Qatar
Farīq al Hitmī

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    • Day 44

      Ein ungeplanter Tag in Doha

      December 15, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

      Nachdem mein Flug in Saigon vier Stunden Verspätung hatte hab ich meinen Anschluss in Doha natürlich nicht erreicht 😅
      Aber Qartar Airlines hat mich bestens untergebracht . Jetzt flieg ich eben erst heute in der Nacht weiter 😁Read more

    • Day 19

      Dazzling Doha ✨☀️👳🏻‍♂️🏙️🐪🦅

      September 26, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

      Shiny ✨ & New on the surface but not so glamorous 😳 behind the scenes sums up Doha. In 27 hours we saw 2 sides. Disclaimer: obviously not long enough to make full assessment.

      The Metro 🚇 was extremely shiny ✨ and new: slick trains 🚊 and prompt services. We got a bit lost but did very well connecting different lines and platforms to find our tour location. It was only $2.50 for day pass.

      Arrived at Souq Waqif we passed by poor workers who had the arduous task of sweeping 🧹 the giant forecourt of the Souq Waqif (Market) with brooms in 30+ heat 🔥
      The desert 🏜️ sand comes into city 🌃 overnight from the strong north wind 💨 and they keep city as clean as possible. In ‘Winter’ (Jan-Feb) wind 🌬️ is so strong the sand comes into your house! 😳

      Walking through the Souq we could smell so many beautiful fragrances from the perfumes and foods such as cinnamon and Cardamon, cloves and hibiscus flowers… Smells filled the air around every corner and at every turn… So delicious…until we got to the camel enclosure.

      Camels 🐪 are a sacred animal and are extremely precious and protected. They are well looked after and well fed. They have 35 g of fat in their hump which is their store for food. There were also squeaks & crowing, cheeps & chirping from birds 🐦 and chickens 🐓 and many other animals… It really was a feast for sight & sound! At exactly 1 o’clock in the afternoon at the hottest part of the day everyone shut up shop and rested! Don’t blame them! 🥵🥵

      We visited the Falcon Souq. Falcons are revered also and considered very sacred animals. There was even a hospital 🏥 which was purposely built for Falcons, which is where we met one of the Falcons’ with its owner… He very respectfully allowed us to take his photo 🙏

      Our guide told us that Doha is one of the safest places in the Middle East.

      We visited West Bay, which is the iconic image that we often see of Doha skyline 🏙️ All of these very tall buildings have all sprung up in the last 30 years. The first building was the Sheraton Hotel 🏨 which is shaped like a pyramid which was built in 1985.

      We finished the tour in the hottest part of the day and came back to the Souq after visiting Doha Cultural Centre. Enjoyed a traditional lunch and while German headed to the Museum I decided to relax with an aromatic Hibiscus 🌺 tea at the pool overlooking the city.

      So, I suppose it has come to an end 🥺😢 …yet another adventure of a lifetime. Loved 🥰 every minute of discovering new, beautiful & unique places. Really enjoyed sharing this with you and can’t wait for another chance to make more memories……after I save up 💰 Travel 🧭 is the best tonic for the mind, body & soul 🧘🏻‍♂️

      Until next time…😘
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    • Day 150

      Doha , Souq Waqif

      January 28, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

      Da heute alles so gut lief, sind wir früher wie gedacht in Dohar und so besuchen wir erstmal den Souq. Endlich mal wieder ein sehr schöner und quirliger Souq. Es macht richtig Spaß durch die engen Gassen zu schlendern, man wird kaum angesprochen und kann in Ruhe die Geschäfte genießen.

      Und überall findet man noch etwas von der Fußball WM. Das war doch letztes Jahr…
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    • Day 53

      Its all Greek to me

      August 6, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

      Now for the last leg of our trip from Athens to Doha then on to Tullamarine Melbourne. Flight time of the last leg is 13 hours and 25 minutes. We will arrive at approximately midnight and catch a cab home.

