – it was after 9 PM by then. But I wasn't really in the mood to go back to the hotel yet. So I spontaneously decided to treat myself to a coffee or maybe a piece of cake.

However, when I saw the prices – 12 euros for a simple piece of cheesecake! – my appetite quickly disappeared.

Instead, I was drawn to a small Chinese restaurant. There I ordered fresh, sweet buns – fluffy yeast dumplings with various fillings. Finally normal prices again, almost like in Hamburg.

After that, though, it was really time to go back to the hotel.

Well, I wasn't really tired anymore after eating – but that's okay.

See you tomorrow!