First Visitor to Doha; Souk al Waqif

We are very happy in Doha. This has to be one of the easiest moves we have ever made, even though I had to sell my car. 😦 We moved back into the same house on the same compound where we lived before. There is a whole learning curve I have already mastered – city layout, major roads, grocery stores, book stores, fabric stores, and major sights – been there! done that!

And yet, Doha has changed enough to still be stimulating and exciting.

Nonetheless, when I was contacted by a friend coming to Doha, with a little time to fill, I felt slightly daunted. We have had lots of visitors here; I tell them to come in November – February, March at the latest, except for Little Diamond, who has lived several places in the Middle East and knows exactly how hot it can be, and who copes with the differences.

I got to the hotel exactly as she and her husband were coming down – perfect timing. I had some suggestions, but what she wanted to do was what I love to do – see Souq Waqif and if we have time, see the new museum. Since they are only yards apart, I had a huge smile on my face.

The smile kept getting bigger – as we drove up to the Souq al Waqif, a truck left in the most perfect, shaded parking spot; THAT is God smiling, it has to be, parking places like that just don’t happen without help.

And, as it turn out, not only does she love the Souq Waqif, she also loves taking photos, so we had ourselves a wonderful time.

Not one single photograph with a person was taken without that person’s permission; not one single person said “no.” They were all “ahlen wa sahlen” (Welcome! Welcome!) It was a sweet morning, and although it was one of the hottest days of the year, it was dry, and the heat was bearable.

One of my favorite shops in the Souq al Waqif; he has all the things fishermen really need – from traps to twine:

The bird souk is active and beautiful:

It’s a real working souk, offering all kinds of household goods:

Look at the huge serving platters in the background – imagine them piled high with rice and mutton, or rice and chicken! Delicious!

This is the first time I have ever seen this store – it has only been open one month. Everything in it is made in Doha:

This was one of the nicest stops on our tour. The eqal maker and his helper are so gentle and full of good information.

We had a great time, a wonderful lunch at the Ispahan:

No time for a nap! On! On!