      The stopover in Doha is just long enough for us to catch a shower and have a nightcap.

      Now for my reflections on Greece. On my first visit to Athens we weren't that impressed. I thought it was a dirty city and everything we did they wanted cash. We couldn’t have been more wrong with that impression.

      Greece under the EU is thriving, but you still get asked for cash!

      Our tour taught us heaps about how Greece shaped much of the modern world not just the Olympics. It also showed us how Greece is literally the center of the world because they are surrounded by Europe, Middle East and Africa. These regions were historically always attacking and laying claim to Greece, but the saddest occupation were the Persian Ottomans.

      For 400 years the Greeks were held captive in their own country, not allowed to do anything but farm and be slaves to the Persians. Their children weren’t even allowed to be educated. By the time they rebelled, took back their country the damage was done. They completely missed the Industrial Revolution and then of course they were dragged into WW2. Crete was a vital part of the supply line to Britain.

      With no rehabilitation on offer from the Allies post war, they were left with an overpopulated bankrupt county. So many left for new countries and thank goodness Melbourne was one of them. It all makes more sense now.

      Today in Greece there is big money to be made in tourism and hospitality. The food is fabulous except the Greek salads come hidden under a slab of fetta. We found Crete much more affordable than the hotspots of Santorini and Mykonos.

      Driving was fun but Greeks ignore the rules. Indicators are optional as are the speed limits. Overtaking is hazardous because they pass when they feel like it.

      I can’t image what Greece would have become if it hadn’t been occupied all those years. They were on track as one of the most clever and innovative countries in the world.

      We had a great trip and have added two new countries to our list as well as catching up with friends.

      The blogs are fun to write and will become our permanent memory of our trip in 2023.
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    • Day 1–2

      Ungeplanter Zwischenstopp in Doha

      February 8, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      Leider bin ich nicht am Flieger nach Goa mitgekommen - die Flüge (alle nach Indien) sind sehr voll. Jetzt freue ich mich über die Möglichkeit, Doha für einen Tag zu erkunden 🌴.

      Ich fühle mich hier sehr wohl - es ist warm, die Leute sind sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit, und ich fühle mich sehr sicher (auch abends alleine). Die Stadt kommt mir sehr ruhig vor - nicht überlaufen, die Menschen wirken entspannt. Es liegt nirgends Müll, alles wirkt perfekt hergerichtet, auch die Spuren von FIFA sind überall sichtbar 🏟️Read more

    • Day 4

      Falken Souk

      October 14, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      Falken - de Nationalvogel Katars. Sie chönd bi Schönheitswettbewerb und Jagtwettbewerb sehr höchi Prisgelder gwünne. Es isch bime Schönheitswettbewerb scho Prisgeld i de Höchi vo 8'000'000 QAR (rund 1.9 Millione CHF) uszahlt worde.Read more

    • Day 2

      Falkenhospital

      September 8, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

      After our visit to the camels, we went on to the -> „Falcon Hospital“ and yes, you read that right. This was a clinic just for falcons. The falcons were brought here for vaccinations and also when they actually needed medical help. One thing you should know about QATAR is that falcons have an extremely high status in society here. Many men here keep falcons not only as a status symbol like an expensive car, but also to earn money with them at sporting events. The better trained a falcon is, the more money it earns its owner at sporting events and the more expensive it is to buy new. You can find out how and where to buy falcons in the next article.



