My sister Helen is currently living in Doha, Qatar for a few years with her husband's work contract, so I flew via Doha to London on Qatar Airways to stop off and glimpse her new abode and surroundings.
It was so interesting to see such a distinctly different environment to my own. I loved my Day in Doha, and will hopefully return for longer to explore the gulf region a bit further.
Here's a brief overview....Helen picked me up and drove me home via the camel market. What a sight! Hundreds of camels in all sizes in smallish pens. Deals were being struck on elevated platforms where the relevant parties sat cross legged or reclined on cushions.
Sadly, the heat had taken its toll on several camels. They had collapsed where they stood in the pens. Here one had been removed to the nearest skip bin. It was an awful, awful sight.
And one dead in its pen.
Here's where the deals were struck - on these elevated platforms.
And here's one ready to be transported to its new home.
My pictures don't indicate the size of the area and the hundreds, if not thousands of camels for sale. There were also sheep and goats - they were at least housed in covered sheds so there was some shade for them.
Next on the agenda were the weekly riding lessons, held somewhere on one of the Emir's properties or estates. His stables house 100 horses!
I watched for a while and then went exploring...to find he had a mini zoo with a resident Oryx, the national emblem/animal.
Here are a few pics from around the complex. I loved the Parisian lamp posts. The whole thing felt a bit like I was on a Doctor Who setting...totally transported to a ghost town of a parallel universe as the only inhabitants were the 2 Welsh riding instructors!
The temperature was escalating so next stop was for a dip in the Gulf Sea. How beautiful the water was. We lunged in.
and gave it the thumbs up!
It was getting close to lunch time so we headed to a local jaunt passing a few Qatari style fast food outlets along the way....Falafel anyone?
We escaped from the heat of the day with a siesta. Emerging late afternoon to head to the souk. First stop the Falconry centre, where you can buy your very own bird...
and fully accessorise it with all sorts of things, including these hoods!
