Topic: Middle East
It's another one of those sand pit countries. Doha is not quite as glitzy as Dubai, not quite as straight as Mecca, not quite as exciting as Kabul. Tripadvisor lists many things that don't really excite , drive up a sand dune anyone? The huge gas plants that make the place the worlds biggest gas bottle, they would be kinda cool, but the're not really on anyone's itinerary. I'm here on a one day stop off. Least yawn worthy is the brand new museum, I would like to stay awake for another fourteen hours so hopefully it will fit the bill.
The West Bay Movenpick hotel is nice and in the business district, on the other side of town. They let me check in 5 hours early and check out 4 hours late, gotta give them a plug for that. Quick shower, and it's off to the mall to buy a bus pass. They have every franchise known to man here making food so bland that you can't really tell the difference between it and the napkins. At least you can find good coffee and cake. Feeling fatter and sicker, I head off to the LG store to buy a bus ticket. Interesting concept, no signs to tell you, but it's the only place apart from the main bus station that sells them. Air Conditioner, 60" telly, or ten dollar bus pass from under the counter., The museum is 5 miles away and the bus goes right past the front of it. I mean that literally. I start pushing the button 500 meters before the museum, but the bus cruises on till the next stop 1.5KM up the road beside a chain link fence guarding a whole lot of sand..
The national museum is great. Some one spent a pile of cash, on a great looking building, and an interesting layout. It tells the story of Qatar. Just in case you missed it I'll fill you in. For most of history no one really wanted a 12,000 square km sand pit. The 25,000 locals spent the winters watching their goats freeze in the desert, and their summers getting the "Bends" diving for pearls. Diet mainly consisted of dates and frozen goat. This went well until someone discovered 51 trillion cubic meters of gas under the place. Add another 3 million Indians, Nepalese, and Filipinos, to look after the locals. Then build a whole lot of big empty things out of concrete for some unknown reason, and you are here.
Well that killed 4 hours, not wanting to repeat the walk, I ask various guards, shuttle drivers and information desk people where the nearest north bound bus stop is. It's obvious no one here catches the bus. Even the tourist information had no idea there was a bus. I walk out front to the express way, a click up the road to cross it and another one and a half till I spot a bus stop on the other side of the road. The whole time busses have been whizzing past me. What goes up must come down so they say, I give up cross the road again and catch the bus south past the museum and into town. The center of town isn't that exciting, but it is where the main bus station is. I get off the bus, walk across the station then back onto the same bus. The same guys who built Myki must have been here. Back around more of town, was that the museum again. Up the express way, no stops, then get off a couple of blocks from my hotel. Good points, It's cheap, it's killed a couple of hours, and I have seen a lot of town.
Next morning I'm awake at five, breaky not for another two hours, so I watch half an hour of American crap, then try to have another quick nap. It works, I wake up at five past ten. Bugger breakfast finishes at ten. I race downstairs, as they are turning the bain maries off. Fortunately they leave all the stuff out for another half an hour. Book, Swim and Shower, it's time to get outa here. The 777 bus stop is right out the front of the hotel. It shoots past the museum, and straight to the airport. At least they have their priorities right.
There may be other highlights in town. The Museum of Islamic art is meant to be pretty good. For a couple more pics of the place click here.
Cheers 007.
Posted by bondrj
at 12:01 AM NZT
Updated: Monday, 6 May 2019 3:16 AM NZT