      Nach unserem Besuch bei den Kamelen ging es weiter zum -> „Falkenkrankenhaus“ und ja, ihr habt richtig gelesen. Das war eine Klinik nur für Falken. Die Falken wurden hierher gebracht, um geimpft zu werden, aber auch, wenn sie tatsächlich medizinische Hilfe brauchten. Eine Sache, die ihr über Katar wissen solltet, ist, dass Falken hier einen extrem hohen Stellenwert in der Gesellschaft haben. Viele Männer halten Falken nicht nur als Statussymbol -wie ein teures Auto, sondern auch, um mit ihnen bei Sportveranstaltungen Geld zu verdienen. Je besser ein Falke ausgebildet ist, desto mehr Geld bringt er seinem Besitzer bei Sportveranstaltungen ein und desto teurer ist er in der Neuanschaffung. Wie und wo man Falken kaufen kann, erfahrt ihr im nächsten Beitrag.
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    • Day 1

      Stop-Over Doha

      October 16, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 32 °C

      Los geht es mit der Asienreise. Da mich Langstreckenflüge quälen, gibt es einen Stop-over in Doha, Katar. Gleich nach Ankunft stell ich die Entscheidung in Frage, es ist wieder Schmetterlingshauswetter. Abends um 23 Uhr. Dazu Schrecksekunde, weil ich denke, dass der Geldautomat am Flughafen meine Kreditkarte geschluckt hat. Nach einer Minute Panik fällt mir ein, dass ich die Karte nur kontaktlos drangehalten und dann gleich wieder eingesteckt hatte. Ich Doofi. 😅 Und dann verarscht mich noch der Taxifahrer und verrechnet mir zuviel. Merke ich natürlich, aber was soll’s. Ich hätte ihm eh Trinkgeld gegeben, nu hat er es sich selbst gegeben und fühlt sich voll gut. Okay. 🤷🏼‍♀️😎 Das Hotel ist nicht wow, aber zentral gelegen. Trotzdem brauche ich morgens 2 Stunden Anlauf, um mich in die Hitzeschlacht zu werfen. Wie kann man hier dauerhaft leben? Die Stadt ist von späten Morgen bis zum Sonnenuntergang quasi leer. Autos ja, Fussgänger… ehm, ich. Und sechs andere Touris plus einge Straßenkehrer. Da fühlt man sich wie nach Armageddon. So quasi die letzte Kakerlake, die überlebt hat. Somit ist mein Eindruck von Doha: leer, sauber und heissheissheiss!

      Let's start the trip to Asia! Since long-haul flights bother me, I make a stop-over in Doha, Qatar. As soon as I arrived I questioned the decision, it was butterfly-house-weather again. In the evening at 11 p.m. I also have a moment of light panic because I think that the ATM at the airport has swallowed my credit card. After a minute I realized that I had just held the card on the contactless point and then immediately put it back in my bag again. Stupid me. 😅 And then the taxi driver makes fun of me and charges me too much. Of course I notice, but what the heck. I would have given him a tip anyway, but now he gave it to himself and he feels really good and smart. OK. 🤷🏼‍♀️😎 The hotel is not wow, but centrally located. Nevertheless, I need 2 hours of start-up in the next morning to throw myself into the heat battle. How can you live here permanently? The city is virtually empty from late morning until sunset. Cars yes, pedestrians… ehm, me. And six other tourists plus some poor street sweepers. It feels like Armageddon. So basically I am the last cockroach that survived. Hence, my impression of Doha is: empty, clean and hot hot hot hot!
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    • Day 8

      Souk Waqif by night

      October 18, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 32 °C

      Mer hend na en churze Zwüschestopp gmacht am Souk Waqif. Das Gländ isch am Abig nach Sunneuntergang (ca. 17.18) sehr beläbt und es gseht toll us mit all dänä schöne Liechter. Und natürlich hät de Mond prächtig glüchtet!Read more

    • Day 4

      Souq Waqif

      October 14, 2024 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

      De nöchsti Stop nach em Nationalmuseum isch Souq Waqif gsi. De lokali Märt isch spannend gsi und es chlises Souvenir hämmer natürlich müse mitnä. Es hät au en Bird market gha, süessi Vögeli aber leider mit wenig Platz 😑 Die Arabische Kamel brucheds zwei Mal am Tag zum trainiere für e Parade wenn Regierigslüt willkomme gheisse werded.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Farīq al Hitmī, Fariq al Hitmi, فريق الهتمي

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