A few days ago I migrated from Sharjah, UAE and landed briefly in Doha, Qatar. Doha, a city of one million, is the capital of the emirate of Qatar, a desert land in the Persian Gulf. Like others of its kind, Qatar has a long history of pearling and a shorter history of oil and natural gas drilling to keep the money flowing in.
While rich in funds, beautiful and exotic, Doha didn’t really have a lot to keep me entertained. I, like most people, found the Al Waqif Souq to be by far its biggest draw. Souqs, or outdoor marketplaces in the Arab world, are usually excessively interesting. Despite tough competition, Doha managed to land itself in the top three of my all-time favorites.
Immersed in its dark and narrow winding corridors, I popped out unexpectedly into daylight. Suddenly, the chirps of hundreds of birds began reverberating off the stone walls. My eyes landed on dozens of white metal cages holding little birds of yellow, green and blue. Next to the cages were small round and flat tables holding tiny rabbits. They sat placid and immobile, with none of the playfulness of babies, leading me to think these must be the smallest full-grown rabbits on earth. Their minders as well as the occasional passer-by would occasionally abruptly grab one by its middle and lift it up to inspect, like they were dead pieces of meat rather than cuddly living beings. It was a disturbing sight, but I chalked it up to a cultural difference.
I dubbed this small area the Bird and Bunny Souq. Since few people ever make it to Doha, here’s a clip to show you a little of what you’re missing.
I’ve only made it as far as the airport so far, maybe next time I fly Qatar i’ll have a long wait during daylight hours instead of night!
Would make for an interesting day i’m sure.
Is it an expensive place to visit?
Michael @ KTT recently posted..Innocence in India
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 07:47
Hi Michael – it’s not all that expensive, plus you only need a day to see the entirely of Doha. I think you should do it.
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Ooh, this is so cool, Sabina! I love that first pic.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 07:50
It really was cool, Candice. Maybe some day you’ll think about going to a souk. They can be quite bizarre.
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Who doesn’t love bunnies! Looks like a fun place to visit.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 19:09
I do not know who doesn’t love bunnies. Doha was a blast to visit
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Indeed. Who doesn’t love Bunnies?! Please travel safely in the less hospitable climes, my dear. I continue to hold hope you’ll find that which you seek.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 03:45
Bunnies are my favorite thing in the world wide world.
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Souks are fantastic places to explore and you’ll often suddenly find yourself somewhere unexpected… love the one minute video. An idea I might just pinch on my next journey
Doha is now on my list…
Jonathan (@retrotraveller) recently posted..Isfahan nightlife
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 31st, 2011 at 19:56
I’m glad to hear that Jonathan. If you get there soon, you can beat the pack. I think Doha is going to become pretty big for tourists in the next few years.
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