post doha 03
January 14th 2007 05:10
there is not a whole lot to do in doha for recreation. in total, i would say approximately three main pass times - shopping in the souq, quad biking in the desert, or four wheel driving safari in the desert.
the souq marketplace late on a rainy desert night
try a crepe
carl trying the shisha and the food is coming
the wicked oils:
try and buy an exoctic oil
or maybe but a falcon!
falcon hell!
considering that qatar is majority desert, it stands to reason that the qataris have mastered the way to pass time in it. the best way to do that is either with a roaring v8 under the hood, or with a screaming two stroke between your legs! fortunately i tried both of these and walked away smiling after both adventures.
the 4wd safari took us all the way to the saudi arabian border (with a few hairy moments along the way) and habib our driver was more than accomodating.
georgia contemplating swiming to saudi arabia
he showed us crazy driving tracks, beautiful sunsets, desert flowers, and introduced us to his desert friends:
eating dates and sipping arabic coffee in the middle of nowhere
at night he took us to his friends at one of the remote communities and we had a big arabic bbq with some of the nicest salads i've ever tasted, followed by shisha of course.
the view from our campsite in the desert
for a more adrenalised visit to the desert, quad biking through the dunes is the best way to see it! there's no road rules here, so caution has to be used at all times (as i found out after nearly being cleaned up by a nissan patrol charging down a dune at me). but there is nothing like the feeling of tearing through a sand dune on a quad bike with the ocean on one side, nothing but desert on the other, and an ever changing colour spectrum as the sun sets on the arabian desert.
living large in the desert!
the qataris are similar to australians in that they like to relax and have a good time, although i think they place a far greater emphasis on family values than we do. one of the major differences between the socialising of the two cultures, is that it is illegal to drink in doha. i liked this rule as i noticed a great deal of petty crime didn't happen, and i think the two were linked. late night pointless destruction doesn't happen, violence isn't apparent, anyone is safe wherever they walk at any time of the night, and it may also have a tie into why theft doesn't occur. australians have a very strong culture of catching up with mates at the end of the day at the pub to discuss how the day went over a couple of coldies. the qataris do the same, but over a couple of hotties (shisha pipes), and the attitude of the people is so much more relaxed. by the way the pipes are only flavoured tobacco. once again, i can only appreciate the difference between the two cultures and profoundly exclaim 'they just are', and i am pleased that they are just that.
welcoming arabian nights
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Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Wowie : that exotic oil shop looks wonderful, along with coffee, quad biking and sunsets in the middle of nowhere, sounds like a slice of heaven to me!
What's that Sisha all about J?
Great photo's
Lilla
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
more to the point of shisha culture, is how people meet at the end of the day and have a pipe together and wash it down with a fresh mango juice or stiff arabic coffee. i must say it is greatly more relaxing to lay back on a big couch and smoke a pipe than sitting on a uncomfortable bar stool throwing back a beer. however the feeling or the surrounding culture is very much similar.
i recommend strawberry flavoured, or if you're feeling a little saucy, the apple shisha is the way to go!
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
yeah you are right about mixed emotions when contemplating nothingness. the only way i could describe it is this funny almost rumbling feeling in your stomach. that then either escalates to joy or intimidation. i guess it depends on the individuals experience. for me, it was nothing but bliss and was an amazing adventure.
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Comment by Dave
That's funny on many levels! Not funny for the birds i guess but i suppose they're not meant to be happy creatures...
Great pics. What you've captured is powerfully middle eastern - what was the air like to smell/breathe? I can't believe you've eaten dates and drunk arabic coffee off the back of a 4wd in qatar! Much respect.
ps. how do you pronounce "souq"
Comment by Anonymous
you pronounce souq as 'soook', and it is really funny to hear a scotsman pronounce it. it is similar to how an aussie would proclaim that someone is having a tanty - 'yeah ahm goin' for a wee little walk through tha soooks, should be aboot 'alf an hour!' hilarious!
so the falcons are quite well looked after considering they sell for anything between 2 and 20 thousand us dollars each. they probably were eating better thatn i was, and they definately had better headress on!
the air is nice. quite often i would lick my lips and taste salt - i guess a combination of sea and desert. the air produces this haze on the horizon, which i presume is from the sand blowing around. so although twilight hours don't last that long (it is like someone turning on and off a fluro light), the colours that the sun produces through this haze is both spectacular and beautiful. the ultimate 'magic hours' you might say. also very nice to breathe it in and out as polution is not an issue here. it begets a relaxed atmosphere to suit perfectly.