The Dubai Marina extends relatively far. On our second day here, two of my friends and I made it to the section closest to campus and we weren’t very impressed. The heat was deadly at around 13:00 and the harbour was just some water surrounded by buildings with boats in it.

Our second venture, however, happened at night, and was to the section of the marina surrounded by a promenade, a more upscale area. (So upscale that a friendly full-time student accompanying us internationals suggested that all meals would be at least 200 dirham, or $60-70USD.

Few people were out meandering the promenade alongside us, and I was once again hit by how peaceful the water made everything seem. The buildings across the way looked so huge, even from where we were.

After much deliberation over our many options, we ended up eating at a Romanian restaurant overlooking the water. This was a simple but gorgeous evening.