Doha

Still a little chilly in Doha this morning!!!  Redemption at hand however with a taxi to Katara Cultural Centre and complimentary electric buggies with drivers on site.  Massive facility full of galleries, the arts, mosques, a huge marble amphitheatre and a very big beach - but quite a bit closed this morning because of public holiday and festival today.  All forgiven (almost) after an iced mocha and chocolates at the Chac'Late shop - superb!!!!

Festival is Eid Al Adha and the government prepared 278 mosques and prayer grounds, traffic is a mad house and families are out everywhere.  Animal sacrifices are an important ritual and the livestock market and its attached slaughter house have had a huge rush - with a lot of controversy.  Syrian sheep are the most favoured and most costly,  but sellers have been pushing up the price and passing Jordanian and Iranian sheep off as Syrian.  Genuine Syrian sell for 1800QR, Jordanian and Iranian should be less than 1000QR - Australian sheep, whose price is subsidised and fixed at 350QR, are shunned and bought only by the poor!!!!!

With the holiday, our pool and beach was busy, but the service is extraordinary - sun lounges personally set up, two huge towels each, cold face washers, face spray and bottled water.

Spent late afternoon and evening at The Pearl (taxi both ways!!!), a huge marina, retail and residential development on reclaimed land.  Upmarket (Rolls Royce and Ferrari dealerships over the street from one another) and big crowds enjoying the holiday spirit.

Doha is just an incredible place, the architecture and construction is staggering.  It is not the place for a holiday,  but an amazing place for a 2 or 3 day stopover.  Climate at this time of the year is perfect.

That's it for today as we are about to watch the fireworks from our room.