Gallivanting Grandma

Wednesday – January 31, 2018

After a yummy fresh breakfast in the Santa Monica Breakfast Club, we had a welcome briefing with all 24 Vantage Tour participants.  Then we all went out for a “panoramic tour” of Doha.  The coach drove us to the historic district of Msheireb and we stopped for a quick visit to see the historic museum.

We saw an excellent film about the history of Qatar and the development of the economy from pearl diving to the discovery of oil and natural gas.  It was a good introduction to this region of the world.

Afterwards, we went to the Falcon Souq to see the shops where Qataris buy their hunting birds.  Falconry is a very popular sport among wealthy Qatari citizens who pay upwards of $25,000 for each falcon.

Across the street was the famous Souq Waqif  which has been a marketplace for Bedouin nomads for centuries.

Qatari citizens drive white Toyotas, BMWs, or Mercedes SUVs around the city.  Unlike some other Arabian countries, Qatari women are allowed to drive, however many have chauffeurs.

We had a delicious Middle Eastern/Syrian lunch in a restaurant called Damaskas One which was located on the street behind the Souq.  We also had some time to explore inside the Souq and the numerous shops outside.

We passed the prominent landmark building of the Abdullah Bin Zaid al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center.  The center’s most distinguished feature is its mosque which has a unique circular minaret.

The next place we visited was the Museum of Islamic Art, which was designed by IM Pei.  The building stands out as an architectural gem.  It was built on a man-made island at one end of the Corniche and is surrounded by the extensive landscaped lawns and ornamental trees of MIA Park.

The collection is spread over three floors and the museum houses the largest collection of Islamic art in the world.  The building is a feast for the eyes and the artworks are fantastic.

After several hours at the museum, we returned to the Grand Hyatt to relax.  Later, we had a delicious three-course dinner in the Italian restaurant at the hotel.  It was a fun evening and a good welcome to Qatar.

Tuesday – January 30, 2018

This was another day to myself as the rest of the tour group would arrive later in the evening.  I had a leisurely breakfast outdoors on the patio of the Santa Monica Breakfast Club.  It was a gorgeous bright sunny day!

I asked the doorman to call a taxi for me and I rode into downtown Doha.  I took the photo below out of the window of the taxi.  The face on many buildings and cars is that of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the current Emir of Qatar.

Qatar has about 2.6 million inhabitants.  The majority of the citizens live in the capital city of Doha.  Foreign workers make up 88% of the total population.  There are about 300,000 Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates or “expats” as the workers are called.

At home, I had researched important sights to see in Doha and I checked off the ones listed on the tour itinerary.  One sight not mentioned was the Msheireb Museums, a complex of four historic houses located in the oldest part of the city.  The Bin Jelmood House explained the global and local slave trade and acknowledged the cultural and economic contributions of enslaved people to the development of the region.

The Company House told the story of the pioneering petroleum industry workers and their families who helped transform Qatar from a tribal desert community to the vast riches of oil and natural gas.  Videos, three-dimensional figures, and interactive displays helped to tell the story of the rapid growth and development of Qatar during the last 50 years.

The third house was the Mohammed Bin Jassim House which demonstrated changes in the Msheireb neighborhood.  The exhibit stated that past experiences were the foundations of the future development of Doha.  The was also an exhibit of genetics and educating future generations about medical advances.

The Radwani House was built in the 1920s and recently restored to show traditional Qatari family life over many decades.

I spent several enjoyable hours at the Msheireb Museum houses and learned a lot about Qatari history.  It was getting late and I had to find a taxi back to the hotel.  I walked through the neighborhood toward the bay and the famous seaside Corniche.  It was rush hour and the traffic was heavy.

The Mosque in the museum complex:

The Souq Waqif  and the Islamic Center in the distance:

The Clock Tower of Diwan-e-Emire, the Parliament Building and near the Grand Mosque:

I finally found an available taxi and returned to the hotel.  I relaxed and met our Vantage tour guide: Maged Salib who was waiting in the lobby for everyone to arrive.

My roommate, Linda, arrived and we settled into our large shared room on the first floor with a huge outdoor patio.  We explored the beautiful grounds at night and enjoyed a delicious Turkish dinner in one of the hotel restaurants.  It was a beautiful evening in the Richest City in the World:

Monday January 29, 2018

I arrived in Doha, Qatar early this morning after two seven hour flights with an hour stopover in London. I cleared customs, obtained a tourist visa, found an ATM to exchange dollars to Riyals, and caught a taxi. So, when I arrived at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, I was very tired but excited.  I had arrived in the “Richest Country in the World!”

I slept for a few hours but was awakened at two o’clock by housekeeping who wanted to clean the room. Afterwards, I showered, dressed and went down to explore the hotel and take pictures.

The hotel is huge:4 restaurants (Italian, Thai, American, & Turkish) and 2 bars, several pools, lovely gardens, and a private beach. There are also “villas” on the property for families. I took the photo below in the American restaurant named the Santa Monica Breakfast Club.

Everyone I met today in Doha was friendly and helpful. They’re hard working young people (“ex-pats”) who came to Qatar to work and earn money. They were from everywhere: Tunisia, Tibilisi Georgia, Eritrea, Thailand, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc. etc.

I rested and relaxed at the Grand Hyatt today and planned to go into the city of Doha tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.  This was a great beginning of my Arabian Adventure.