Exploring Doha - Day 1 - 15 August 2024

It was India's 78th Independence Day. After a cup of coffee, I had a muesli breakfast in the room. At this age a buffet breakfast, or for that matter any buffet, is a waste of money. A few mouthfuls if porridge or cereal are enough to sate the hunger. With a view to beat the heat I decided to leave the hotel at 8 am. As I opened the hotel's lobby door to start the day's program I almost swooned in the blast of hot and humid air.

Fresh from a decent night in bed, I soldiered on. Walking down the streets, with not a single person in sight on foot and drivers of cars looking at me as if I were mad, I came to a massive building that housed the offices of certain ministers. As I was focusing to take a photo a security guard came out of his perch and shooed me away. The Flag Plaza was just a short walk from there.

The MIA Flag Plaza is a community space located near MIA Park, dedicated to celebrating unity and cultural exchange. The site houses 119 flags representing nations with diplomatic missions in Qatar, as well as the European flag, the United Nations flag and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) flag; it also plays host to festivals, celebrations and other community events.

At the plaza's entrance is Najla El Zein’s Us, Her, Him, an abstract reflection on human interaction and connection. The installation is composed of a series of benches made of hand-sculpted limestone, illustrating various modes of human interaction: acquaintance, friendship, love, introversion, confidence, familiarity, fluidity and obstruction. The benches are intended for functional use, for people to sit together and find commonality and community.

As I was beating the heat, shielding myself from the intensity of the sun a smiling Sharafuddin offered to take me around the sights of Doha at $20 an hour. I found the rate excessive, but I humoured him for a while so that I could call him in case I found the heat unbearable later. Sharafuddin hails from Kozhikode and has been in Doha for over 15 years. He disarmingly disclosed that following the bumper earnings during the 2022 World Cup, he went home for a year and returned to Doha only after the money ran out. He also told me that he lost a huge amount a few years back playing cards, wanting to get rich quick.

As I was walking through the MIA Park I was accosted by Iqbal, another driver who offered a city tour. The entire city seems to be full of Mallus offering such services. They are mostly from the northern parts of Kerala.

The MIA Park is said to be one of the best and most beautiful green spaces along the Doha waterfront. Today it was too hot to walk around and enjoy all the attractions within the Park. The Museum of Islamic Art Park is home to Richard Serra's vertical steel sculpture, known as 7. The Park is also home to cafes with some of the finest city views in Doha, including the MIA Park Cafe, as well as food trucks. When the weather is appropriate, joggers enjoy the 1km crescent pathway around the park, which also has a kids play area.

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is a museum at one end of the seven-kilometer-long (4.3 mi) Doha Corniche. The Chinese architect I. M. Pei had the museum built on an island off an artificial projecting peninsula near the traditional Doha dhow harbor. Al Wakrah was a modest fishing and pearling spot at the period, with between 250 and 300 boats moored there, between 1920 and 1925, according to various government documents. The MIA terrace affords a lovely view of the traditional harbour. 

Dhows are sailing vessels that can seen all across the Indian Ocean. Although there are variations according to the region of origin, all dhows are built of hardwood planks that are sewn together.  Dhows are traditionally three to five tons in weight and require a crew of 12 to 30 sailors. Traditional Qatari dhows are double-masted and cover the whole tonnage spectrum. Traditional Qatari dhows come in a wide range of tonnages, are double-masted, and sail with triangular sails.

A purpose-built park surrounds the edifice on the eastern and southern facades while two bridges connect the southern front facade of the property with the main peninsula that holds the park. The western and northern facades are marked by the harbor showcasing the Qatari seafaring past.

The MIA opens at 9 am and has an entrance fee of 50 QAR for foreign visitors. As an early bird, I was the first to enter the museum this day. The museum at four levels requires at least half a day to do some justice to appreciate the awesome collection of Islamic art from across the Islamic world spanning multiple centuries. The aesthetically displayed pieces with succinct description made me stay on for longer than I had intended to. Pottery, ceramic, paintings, textiles, the holy book, jewellery, carpets, sculptures, tiles, building materials, objects of warfare, gifts and many more transfixed me in those cavernous galleries.

After spending a few hours in the MIA I walked in searing heat to the desert rose shaped National Museum of Qatar. I felt as if my legs would give way. Sheer determination kept me on my feet. My t-shirt was drenched in sweat and I was drinking water by the gallons.

The current building of the National Museum was opened to the public on 28 March 2019, replacing the previous building that had stood there from 1975. The architect of the building was inspired by the desert rose crystal, which is found in Qatar. The museum site includes Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's Palace, which is the heart of the Qatari national identity.

The National Museum, which has an entrance fee of 50 QAR for foreign visitors, is an immersive expert for children and adults alike. Amazing displays of Qatar's past, the flora and fauna, the unforgiving desert and its habitants, the gradual development of the country over the past century, its pearl diving past and much, much more can be experienced here.

