Easy flight to Budapest, about 20% full, and then the masses got on. It had also been the Budapest Marathon in the morning and competitors were disbursing to all parts via Doha. A little after 1am when we got to the Doha Hilton. Very good room on 16th floor looking across the water to the Pearl. Staff are amazingly helpful and courteous
Late breakfast, then off to City Center Mall (mid range according to our Concierge - but not middle of mine!!!!). Back for a relax around the Hotel beach and pool (water temperature about 25C) before heading off to Souq Waqif, the old Doha Souq. Very big with a lot of alleys and all divided off by products eg materials, shoes, jewellery, spices, pets etc. Unlike the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, there was not one shopkeeper who had a brother with a restaurant in Essendon!!!! Dinner at the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotel looking out on the Souq and the crowds - very good food, nice surroundings and attentive, friendly staff.
The intention was to have a nice 1km walk along the famous waterfront Corniche and then taxi back the remaining 5km to the Hilton. This is where things went seriously wrong, as we simply could not get a cab, so we walked the whole way back. My popularity plumbed new depths - even though it was another ticked off the bucket list.
Doha is like a massive construction zone, it is impossible not to have cranes and skyscraper construction in your sight - most of the time 4 or 5 of them. Many roads are under construction, 4 and 5 lanes wide and without traffic lights they are hairy to cross. The investment in Doha is simply incredible, as is the melting pot of peoples, cultures, dress etc - just such a contrast with Croatia. The coffee price index has trebled since Zagreb - Doha is anything but cheap!!!!
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