Thursday, February 15 – transit from London to Doha, Qatar
I have an 8:30 departure this morning from Heathrow. I’d like to be there by 6am, so that means leaving the flat around 4:45am to catch the bus. This is too early for the SL9 express though. I’m therefore taking the 140 to Hayes & Harlington Station and then hitching a ride on the new (for me; it opened in 2022) Elizabeth tube line to Heathrow.
Not very crowded on the train this morning!
I have a non-stop flight via Qatar Airways aboard the massive A380 double-decker. The flight took around 6 1/2 hours, and was very comfortable. Asian airlines are the best! We were a little late departing; I ended up exiting customs & immigration in Doha at 7pm (Doha is 3 hours ahead of London). Ruth was patiently waiting for me though, and after joining Kent, we were off to celebrate Ruth’s birthday at a Thai restaurant.
It was delicious!Happy Birthday Ruth! Kent & Ruth’s apartment building (that’s an Aston Martin dealership on the ground floor)Views from their 30th floor apartment…
Friday, February 16 – Doha
Our first stop this morning is the Al Shahaniya camel racetrack. Cool! There were no races taking place, but we were able to watch the camels training. I actually think this was better than being there for the races, because we were the only spectators!
Professional camel racing began in Qatar in 1972The racetrack is massive. And although shaded seating is available in the grandstand, we followed the camels by driving our car along the road that runs parallel to the track (as the locals would do, if anyone else were here besides the trainers!)These are remote-controlled, toddler-sized robot jockeys. The operator applies the whip antenna, commands the jockey to pull on the reins, and shouts encouragement to the camel via a built-in speaker.Racing camels can run at speeds of up to 40 mph in short sprints, and may continue at 30 mph for as long as an hour.
That was fun! Now we’re off on a desert trek…
We’re visiting a couple different spots in the desert. This is the terrain, yet……amazingly Google Maps can provide us with a specific route! Crazy!Beautiful wind-eroded sand formations…A traditional Qatari masjid (mosque), built in the 1940sWe’re approaching a desert art installation, with this associated warning.Titled East-West/West-East, the work consists of four gigantic steel plates that are located across a kilometer of desert on Qatar’s Zekreet Peninsula.Installed in 2014, this is the work of Richard Serra, an artist from the United States known for creating imposing metalwork sculptures.Each monolith is over 16 meters tall
Our next destination is the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim (FBQ) Al Thani Museum. But first, let’s make a stop at the nearby Al Samriya Autograph Collection Hotel for a light lunch.
The hotel groundsBeautiful lobbyThe exit from the hotel to the pool areaThe restaurant is on the leftZoufa Restaurant, specializing in Lebanese cuisine. Delicious!The FBQ Museum was opened in 1998There are 15 halls in the museum which accommodate a total of over 15,000 artifacts. It’s massive!All of the artifacts in the museum were collected by Sheikh Faisal over a span of 50 years.This is a Kiswa (used to cover the main door of the Kaaba, the stone building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca). This example dates from 1910.Dating from the late 18th century, this Syrian house was brought to Qatar from Damascus and rebuilt in 2014.The museum houses a very interesting and eclectic collection!Just outside the museum is the leaning mosque of Doha
We also made a quick stop at a nearby Oryx reserve…
The Arabian Oryx is the national animal of Qatar
For dinner we went to The Belgian Cafe at the Intercontinental Hotel…
We sat outside and enjoyed this wonderful view of the Doha skylineI had a spiced hibiscus vodka sour and……Beetroot Risotto. Tasty!
Wow! What a day! And we’re just getting started…
Saturday, February 17 – Doha
We’re off to the waterfront this morning to checkout the boats and fish market…
Shark!Our next stop, Al Jassasiya, is one of a dozen rock-carving sites in Qatar.Discovered around 1957, the site may appear to be a deserted sandstone quarry, but it actually contains a total of 874 carvings, known as petroglyphs, the earliest thought to be 5,000 years old or more.The Al Jassasiya rock carvings feature various shapes, including rosettes, fish, ostriches and cup marksThe cup marks are believed to represent vessels used to store pearls or to play ancient board games known as Al Haloosa or Al Huwaila.For lunch, Ruth found us this great, off-the-beaten-path Turkish restaurant!It was very good!
Following lunch we made a short drive to the Al Ruwais Police Station…
The Police Station was built in 1955, and has now been converted into a cafe.Historically, police stations in Qatar were often constructed close to harbor locations to provide security, but they also doubled as customs posts and monitored the boat traffic entering or leaving town. (If you look closely, you can make out Ruth and Kent lounging along the seawall)I like this nearby house.Our next stop is Al Zubara FortIt was built in 1938 to serve as a Coast Guard Station (or maybe a police station?)The Fort was converted into a museum in the 1980sAdjacent to the Fort is the Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage designee.Al Zubarah was a walled coastal town that flourished for a period of 50 years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.The town fell to forces loyal to the Sultan of Muscat and was mostly destroyed in 1811.At the height of its prosperity, Al Zubarah had trading links with the Indian Ocean, Arabia and Western Asia.Al Zubarah was ultimately abandoned in the early 20th century, after which its remaining rubble stone and mortar buildings collapsed and were gradually covered by a protective layer of sand blown from the desert.Only a small part of the town has been excavated. My guess is that the work on this massive site will be going on for decades!
Another wonderful day in Doha! And it’s not quite over…
We had this amazing view from the apartment of fireworks set off at the conclusion of the Qatar TotalEnergies women’s tennis tournament held at the nearby International Tennis and Squash complex.
