Blogs from Qatar, Middle East - page 5

Naszą podróż na koniec świata rozpoczęliśmy od PKP i pociągu pendolino do Warszawy. Ugoszczeni przez Leszka w środku nocy spaghetti i winem bananowym oraz wiśniowym, następnego dnia rano ruszyliśmy na kilkudziesięciogodzinną wyprawę. Mieliśmy przyjemność lecieć liniami Qatar Airways z lotniska Chopina do Doha, następnie do Perth i docelowo do Sydney (ostatni odcinek australijskimi liniami Qantas). W Katarze mieliśmy 8-godzinną przesiadkę, którą wykorzystaliśmy na zwiedzenie tego egzotycznego, dla nas, kraju. Nic prostszego! Na lotnisku należy zamiast do strefy ‘Transfers’ udać się od razu do ‘Arrivals’ i bezpośrednio u urzędnika wykupić ważną 30 dni wizę turystyczną (ok. 100zł). Z lotniska do centrum jechaliśmy ok. 20 minut autobusem miejskim. Pierwsze, co nas ‘uderzyło’ to niesamowity upał. Z lotniska wyszliśmy ok 18:30 czasu lokalnego, już po zmroku, a temperatura sięgała wcią... read more

Well, my time has arrived. I have given it a good three years and I look back at my time here fondly. Despite my gripes, time flew by and I will always treasure my experiences here. I have made many new friends from different places and different walks of life, I gained very valuable experience, and I earned some good money. There are, of course, positives and negatives about Qatar and the Middle East in general, but that is true of any place. When I returned from my annual leave, I had already had it in my mind to go back to the US, but I wanted to go to work and think about it over the weekend before I made up my mind. Well, I guess I was already in the mindset of going home. ... read more

For this past weekend, my friend Samantha and I booked a getaway at the new fancy resort just of the coast of Qatar - 20 minute boat ride from Doha. Anantara Banana Island Resort. Let's just say, it was an amazing retreat! However, one thing that we both agreed on: you definitely never forget that you are in Qatar. So, while we both had a great time and intend to return, it was definitely a roller coaster. I apologize in advance if this reads like a hotel review; in a way it is because we were constantly going through the pros and cons all weekend. Since it is a new resort, it has real potential, but they need to fix quite a few things. We made a full list of items that will be posted on ... read more

One of the best ways to meet people here in Qatar is to get to know the people you work. Sure, you can find community groups of people from your own country, but work is the best way to expand your horizons. I am happy to say that I have friends found at work from the US, England, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa, Egypt, Croatia, Wales, New Zealand, Lebanon, Jordan, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Nepal, etc... Desert Camping This past weekend, a group of us work friends decided to do one of those desert camping adventures. It was 360 riyals per person (around $100) where they would take us to a desert camp and provide us with dinner and breakfast, a pool, and a tent. Thirteen of us opted to go for Friday the 13th. We met at ... read more

Can you, or can we write a blog for spending 24 hours in Doha...is there something to write, or to see in Doha...and what are we doing here for 24 hours....to all those questions, trust me, there is only one answer...could we have 36 hours in a single day...please! The kids have already been on a Qatar Airways plane, but it was a first for me. Tiffany and Leslie have their week of school holidays, so we are heading on the road again. This trip will not be on the glamour side, neither on the bubbles one...rather discovering some out of the way places. I have few miles to use...that's not a surprise for anybody, so we are using them this time on Qatar, with a 24 hours lay-over in Doha. First impression of Qatar Airways ... read more