Before departing to Qatar I was not exactly sure what to expect. Qatar has been in the news with mixed reviews, and being such a small country good information on Doha was scarce. As soon as I stepped off the plane I was immediately taken aback. The airport was spotless, brand new, massive, and emanated similar energy to Disney World. Since that first interaction, that feeling has not really subsided. In fact, laying eyes on the Doha skyline only exacerbated it.
The first picture below, taken on a group tour of Doha that culminated in a visit to the Katara Cultural Village, does the skyline little justice. Being in downtown Doha, where everyone is friendly and feels completely comfortable because of the virtual lack of crime in the country, where the streets and sidewalks are new and spotless, and where stunning buildings stretch in all directions, truly has cemented the surreal, amusement-park feel of this place.
Outside of Doha, the scenery changes dramatically. Likely the most memorable part of the trip thus far has been the overnight desert excursion. We drove to the border of Saudi Arabia on the eastern coast of the country and spent two days riding over the sand dunes and snowboarding (sandboarding) down them. Out here the desert stretches for miles in all directions, interrupted only by the occasional camp set up by locals. We spent the night in one such camp set up directly on the beach. We had some amazing local food, swam in the Persian Gulf, and in the morning even got to ride camels. It was two days filled with some really incredible experiences, and the trip offered a deeper glimpse into Qatari culture.
However, the best glimpse into Qatari culture, in my opinion, has been the trip to the mosque near the Souq Wakif, an open-air market in Doha. This mosque is beautiful, featuring the iconic spiral minaret (pictured below) which has become a symbol of Doha. In the mosque, we had three different tour guides each teach us about different aspects of Qatari and Muslim culture. Understanding more about Islam and the daily practices of Muslim Qataris gave me a deeper understanding of their daily life, their religion, and the pillars of their culture. We were able to sit inside the prayer room and even were there for the live call to prayer sung out over the Souq Wakif by the resident Imam.
This trip has been awesome, and thanks to the hard work of Stephanie Martinez, Kerri Vance, Ken McFarland, and the good folks at CIBS everything has gone very smoothly thus far. They have made the trip really easy for the students, and none of this would be possible without them.
