I've just returned from Qatar, a tiny Middle East wonder nestled just between the Saudi Arabian Desert and Persian Gulf. It hadn't been on my top 10 places in the world to visit, or even on my radar at all for that matter, so when I got the call to go I said "Yes!" first and jumped on Google second... to see what I had just agreed to. Nothing could prepare me. It was one of the most incredible, unexpected, and exotic experiences... unlike anywhere I have ever been before. And the fact that it just sort of found me made it that much better... you'll see what I mean. I challenge you not to fall in love.
♥m
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| The first morning, I woke to a thick fog in the air... except it wasn't moisture, it was sand. |
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| Love seeing Hibiscus everywhere... desserts and drinks included. |
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| If you would have visited even just 7 years ago, this city would have been almost completely flat. Building an entire city in such a short period of time renders a cityscape of incredibly modern architecture. |
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| Oh, and my hotel was shaped like a pyramid... more than a little awesome! |
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| Swimming among the tropical fish... |
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| Palm and lemon trees never cease to fascinate this midwest girl :) |
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| Entering the local markets of the Souq Waqif - a magical collection of spices, handicrafts, gold, traditional garments, home goods, restaurants, and - a personal favourite - Shisha lounges. |
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| One of the many many many muslim mosques throughout the city. |
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| The colours! My eyes were overloaded with so much beauty. |
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| Each and every lamp had the most intricate design and threw off such breathtaking light! |
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| I'm such a sucker for stained glass and tile mosaics. |
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| So much beauty in the rawness. |
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| There wasn't one single boring shadow - because of the buildings' detailed carvings everywhere you look the filtered light casts the most intricate designs. |
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| Detail detail detail everywhere you look. |
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| Incredible light lends incredible shadows. |
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| A corridor of white-washed everything trapping light in a luminous even glow made this one of my favourite corners in all of Doha. |
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| Melt my heart. |
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| Falconry - the hunting of wild quarry in its natural habitat by means of a trained bird of prey... with hunting falcons ranging in price anywhere from $10,000 to $275,000 US! |
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| Only slightly different from our street signs :) |
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| Qatari white police horses. |
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| Traditional Arabic coffee pots... p.s. Turkish coffee is unlike anything else... smooth, rich, aromatic. And I'm not even a coffee drinker... but YUM! I definitely became a convert. |
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| A Muslim Mosque where the call to prayer is broadcast over loudspeakers 5 times a day. |
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| One of the most stunning sunsets I've seen (paralleled only by Darwin, Australia).... Every. Single. Night. It hung like a giant ball of fire as it slowly slipped behind the bustling night time markets. |