Kids can have a wonderful time, playing and learning. How I wished that my grandchildren were with me! All in all, it is a massive experience of knowledge enhancement.

When I exited the National Museum the hot blast nearly floored me. I somehow dragged myself back to the hotel room. The t-shirt was dripping with sweat and my legs had gone numb. After sitting in the room to recover from the onslaught of the heat and humidity I had a couple of burger buns with the mortadella with olives. Food never tasted better. I also had some of the grapes I had bought last night.

After a short nap and change of clothes I set off for the afternoon program. First, I went to the Islamic Exchange and got some US dollar change stop the Qatari Riyal. The exchange rate was certainly way better than what was offered at the airport last night. With that done I walked to the majestic Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre, a popular landmark of the city.

As I entered the building, I was greeted by a Keralite who showed me inside a hall that explained Islam and its development in simple terms on posters stuck to the wall. I took my time going through the entire script. It was the first time I understood the connection between Christianity and Islam so well. As I was studying the posters I was served Islamic coffee and water. A gentleman introduced himself to me as one who works there and asked me to enjoy the visit.

As I was leaving, he gave me a gift of a book that contained all the writings on the walls in the hall, a cap and a scarf. He also asked if I would like to experience a VR show of the Kaaba. I wouldn't miss that for anything. He took me to another part of the centre, where he showed me a copy of the original Quran; the original is in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.

A portion of the curtain on the Kaaba that is 48 years old is on display in this section of the centre. The seven-minute VR film was awesome. It looked so real that I can claim to have seen what most Muslims may also not have seen, the inside of the Kaaba.

A short walk from the Islamic Cultural Centre is the celebrated Souq Waqif. The foreground of the Souq has benches to sit and relax, Turkish ice cream or steamed corn cobs to savour, a camel ride for the adventurous and even a stagecoach ride for the romantic. Souq Waqif means standing market. It is a marketplace that sells traditional garments, birds, spices, sweats, handicrafts, souvenirs in its labyrinthine corridors. The origin of the Souq goes back a couple of centuries. The Souq was renovated in 2006. I picked up a fridge magnet and some traditional Qatari halwa.

Exiting the Souq I went around the many cafes, restaurants and chai shops that surround the Souq. They were slowly coming to life as, with the heat relenting a bit, there were more people to be seen around. Even the locals were finding the heat and humidity intolerable.

The Al Koot Fort, or the Doha Fort, is a short distance from the Souq and is a historical military fortress, built in 1927. The fort is now a museum. It was closed at the time of my visit. I decided to head back to the hotel. My route lay through a lane that was lined by eateries. I spied one that sold traditional Qatari foods.

I took a seat at one of them and ordered a Maqboos, a kind of biriyani. The generous helping of masala rice and two big pieces of chicken arrived on the table quickly. As I was savoring the rather bland 'biriyani' a waiter brought me a bottle of spicy pepper sauce. I didn't dare to try that and went through the bland dish leisurely, talking to the waiters, all of whom belonged to Kerala. They told me that the oppressive weather would last a few more weeks.

Once the meal was done, I wished them and took the 1.3 km walk back to the hotel slowly. The humidity was killing. The air-conditioned lobby of the hotel, when I got there, felt like Paradise. I have quite a lot on my plate tomorrow and I need to regain strength in my legs. An early hop into bed is warranted.

On an impulse - 14 August 2024 - Mumbai to Doha

Normally when I travel, I tend to plan quite ahead of the vacation just so that the research is comprehensive. This time, a weekend that got enlarged because of the Independence Day on Thursday, the 15th, with an available casual leave opened up the thought of an international tour at the very last moment; in fact, only at the start of this week. Thus, this trip is one of the most impulsive I have undertaken so far.

I had planned to tour four of the Middle Eastern countries during the past Ramadan. I had cried off then as I was told that most of the attractions and eating places would be closed in deference to the religious customs and traditions. Now, Qatar looked the most obvious option for a short holiday of four days for two reasons, reasonable airfare and easy visa. After exploring various options, thanks to Rajiv Shah of Network Tours and Travels, I settled for the Akasa Air round trip flights between Mumbai and Doha. The flight timings were such that I would get four full days in Doha.

Rajiv Shah also got me authentic information on the visa process. One can either apply from the Discover Qatar website separately for a Hayya Entry Visa for 100 QAR (a Qatari Riyal is worth nearly Rs. 23) or book a hotel from a list provided in the website, which automatically generated a free Visa On Arrival. I chose the latter because I found the hotel rates cheaper in the website and also avoided the hassle of waiting for a visa; I didn't check how long a Hayya Entry Visa would take, though.

