free day in Doha

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I wasn't sure how long it would take to get my work done at the undisclosed location, so I didn't book a return until Friday evening. That means that today was a free day in Doha. I took advantage of the spare time to sleep in, but I'm over the jet lag thing apparently. I was out of bed by 8:00. Oh well, at least I'll get to suffer when I get back home on Saturday.

I went out and decided to head toward the Corniche. I was excited to see restaurants at the end of the Dhow pier, but as I approached, it was obvious they were closed and being torn down. By the time I got back to an area that had restaurants, they were closed. I was able to get some street food: samosas. Thank god I love grease.

I wandered back to the Maharaja, the place where I found the excellent dosa. I managed to sneak in before they stopped serving lunch. Apparently they only serve dosas for breakfast and dinner. The thali was certainly good enough.

I had wandered through the souqs on my way to the Corniche, but they were closed and deserted. I went back after lunch and they were just starting to open up again. There's a bird store on the Corniche side and it attracted a lot of attention. The Qataris apparently love their falcons. I was impressed by how easily handled the falcons were. The gloves one wears to handle the birds could also be used for welding.

I bought a bunch of things at the souqs, mostly clothes. I wanted to buy what they call in the Maghreb a kaftan, but apparently there's a middle eastern word which I cannot remember. I got the full kit. I feel a little strange having bought a bunch of what I call beanies, since they're supposedly reserved for cheikhs, but nobody knows that back home.

Without wandering far from the center of the city, I think I exhausted the things to see. I did walk by some of what I suspect is "old Doha." The pre-war buildings are fast disappearing. From the size of the government ministries along the Corniche, I get the impression that whole old neighborhoods have been razed in the last 20 years.

I now have about 3 hours to kill before going to the airport. What to do what to do. Oh, I know, I'll go to the hotel bar and drink.

Bye for now. We'll see you again in Peru in 2 weeks.

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Photos

digital minaret
Apparently the muezzin phones in the call to prayer on his cell phone

Inside the souqs
It's a lot more exotic than it looks

falcons
birds of a feather flock together

old Doha
Not too many of the old buildings left in Doha

disappearing Doha
These buildings are going, going, gone.

graffiti
The graffiti in Doha is very disappointing.