First impressions of Doha…

Bob the Builder couldn’t even fix this place, though he certainly seems to be trying based on the amount of construction going on. So my first day in Doha is coming to an end and I spent most of it out and about. At least that’s what my sunburn suggests. The concierge provided me with a lot of suggestions this morning, at least half of which were visiting construction zones. He kept saying “and maybe when you come back the construction will be completed.” In that case you can take your time building the stuff, cause it’ll be a while!

The most interesting thing I saw was Souq Waqif, which was a more traditional market, selling everything from birds to rugs to Dunkin’ Donuts (maybe that last part isn’t all that “traditional”). I’ll save the details of that for the trip report, though.

While I’ve felt totally safe, I haven’t felt especially welcome (and no, I’m not walking around wearing an “I love the USA” t-shirt). I’ve felt welcome by the ex-pats, which I suppose compromise a majority of the service industry, though the “natives” have been anything but friendly. Being a pedestrian in Doha is also quite difficult, since there are almost no crosswalks and there’s no way in heck you’re crossing a street without a crosswalk. Therefore something as simple as crossing the street can take a half-mile detour.

Beach at the InterContinental

Islamic Museum

Souq Waqif