As you probably already guessed from the headline, once again my planned side trip to Abu Dhabi didn't work out - even though I had actually woken up early enough.

But sometime in the morning, I decided to discover Abu Dhabi at another opportunity, completely at leisure - with more time and less deadline pressure. So maybe next time. And the fact that I will come back to this region someday is already certain for me. Dubai is even more cosmopolitan and friendlier than I had imagined before.

So I spent the morning very relaxed - between the beach, sea, pool, and the terrace of my suite. Towards the afternoon, I still felt like going out a bit. I wanted to try to take some great photos of Palm Jumeirah Island from above. My plan: to go to the observation deck "The View".

Unfortunately, it didn't happen. You're not allowed to take a backpack up there - which is somehow strange considering the admission prices. When I explained to the lady at the entrance that my photo equipment was in my backpack and I wanted to use it up there, she looked at me as if I had offered to smuggle three kilos of gold to Germany.

Her solution: I could tuck the camera and accessories under my arm - but the backpack stays downstairs. No thanks, I've experienced that elsewhere. And this time I also had the tripod with me. I really didn't feel like trudging up there with everything loose under my arm. So I let it be.

Instead, I treated myself to something delicious in a café in the adjacent mall - a really good fajita wrap and a hot chocolate to go with it. Meanwhile, I transferred my photos from the camera to the laptop so that a backup finally exists. There are really some beautiful pictures among them - I can even imagine some of them as large prints. You've already seen some photos in the recent blog posts. But I've picked out a few more for you - feel free to check them out here!

Later I quickly went to fill up with gas. Interestingly, there are significantly fewer classic gas stations here than expected. Instead, you find so-called "Mobile Gas Stations" - trucks that drive into residential areas so that you can refuel practically right outside your front door. Also somehow practical.

Back in the suite, I continued packing my suitcase. I noticed that suddenly there was no more water pressure - neither in the bathroom nor in the kitchen. The reception probably already knew about it, but unfortunately there was no solution until bedtime. Luckily, I still had a few bottles of water in stock, so I could at least freshen up and brush my teeth.

I finally went to bed much too late - and tomorrow morning the alarm clock will already ring at 5:30 am. It's time to go back home.

Good night to all of you!