Hello everyone - just a quick note to let you guys know we have arrived in Goa and doing splendidly fine. Pictures and stories from this place will follow shortly; first I thought I'd write about our journey down, which included a day in the Doha, the capital of the arab emirate Qatar.
For starters, Qatar Airlines pretty much spoiled us rotten: Windows with dimmable glass, entertainment systems with individual joysticks, one delicious meal after the next.
Arriving in Doha we were taxied to the hotel (followed the signs towards "Limousines and (secondarily) taxis), which we had booked ahead of time and was equally luxurious. Qatar has oil money running out its ears, and Doha is just now becoming a city they can "be proud of". It's basically one giant construction yard, but some areas are already finished, like the Dubai-rivaling skyscraper-cluster skyline across the bay, and Souq Waqif, a somewhat staged but still very neat reenactment of traditional Arab markets (souqs). After a lavish breakfast buffet at the hotel, we went to the waterfront and Museum of Islamic Art, brought to you by the architect behind the Louvre pyramid. And though the exhibitions / crash courses in Islam were interesting, what stole the show was the diamonds, jewels, silver and gold, old weapons and armor. Boys will be boys.
From there we went to the souq, and witnessed about fifty pillow vendors, twenty spice shops, ten falcon shops and allegedly the world's only specialized falcon veterinarian, sixty parakeet cages, hundreds of aquariums, a dozen cages of genetically color-modified chickens, a handful of potters, taxidermists, miniature ship-whittlers and backgammon board carvers, all in action!, a very unintimidating military parade, but including horses, and of course souvenir stalls amass. A pretty fun day, although Qatar does leave you with a rather bitter aftertaste. And we hope the pampering hasn't made us too picky when India sets in.
Updates from Goa will come - this place is wonderful, easy going, tourist friendly and full of traveler conveniences, including an internet cafe on every corner. Now comes the time to celebrate the new year; it's certainly off to an incredible start for us. Happy new year to all our friends and family!
For starters, Qatar Airlines pretty much spoiled us rotten: Windows with dimmable glass, entertainment systems with individual joysticks, one delicious meal after the next.
We were effortlessly entertained.
Arriving in Doha we were taxied to the hotel (followed the signs towards "Limousines and (secondarily) taxis), which we had booked ahead of time and was equally luxurious. Qatar has oil money running out its ears, and Doha is just now becoming a city they can "be proud of". It's basically one giant construction yard, but some areas are already finished, like the Dubai-rivaling skyscraper-cluster skyline across the bay, and Souq Waqif, a somewhat staged but still very neat reenactment of traditional Arab markets (souqs). After a lavish breakfast buffet at the hotel, we went to the waterfront and Museum of Islamic Art, brought to you by the architect behind the Louvre pyramid. And though the exhibitions / crash courses in Islam were interesting, what stole the show was the diamonds, jewels, silver and gold, old weapons and armor. Boys will be boys.
Panoramas are a breeze on Alex's new camera.
Beware of cross(dress)ing pedestrians.
Not sure whether...
Is this OK?
Is this OK? !
Updates from Goa will come - this place is wonderful, easy going, tourist friendly and full of traveler conveniences, including an internet cafe on every corner. Now comes the time to celebrate the new year; it's certainly off to an incredible start for us. Happy new year to all our friends and family!
