As I had booked all my international flights to and from Tanzania via Qatar Airways it also meant I had to change planes in Doha, Qatar. My outbound flight was simply just a quick 1 1/2 hour stop, but on the return I wanted to spend some time discovering a bit of the Middle East. And why not spend 2 nights in Qatar?
Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Supposedly they have awesome food. It is tiny. And there’s a lot of sand, no really, a lot of sand. With this in mind I planned a city tour and some “Dune bashing” in the desert near the Saudi Arabian border.
As I fortunately get some very favorable hotel rates through my employer (Marriott) I booked a room there. Upon arrival there seemed to be some challenges finding my reservation in the system. They couldn’t seem to accommodate any rooms or rates for me; to say I wasn’t pleased would have been an understatement. Heck, tent camps located down 2 hours of dirt roads in Africa had my reservations ready. And after 4 people tried to assist me I had to ask for the manager on duty in order to assist.
Quickly a familiar face appeared behind me; my girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen in 4+ weeks. I had just gotten exposed to the most awesome practical joke ever… She had gone to Nepal to hike up to Mt Everest Basecamp a week before I took off for Kilimanjaro (don’t ask…) and she had fooled me by switching flights around so she was able to see me in Qatar on her way back to Arizona. Wow. I am usually the one that is organizing surprises for others, but she got me.
Off to sightseeing it was. Even after a day of travel. And some amazing roof top dinner at the Souq Wakif with live music from a nearby concert. This was truly the Middle East.
Doha is an extremely new city. Very modern with many big skyscrapers and many more on the way. Construction everywhere you look. However, there are still a few local markets. The Souq Wakif is one of them. Small narrow shopping streets, local restaurants, music, hookah, people dressed in traditional outfits. Qataris take great pride in wearing their outfits and why not join them?
I think last time I had this many locals wanting pictures with me was when I wore a Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling mask in Mexico. Everyone loved it.
A quick sailing trip across the bay to our hotel and watching the end of the muslim holiday Eid was impressive.
The next day called for Dune Bashing near the Saudi Arabian Border. Lots of sand and rampaging in the desert. This was a blast. It was also impressive to be in the middle of this vast desert stretching as far as the eye could see. One side flanked by beaches and other by endless sand.
Driving high speed down steep sand dunes and slipping sideways in bumpy turns was fun. Even with our driver’s (Mohamed) choice of American pop and rap music.
Qatar is a modern country with Muslim traditions and living style. This means lots of women in traditional outfits, the fact that men place food orders, men are served before women, a woman’s testimony in family court is worth half of a man’s!), no public display of affection, no alcohol except at 4 and 5 star hotels, one single liquor store for certain people. While visiting other cultures these are things one must respect. After all, I’m a visitor in someone else’s home.
Visiting Qatar also involved a few hours at the very impressive Museum Of Islamic Art. Seeing the history and development of the muslim society in the Middle East was impressive. On so many fronts they were way ahead of the western world in science and we can attribute many of their early discoveries to items we have today.
The art pieces were truly impressive as well, and the museum building itself was astonishing. Entry was free!
Middle Eastern food didn’t disappoint whatsoever. As we were a bit adventurous it was quickly decided that baby camel was something a local restaurant in Arizona wouldn’t have on their menu.
Was it tasty? Yes. Would I order it again? Probably not. Maybe try this Moroccan salad instead….
Doha was well worth a visit during my journey. Would I go here just for visiting Qatar? Probably not. I was however very impressed with how well they preserve traditions and honor their heritage. I was mind blown by seeing how much money some of these people spend on clothing, cars, license plates worth millions, houses, food (don’t worry, you can find very cheap food as well), and beyond modern malls packed with high end luxury retailers. Hell, they have a teddy bear at the airport worth millions of dollars.
Next stop: Reality and planning the next few adventures. Any tips on Antarctica…?
(This blog and pictures were completed via smartphone)