I woke up an hour before my way-too-early alarm – but still felt dog-tired. So I reset the alarm for three hours later, turned over and went back to sleep. The early bird can catch me another day.

That's why Abu Dhabi didn't happen today. I spontaneously swapped the days: I'll go tomorrow, today I'm staying in Dubai.

But I was still up and about without too much dawdling: freshen up, get dressed, pack my bag, and off to breakfast.

After that, I went to Dragon Mart, the huge market halls on the outskirts of the city. They really have everything here: from phone cases and t-shirt presses to furniture and electric wheelchairs – a quirky but fascinating shopping destination.

Around noon, I continued to the Jumeirah Mosque, which offers guided tours twice daily (except Fridays). Participation costs €10, including a small museum exhibition and Arabic snacks. The tour was simpler than expected, but all the more educational.

A very friendly guide explained the rules to us: shoes off, traditional robes for men with too revealing clothing, and ladies without headscarves were provided with one. Then we entered the main hall, whose floor is completely covered with high-quality carpet. We sat in the middle and listened.

The five pillars of Islam were explained:

1. Faith in God
2. Prayer
3. Fasting
4. Almsgiving
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

She began with the two angels on our shoulders: one notes the good, the other the bad. Regarding prayer, she explained that the five daily prayer times depend on the position of the sun and fluctuate daily. Astonishing: In Dubai, there are around 1,500 mosques, each with its own imam and its own call to prayer. In Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, only one imam calls, and his call is broadcast live to all mosques.

Normally, the tour begins in front of the mosque with the washing ceremony, but due to the heat, a colleague demonstrated inside how the ritual washing is performed – each step is repeated three times.

After that, we were allowed to watch a prayer before she moved on to the last three pillars of Islam. Her explanations were very interesting, easy to understand, and coherent. Afterwards, she asked us to ask any questions that were buzzing around in our heads – even difficult ones were welcome. Some from the group took the opportunity and asked, among other things, why women don't pray together with men.

I was astonished by the answer. First: For men, there are "bonus points" – as she explained it figuratively – from the angel on the right shoulder only if they come to the communal prayer in the mosque. Women, on the other hand, receive these points regardless of where they pray. Since women in Islam are traditionally more involved in household and childcare, they have it easier this way: They don't have to rush out five times a day and can also pray at home.

Second: The separate area for women is an option, not a requirement. They can decide for themselves whether they prefer to be among their own kind or pray among the men. And honestly – in their place, I would think twice about it too. After all, who wants to be constantly exposed to the scrutinizing glances of strange men while praying? In that case, having your own area is sometimes simply the more comfortable choice.

There are also women-only areas in buses and trains here; I haven't seen men-only areas anywhere. It shows how different perspectives can be and how many unconscious prejudices we all carry around with us.

Even people like me, who think they are open-minded and tolerant, recognize here how many prejudices one grows up with – and how many one also carries around subconsciously.

After the Q&A session, I took some more photos and then drove back to Dragon Mart to continue looking for a charging station for my phone. I found it – as well as some small items for Steffi and colleagues.

On the way back to the hotel, I made a quick stop at the Hard Rock Café and in the Festival City Mall. Both quite nice – a relaxed end to the day. Back at the hotel, I already started preparing for my departure the day after tomorrow: doing laundry, packing my suitcase, creating a bit of order. Meanwhile, an audiobook was playing, which made for a pleasant evening. This way, I'll have a clear head tomorrow – maybe even for the trip to Abu Dhabi. We'll see what the day brings.

But now it's time for bed. See you tomorrow.