Layover in Qatar

 

       After enduring a long and grueling flight from Atlanta, we spend our first “night” of our trip in Doha; the capital and economic hub of Qatar. I say “night” because we were technically inside the country for only about ten hours, with a good portion of those spent exploring the city. Although this was a relatively brief layover, the city of Doha certainly left its impression on me. Driving towards the city center, large, futuristic skyscrapers arise from the desert. Doha is lined with countless architectural wonders, and it seems that every square foot of the city has been carefully planned and designed. We spend a couple hours walking around the waterfront with views of the skyline at every corner. The temperature during the day here averages around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though this sounds extreme, the heat is bearable for me because it is dry heat, not humidity. With the lack of moisture the air and the sun behind the buildings, walking around in these kinds of temperatures isn’t so bad. I was able to get some amazing shots of the futuristic skyline at sunset with my camera. Our hotel, the Sheraton Grand, seems to have gotten much of their inspiration for interior design from one of Mr. Trump’s towers in the states. Or maybe Trump got his inspiration from them… The point is that nearly everything in this hotel is plated in gold trim. Bathroom sinks, nightstands, balcony railings, elevator frames, you name it, there is gold incorporated into it. The building is hollowed-out on the inside, allowing you to see all the way up to the tenth floor from the lobby. The Sheraton Grand was the one of the first ever skyscrapers to be created in Doha. Finished in 1982, almost none of the other tall buildings that dominate the skyline today even existed back then. To me, it looks like a spaceship that has time-traveled and landed in the desert, bringing a whole civilization with it to construct the rest of the city.