Qatar thus far


We got in around 10 PM on Friday night and went to bed soon after. It was so odd traveling for 16 hours and then losing 8 hours to the time change. The first morning we walked along the Corniche (pictured above), which is right on the water and an amazing area of Doha. After so much time on a plane, it was great to get out and exercise in the sun.


Then later that afternoon we headed an hour outside of Doha to a nice beach with lots of dunes to eat lunch and chill.


We brought over Christmas gifts for Ryan, Betsy, and Clive. It's been SO great to be with my sister and get to know my nephew!


Then moving on to my birthday...here is the view from the outdoor cafe that us girls had lunch at. This was after my Ferrari ride with a Lebanese guy, which was quite the amazing experience. I'm a huge car person, so a brand new Ferrari through city streets with speed getting up to 185 km was a perfect birthday adventure. We walked into the Ferrari dealership just to look around and started talking to one of the employees (the one opening the door for me). I can't remember exactly how small talk led to getting a ride. But I think being female, blonde, and American didn't hurt. :)


 Restaurants and cafes have a variety of fun fruit drinks (non-alcoholic, because of the Muslim culture, alcohol is only served at big hotels). A favorite is the lemon-mint drink that Betsy and I are sipping. Basically it's fresh squeezed lemonade with crushed up mint blended in. So good and so pretty!

This is a shot of the harbor at 'The Pearl'. The Pearl is a man-made island in Doha. Very ritzy (you can see the yachts behind us), upscale dining and shopping...shoe stores selling $1000 pumps and Bentley car dealerships. As in most places, the gap between the rich and poor is very substantial.

Well, you all are sleeping. It's just past noon here. We went to a sports park and exercised this morning, then did coffee at a cafe and now have a low-key afternoon before hitting up the Souq later today (more traditional marketplace). I'm loving just soaking it all in and the time with family. And can honestly say I had one of the best birthdays ever. I'm so thankful for this experience!

12 comments:

Sara Huber said...

Wow, looks amazing! It's so fun to see pictures of you guys with R, B, and C. Even in the freezing cold, that mint lemonade sounds awesome. love you all!

Amber said...

Looks awesome Emily! While I was bummed to miss you in Leo and not tell you Happy Birthday in person, I'd say you celebrated in style! Enjoy the rest of the trip.

Hopefully we'll catch you on our next visit!

L, Ann and boys said...

Love the pictures. It looks like an amazing experience. Tell Betsy I love her like a sis-ta and that Clive is a doll baby-so cute. =)

=)

Molly said...

Beautiful pictures, Em. I'm so glad you posted. I've been anxiously awaiting a report. Sounds amazing and makes me miss it. Love, Molly

Christen Leigh said...

Ah i loved the update!! It looks crazy and amazing. Keep the updates comin'! :)

leah said...

oh man, i love it. :) can't wait to connect w/ you when you're home and hear your crazy outrageous stories.

:)

and that little nephew of yours is a DOLL!

Laura said...

looks amazing Em! so excited for you to get to do this!

Sandra said...

looks absolutely beautiful!! Thanks for posting.

Tricky said...

Wow....it's beautiful there! You are lucky to be there. Enjoy the rest of the trip; I'll be excited to see more pictures!

Nick and Adrienne said...

So glad to see an update from you Em! Sounds like you had a pretty fabulous "golden" birthday. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Heather Hoerr said...

Looks so fun! Tell Betsy and Ryan hi!

Daveana said...

How fun Em! I wasn't expecting any updates before you got back! You're pictures look amazing!