With the flight and accommodation done, and Rajiv helping me with the Overseas Medical Insurance as he always does, it was time to pack. A cursory check of the weather I could expect in Doha turned up the warning, "Excessive Heat". One of the first items that went into the suitcase were a hat and a cap with a neckpiece too.

I didn't get enough authentic information over the internet on whether I can rent a car in Doha with an Indian Driving Licence. An enquiry on Facebook turned up encouraging and not so encouraging information, which I intend to check out on arrival in Doha. However, I found that most of the attractions could be taken leisurely on foot from the Plaza Inn Hotel or by using the extensive network of public transport such as the metro train, tram and bus.

The metro trains are said to be top class and the best driverless ones in the world. It is cheap too. One doesn't necessarily have to buy a day pass to explore the city; the fare for an entire day of unlimited travel is capped at QAR 6 (about Rs. 140). The non-transferable, widely available, travel card costs QAR 10 and can be topped up easily as per requirement.

While researching for the places to visit in Doha I came across so many that I felt that I could have done better justice with a couple of days more. To tailor the itinerary for the four days I had, I left out the adventure sports, theme parks and limited the forays into Malls. I made an exception with the Mall of Qatar, the largest in the country, and the Venetian themed Villagio Mall as they are icons of the city.

The shape of the peninsular Arabian country, Qatar, reminded me of Taiwan, though the latter is three times the size of the former in size. Qatar has only one land border, with Saudi Arabia to its South. The rest of the country is surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The capital city of Qatar is Doha and is its Doha is largest city too; over 80% of the nation’s population reside in Doha and its suburbs. It is also the economic centre of the country.

The Gulf of Bahrain separates Bahrain and Qatar. The population of Qatar is estimated at 2.8 million - only 315,000 are Qatari citizens - with 49% Arabs and almost 44% South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Sri Lankan). 65% profess Islam while 15% are Hindus and 14% Christian by religion. It has the fourth highest per capita income (by purchasing power parity) in the world at $114,00.

The Qatari flag has two colours, white and maroon; the Qatari flag is the only national flag in the world where the width is twice its height. The nine serrations on the flag indicate the 9 erstwhile Emirs, seven of which now form the UAE. The others are the independent countries of Bahrain and Qatar.

The country gained independence from Britain on 3 September 1971. Qatar has been a hereditary monarchy ruled by the House of Thani. The founder of Qatar, Mohammad bin Thani, signed an agreement with British in 1868 recognising the separate status of Qatar. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire Qatar became a British protectorate. The present Emir is Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the eight since the House of Thani started ruling Qatar from 1825.

Qatari law prohibits the formation of political bodies and trade unions. It has stringent rules on public display of affection, consumption of liquor, cohabitation, dress code, etc. Flogging and stoning are legal punishments in Qatar. Blasphemy and proselytizing can earn stiff prison sentences.

Qatar has been an outlier in Middle Eastern politics. It has strong ties with France, China, Iran and Turkey and is thought to support a number of Islamist movements in the Middle East. Bilateral relations with other Middle Eastern countries have been strained because of this leading to what is referred to as the New Arab Cold War.

Though many controversies surrounded Qatar hosting the 2022 Football World Cup, the meticulous manner in which the entire tournament was conducted and the innovative infrastructure that sprung up in the country put to bed most of them. 32 countries competing in 62 matches set up the spectacle of the first WC ever to be held in the Middle East, that Argentina won.

Al Jazeera is a news channel operating 24/7 and is partly funded by the Qatar government. It is the first global English news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. It is known for its in-depth reporting in conflict zones. It has faced criticism of being an anti-American platform. Most recently, Al Jazeera was shut down in Israel and its equipment seized on national security grounds.

First impressions

The Akasa flight that had taken off from Mumbai more than an hour behind schedule landed in Doha 20 minutes late. Even though many counters were open for immigration, the queues moved slowly as the officers took their own sweet time to process each passenger. Moreover, some of them were even downright rude with them. When I reached the counter, I was asked to go and get a stamp on my Discover Qatar print out!

There are no instructions anywhere and it was a waste of time. Moreover, the desks of Hayya and Discover Qatar are tucked away in a niche of the Immigration Hall, where one cannot even see it.  The biometric exercise, for some strange reason is also time consuming. The officers just seemed disinterested and lazy. Despite the time taken at the immigration, the baggage hadn't arrived, and it again took its own time getting deposited on the carousel. First impressions - be ready for laziness and slow coach activity.

At the currency exchange counter, I was told there would be a 20 QAR fee for the exchange. When I told them that it was extortionist, the lady blandly told me, "This is Qatar". Indeed, it sunk in. However, the experience at the Oreedoo Sim card kiosk was different. An Indian origin salesperson serviced his customers so fast that the Videocon kiosk right next to it remained without any customers.

