Qatar is a magical place. I never expected all of the wonderful people, breathtaking views, and delicious food I would get to try within my first week of the program. This first week has been absolutely magical and packed with adventures from sunrise to sunset every single day. I would like to thank CIBS, Dr. McFarland, and Stephanie Martinez for putting this phenomenal trip together. From the moment you step off the plane onto the tarmac in Qatar, you are greeted with nothing but kindness and friendly faces. One of the first things I noticed is how new and perfect everything seems.
My first full day in Qatar consisted of visiting four enormous malls–all of which put our little College Station shack to shame. These malls are ginormous and even that is an understatement. You can find anything and everything your heart desires, and they resemble palaces more than malls. Other than the mall, on the first day we took the metro to downtown Doha and walked alongside the corniche–a beautiful seaside walk filled with monuments, cafes, parks, and more. We saw fishermen fishing off the side of the wall with the futuristic Doha skyline in the background.
My favorite adventure on this trip so far definitely has to be the desert safari. We started with riding 4-wheelers across the racetrack and drifting and doing donuts in the desert sand with sand dunes in the background. After that, we packed into a land cruiser which drove in the desert sand, swerving around and doing all sorts of tricks. I recommend packing some car sickness pills for this one but it was so much fun. The driver started blasting Arabic dubstep music as we drifted through the Qatari desert towards the Inland sea–the natural border with Saudi Arabia. Here, we took a quick stop to slide down some sand dunes and watch the sunset. Afterwards, we made it to the camp and had some delicious BBQ for dinner. After that, we walked along the beach and sled down some more sand dunes. Me and a few other students made an effort to talk to all the locals and drivers and they are all so friendly. The next morning, we woke up at 4:30 AM because we wanted to make the most of our time at the camp. We went sledding on sand dunes again and then did a little sunrise photoshoot and played volleyball on the beach. After that, we rode camels which was such an amazing experience. Overall, my first week in Qatar has been one of the best experiences I?ve ever had in my life and I highly recommend it to anyone.
