Saturday, January 18, 2014

Six Days in Doha with Chris

The Riding a Camel Pic
 
What if you had just a few days in a Middle Eastern country - where traffic buzzes the city like bees searching for a hive, winter means beach sun and flowers, strange things circle the sky and jumping off a pile of sand into another pile of sand is a national pastime?
 
a guy (it's always a guy), a parachute-like thing, a great big, round fan
 
Oh sure, you'd hang with your way cool 'rents
 
working out at the Singing Dunes
not hot, windy or dry enough for music this trip
great for running and climbing
 
top it off with a cold one
at the Inland Sea
 
You'd tour a mosque and cultural center, study customs and religion, watch as a muezzin in traditional attire stands before a microphone, recites a beautiful, inspiring Adhan, call to prayerYou'd jog a resort, wander a beach, jump into a dune
 
Wheeeeee!
 
Wheeee times three!
 
You'd view artifacts from all over the Middle East at the Museum of Islamic Art and walk the length and breadth of the fantastic Museum park.  Where there are outstanding views of West Bay, hills, a strange obelisk like thing, and cool, glittering water.  You'd ride a dhow around Doha's fabulous West Bay...
 
 
...drink sweet hospitality tea, eat shwarma, hummus, pita, kofta, babaganoush, awesome delicious rice.  You'd absorb the unique smells, textures and flavors (fats, sugars, carbs) and you'd not be sorry.  Not one tiny, little bit.
 
 
 
Not sorry
 
Because later - of course - you'd drink sweet Herbalife tea and sweat it all out at the gym.
 
Plus, there's the Inland Sea where you'd (watch Mom) swim under a gleaming sun in the warm appearing, but deceptively cold Gulf spanning the distance between Qatar and Saudi Arabia...
 
blue, beautiful
Inland Sea in January 2014
 
...dune bashing and sand golf (for Mary Ann and Gary)
 
This is the fairway
 
This is the sand trap
Yes, the sand course has a sand trap
aka "bunker" 
 
falcons, giant pearls, massive teapots
 
 
 
Qatari night life, camel races, unmarked desert bound Catholic church - and treasures to be found at the updated-to-look-old, modern, antique souq.
 
at the souq
 
Lucky, happy people - to get a great, marvelous, wondrous, whirlwind, fantastic six days in Doha with our beautiful, smart, fantastic son!
 

Video snippets from one wondrous Doha day, chosen by the camera

7 comments:

  1. Looks like you are having a great time!! -AK

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  2. A peek into Chris's (and Bob & Cindi's) trip. And a chance to again, have a 'first look' into Doha and Qatar. A neat trip!

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  3. Wow, the food looks awesome! Did he really work all of it off at your gym later?
    Dad

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  4. Yes! We have a gym here and Chris has been using it. :)

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  5. Hahah I love that video so much! <3 Katie

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  6. It looks like so much fun! I know Chris had been wanting to go for a long time, I am so happy he finally got to! Thank you for sharing... and he drives like that here too... always one hand on the shifter, even if it is an automatic.

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  7. Thank you, Allison!! This message makes me happy. :)

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