A decent walk away, within the airport complex, is the Metro Terminal. I purchased a Travel Card and found my way to the well-lit and spacious metro station. The headway of trains is quite good. The rake was neat and clean with regular announcements. I changed f om the Red line to the Gold line at Msheireb station without any hassle and got to the Souq Waqif metro station. I exited as I had researched and took a while to adjust to the heat and humidity. I started sweating profusely and took the 900 meter walk leisurely.

Once I reached the hotel, the check-in was done smoothly and I was shown into my room. It was already 10 pm in Doha. I was hungry as my Akasa flight was a 'No Meal' one. The hotel staff directed me the metromart convenience store close to the hotel. I picked up milk, burger buns, grapes and beef mortadella olive. After a dinner of burger buns, mortadella and coffee it was time to rest the weary limbs after a long day.

Tbilisi To Ahmedabad - 6 July 2024

The final repacking of the check-in baggage done, we waited for the taxi to arrive for the ride to the airport. It arrived as appointed at 7 am. The driver said that he lived just next door to the hotel. I asked him why he had put up his residence for sale. He said that it was not suitable as a residential address any more due to the noise and commercial activities in the vicinity. It is ideal for a rental or hotel, instead.

The traffic, at that hour, was light and we reached the airport in about 20 minutes. The quick check-in, speedy immigration and non-invasive security saw us with plenty of time in hand before the boarding time of 9.15 am. There was enough time for breakfast of toast, egg and avocado and ham and cheese.

The flight to Abu Dhabi was on time. As the ticket was sans a meal, I utilised the three-hour flying time to work off the fatigue of the previous days. We landed on the dot for the 12-hour layover at 1320 hrs. With not much interest in duty free or souvenir shopping I launched into completing the leftover blogs with undivided attention. Before I could do that I had to attend to the needs of a growling stomach.

Lunch consisted of shrimp pasta. When coffee time came it was coffee and croissant; the blog work continued. The number of passengers did not seem to strain the resources of the airport at any time. We had to find suitable seating depending on how cold the area was. At times we found it unbearably cold. The blower was working with a vengeance, one felt. Without a jacket it meant that we had to keep moving around looking for comfortable seating. Dinner was a falafel platter. In between the meals we polished off almost a quarter kg of Toblerone minis.

Once the blogs were out of the way it was time for a comparison of the two countries covered in the trip, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The architecture and the preservation of monuments were much better in Azerbaijan. Overall, the road infrastructure in Georgia trumped over that in Azerbaijan. Massive inputs are going into the Tbilisi to Batumi sector with numerous tunnels through the Caucuses Mountain range. That said, there was much better speed limit indicators, at frequent intervals on the highways and rural roads in Azerbaijan; one was never in doubt about the permissible speed. While the limit plus 9 was the cut off for fines in Azerbaijan, it was plus 14 kph in Georgia. Speed cameras were, without fail, prewarned in Azerbaijan, while that wasn't always the case in Georgia.

While 97 percent of people in Azerbaijan professed Islam, 89 percent in Georgia were Christians; both countries are examples of a secular state. People do not wear religion on their sleeves; the number of mosques and churches that dot the country indicates the majority religion. The war in Ukraine has affected Georgia more with graffiti expressly stating which side the protesting youngsters were on. Fortunately, the unexpected, good performance of Georgia in the ongoing UEFA Cup championships led to temporary suspension of protests, against the country's support for Russia, in the Freedom Square in Tbilisi that had been going on for four months.

The cost of living in both countries is more or less the same going by what I paid for hotels, food and services. Overall, the people in Azerbaijan are more friendly; Georgians are rude and boorish, albeit with certain welcome exceptions. I felt that they were intolerant of English and the brown skin; it was the first time I felt so in my travels to 58 countries. The experience left such a distaste that I have marked that Georgia is one country I would not like to come back to.

Car rental in both the countries was easy and hassle free; the condition of the car I got in Azerbaijan was better, though. While I paid the equivalent of INR 6000 in fines in Azerbaijan, I did not pay a rupee in Georgia. Camera surveillance in Azerbaijan is stricter covering parking, lanes, speed, etc.

The biggest surprise of the trip came at the Ahmedabad International Airport where the modest Duty Free outlet was doing brisk business. I had been under the impression all along that one could not buy liquor from there because Gujarat is a dry state. When I saw passengers buying liquor, I asked the staff of it was permitted to take it out of the airport. I was told that the Duty Free invoice is valid for 24 hours (I am not sure whether the liquor has to be consumed within 24 hours or the bottles transported out of the State within that free time). Moreover, he said that if one subscribes to the Adani One App one can get an additional 10 percent discount. This was music to my ears and a superb end to a most enjoyable mid-year vacation.