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The Adventures of RoadKapje in Qatar:

Two months in Bali are gone! We thank the people who live in Bali (including the temporary ones) for their nice encounters! We also wish Bali a beautiful future with beautiful nature and its special inhabitants.



We have since made the decision to travel back to Roadkapje via Qatar. Instead of staying at the airport for a few hours and then transferring to the plane to Kiev, we decide to stay in Doha, Qatar for a few days. This is a completely different atmosphere, environment and standard of living compared to what we have seen and experienced in the past year.



We walk around the neighborhood to the National Museum or Qatar. This building is built in the shape of a desert rose. Very impressive building style! However, surveillance in the neighborhood and around the building is becoming increasingly strict. When we are at the entrance of the museum we are stopped. This guard has a very long list... However, there was an error with the organization, because we are not on the VIP list!

Unfortunately we cannot enter the museum. It is the official opening of this museum, with very many special guests. Including the head of state of Qatar, heads of state of various countries, globally known authors, actresses and photo models. After 15 years of construction, today the building is officially opened without our presence.



At a Pakistani bakery nearby we are invited to come and have a look at his bakery. The bread is baked in front of us. Baking starts in the afternoon, so that freshly baked bread can be bought for the evening. Barrels full of dough are ready to bake bread from. By sticking it against the wall of the oven, deliciously scented and tasting flat bread is baked around bread. There is a long line of people waiting for this delicious fresh bread! We are at the forefront and taste the first.



Thanks to a group of enthusiastic couch surfers / friends, we can experience the atmosphere of Doha in a short time. In 3 days, they each take us in tow. It is an example of how beautiful the concept of couch surfing can be in practice. It is precisely those who have the time to, in this case, let us taste the atmosphere of Doha and the surrounding area.



Firstly, the Souq Waqif, the market. There is a relaxed atmosphere at the spice, souvenir and animal market. Our visit to the animal market helps the girls to think about animal trade and the consequences for the animals. Thanks to our host, we are introduced to the delicious sweet flavors of Qataar desserts. In clothing, adapted to the rules of the country, we admire the clothing of the visitors of the souq. Doha has a diverse population, because a large part is expat. The Qatari itself are clearly recognizable on the street. Men in dresses or skirts are nothing strange to us, our journey started in Scotland! Also on Bali we have regularly seen men in skirts (sarongs), because ceremonies take place there daily, and because it is just nice to wear in the tropics. In Qatar it is the Qatari who wear white dresses with headgear and black ring. The Qatari women also wear long robes. These are black and range from just a headscarf to a mask and veil to cover the entire face.



For the first time, with the exception of Japan, we see no dirt on the street. Or rather: it is immediately removed / swept by (foreign) cleaners. The next day we see, from the boulevard with Dhows (Qatari fishing boats), the skyline of Doha, (which has the nickname grave). Here are the offices and government buildings.

When we want to visit the Islamic Art Museum, it appears that we are not mentioned on the VIP list there either. We drink delicious Arabic coffee, Arabic Karak Chai and eat Arabic pizza, in the Katara Cultural Village and The Pearl, with our cozy Couchsurfing hosts and lady. We wonder about the luxury that exists in the expensive neighborhoods of the city. This is a big contrast with the village in Bali and other countries where we have been in recent months...



The couch surfers group also surprises us by taking us to a desert race. Seeing the area outside Doha towards the desert is already impressive. The architectural style of the houses, the bare plains, the good road surface, luxury cars with a special driving style from Qatari drivers.



And then... the desert dunes come into the picture. How much sand! We see nomad tents in marketed areas.

There is a grandstand on the race track. Vehicles race in the sandbox to win the prize. Under the blazing sun, the fanatic racing spirit suddenly comes to mind! In the beautiful sunset we quickly admire some camels and fanatic car owners who try to defy the desert dunes. Very impressive. Certainly when we imagine that here in a different season, all day, much more than now, it will be a blistering heat. In the car, on the way to our hotel, we tighten our jacket even more tightly, because everywhere in Doha the air conditioners are on freezer!

Thank you very much, special couch surfers from Doha! You have made our time in Doha unforgettable! We are on our way to the meeting with Roadkapje, being a spring atmosphere, Ukraine!



More Roadtrip stories are to be found at 'Our Adventure'.






 

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