Sunday, February 18 – Doha
This morning we’re visiting Souq Waqif, which translates to Standing Market. The souq was founded over a century ago, but gradually fell into disrepair. A major restoration and rebuilding effort was completed in 2008.
The diversity of products offered here is mind-boggling!
In this shop you can buy fabric in any color you want, as long as it’s white! (thanks for pointing this out Ruth!)SpicesDatesBreak time!This shop was amazing…BeautifulWhite Gyrfalcon. Wow! Many thanks to the shopkeeper for allowing us to take pictures inside, and for removing the hood on this beautiful bird of prey.This is The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei. Opened in 2008. (thanks for the pose Kent!)Beautiful view of Doha skyline.The museum is built on an island adjacent to this harbor.17th century garden carpet16th-17th century Moroccan arch15th century backgammon board12th century Iranian stucco panelDamascus residence13th century armor
The museum was very impressive – both the design and the contents!
Our next stop is The Pearl – a man-made island featuring marinas, residential towers, hotels, dining and shopping. Very exclusive.
A distant view of the Doha skylineThe Yacht ClubThis wonderful day is coming to an end…
My last supper in Doha was at a Georgian restaurant that is a favorite of Ruth & Kent…
…an unbelievable meal with unbelievable friends. The perfect conclusion to an amazing long weekend in Doha with my wonderful hosts, Ruth & Kent!
The Architecture Of Doha
I was really impressed with the architecture of Doha. Very diverse and distinctive. Here are a few examples…
The Al Wahda Arches (also called 5/6 Arch, Qatar Arch, Gateway Arch)Dugong by Jeff KoonsLusail Stadium (used in the 2022 World Cup)Stadium 974 (used in the 2022 World Cup). It received its name from the 974 that is the international dialing code of Qatar and as well as the fact that 974 shipping containers were used in the design.Marina Twin Towers, and next to them……Katara Towers, which is divided between two hotel brands, the Fairmont and the Raffles. Each occupies one half of the building, which is designed to resemble a pair of Qatari crossed scimitars.Lusail TowersA 30 meter art installation of a whale shark, called Al Nehem, suspended between the four Lusail Towers.
Monday, February 19 – transit from Doha to London
I have an early afternoon flight today, and before dropping me off at the airport Ruth did me the huge favor of stopping by the post office so I could mail a postcard to Oliver. Thanks Ruth!
Doha Post OfficeCool stamp commemorating the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar!
As you would probably expect, the Doha airport is pretty nice. Here are a few pictures…
There is a nice walking area below amongst the greenery!
My return itinerary had me on a Qatar Airways flight to Frankfurt (via a Dreamliner 787) connecting to a British Airways puddle-jumper (2×2 seating) to London City airport. The flight to Frankfurt was around 6 hours and it took a little over an hour to go from Frankfurt to London. I hadn’t flown into (or out of) London City before, so that was a new experience. It’s a small airport, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they had the same automated immigration system that is in place at Heathrow.
From the airport I used the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to connect to the Underground and make my way home. I got back to the flat at 10:30pm.
Funny (Interesting?) Travel Note: When connecting in Frankfurt I didn’t need to go through immigration, but passengers were required to submit to another security screening before entering the British Airways gate area. Well, something on me raised an alert during the body scan, so I was diverted for a pat down. As the agent was feeling my lower chest / upper abdomen through my shirt, he asked, “what is this hard thing?” Um, that’s my rib cage!
Trip Footnotes
I was blown away by Doha. The museums, architecture, dining, infrastructure, and sporting event options are amazing. Plus it’s safe, clean, and the locals are very friendly. Weather-wise, this seemed like the perfect time of year to visit. Temperatures were in the 70s and 80s during my stay.
Of course, my enjoyment and impression of Doha has much to do with my amazing hosts. Thank you so much Ruth & Kent! Your itinerary and dining selections were perfect. And thanks for taking a day off from work Kent! What a trip!
In talking with Ruth & Kent, we seem to agree that it’s been nine years since we last saw each other (in person). That’s scary, and kind of sad. The plan is to not let that happen again! (hopefully I can return the hospitality when they visit Madison?) By my count, we have spent time together in five different countries (and four continents!) – United States, United Kingdom, Iceland (on vacation together – great trip!), Australia, and now Qatar. Pretty cool! And Kent and I worked together in Mexico.
6 thoughts on “JE 135”
What a fun and interesting trip! I absolutely loved all the architecture pictures. The camel racing was pretty cool too. I’m glad you got to visit with Ruth and Kent.
Tim, impressive photos of your trip to Qatar. What an interesting and eclectic view of Qatar you have capture. It is amazing to see how well Qatar has developed and invested in their country. I like the mix of architecture, the Islamic museum & the airport, the boats at the waterfront and the falcon & camels. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! I loved reading this one – it seems like you had a fun, busy weekend with great hosts! I love the contrast between very new/modern and historical.
What a fun and interesting trip! I absolutely loved all the architecture pictures. The camel racing was pretty cool too. I’m glad you got to visit with Ruth and Kent.
Thanks for the note Holly! It was a wonderful visit!
Tim, impressive photos of your trip to Qatar. What an interesting and eclectic view of Qatar you have capture. It is amazing to see how well Qatar has developed and invested in their country. I like the mix of architecture, the Islamic museum & the airport, the boats at the waterfront and the falcon & camels. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Georgina. Thanks for the note! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! I loved reading this one – it seems like you had a fun, busy weekend with great hosts! I love the contrast between very new/modern and historical.
Thanks for the note Kait! It was a wonderful visit!