As anyone can see, Qatar is not a very big country (but bigger than Bahrain!). So when a friend suggested we drive the whole circumference of the country in one day, it seemed like a fairly easy task.
We set out in the morning with all intents of going the whole way around. We quickly learned that, although we definitely could have made it timewise, it would not have left much time for exploration. So, we quickly decided to do half the country one day and go back and complete the rest another time. Read More...
Disclaimer: As I am clearly not a professional photographer, I am still learning. So, as you will notice, it did not occur to me to clean my lens before this adventure. So, sorry about the dirt that you might see at the top of these horrendous photos, it's clearly amateur hour over here!
We started our journey in Al Khor. It is a small fishing village north of Doha. It is known for having a bit more greenery than Doha, so we were excited to see some much-needed nature. Al Khor also has Purple Island, otherwise known as Jazirat Bin Ghannam. Purple Island is a small island that is connected to the mainland by a small footpath. As you walk around, you pass by the mangrove forests. The water is so clear you can see everything, including the things people have left behind (sunglasses, shoes, etc.). The water is also populated by little crabs, which Chase had no problem picking up to show us. Purple Island got its name from the purple dye producing site that was situated here a long time ago. A special species of sea snails create this purple color, which was then used to make the Qatar flag. After sitting out in the hot sun (which Qatar never lacks), it turns the maroon shade we see today on the flag.
One you make it to the island, there is more sand (of course).
We did get to meet some dogs! I of course mauled them with my love.
We had a bit of trouble finding it in the beginning, but when researching the island later, many of the directions given said to turn at the "Flower Each Spring" sign. What it means, I do not know.
Danielle drove us in her new car, Red Delicious. I have the same car but in a cream and black color.
Chase was pretty excited to get out of Doha.
From Al Khor, we headed north. The plan was to head to the very top of Qatar, but the second we pulled up, we were greeted by a man who quickly told us that this was military property and we were not allowed to be there. I quickly took some snaps as we drove away. The color of the water was unreal.
We headed to a town that was right next to where we originally wanted to be, but it was still pretty much the top of the country.
We are graceful.
I am not sure whether it was low tide or not, but these boats that were marooned on the sand did not look like they had been operable in quite some time.
Once again, Chase made some friends.
As it seemed like the boats did not belong to anyone, we decided to have some photo shoots. Every boat captain needs a mermaid on the front, right?
Who can resist a little Titanic action, right?
After we finished fooling around for a while, we headed back on the road. We curved around the top and before having to connect in the middle of the country, we found a nice UNESCO site to stop at. Zubarah Fort was built in the 1930s as a military fortress. Not much to look at, but it was a cool pit stop as it is very well preserved.
Our last planned stop was Dukhan beach. One thing that Qatar does well is signs. There are signs all over Doha with tips ranging from "Do not slaughter animals outside the slaughter house" to "Do not buy bulging or dented cans." All of these signs are then ended with the nice slogan- "You are not alone. We all see you." Whether this is supposed to be reassuring or unsettling is really up for debate.
On the way to Dukhan though, we saw my favorite sign so far. I was unfortunately unable to take a picture, but it was just a very large green sign that said "IF NOT SAFE DO NOT DO."
I think I need that in my classroom.
We sat on the beach and ate the snacks we had bought earlier in the day. We also got to witness a helicopter take off. Mostly it was just a cloud of sand and then finally it peeked out. Exciting.
After the sun went down, we headed back to good ol' Doha. The next trip will include the bottom half, including hopefully getting to set sight on the border of Saudi Arabia.
Until next time!
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