we come from Sila in the UAE
at the border with Saudi Arabia we are checked 8 times
police escort on the highway
a pick-up with 4 Arabs offers us a lift
before we know it we're in Dohai
we cycle along the modern corniche with the traditional dhow harbour, a nice contrast
the Expo 2023 world exhibition
the Dutch pavilion: condensing water from the air on a cooled glass tube
the Museum of Islamic Art
on the origins, spread and influence of Islam
immersed in souq waqif
the sheik who shopped here banned redevelopment of this area
it is now Doha's number one tourist attraction
from perfume to kashmir shawls, from kandoras to all sorts of knickknacks
we find Doha a very nice city and enjoy it to the full
we eat in a Thai restaurant
and end on the corniche, a last view of the skyline at night
on our way to Al Thakhira in the north
past the pearl (actually already dated)
World Cup 2022, football stadium in the shape of a Bedouin tent
the new Lusail district
beautifully designed public space, very natural with a fine human scale
a shark floats between the tall buildings
we sleep in a kiosk under construction right by the sea
over the Olympic cycling track
to the mangrove forests where we stay for a few days
on our way to Zekreet in the west
a small hamlet with a monumental mosque and a restored house of the imam
founded by the British after the discovery of oil
at night we hear the heavy hum of oil extraction
we are invited to sleep a few nights in Shaja's Bedouin tent
Richard Serra's artwork
huge steel plates that give you an idea/feeling of the endless size of the desert
simple but oh so beautiful
al shahaniya, camel races and miss camel elections, multi-million dollar business
camels through the x-ray checked for Botox and plastic surgery
the camels were ridden by young light boys
due to numerous accidents and falls, the boys were replaced by robots
on both sides of the course 4-lane tarmac roads
where owners and keepers ride along with the camels
shouting into the walki talki and operating the whip
now the big all-terrain vehicles occasionally hit each other to drive in the best position
at Rachid's farm, near the races, Wen becomes unwell
taken by ambulance to hospital
blood pressure much too high, all other tests are good
a sign from the body to rest
in mid-January, much earlier than planned, we return home
we enjoyed the endless deserts and the fine winter temperatures so much
of the hospitality and being included in Arab culture
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