By JOJO P. PANALIGAN
December 4, 2010, 7:45pm
The Museum of Islamic Art is built on a stand-alone island. It houses artifacts that span three continents including the countries Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Turkey. (Photo by JOJO P. PANALIGAN)
The plan was crude: Come early, pray someone doesn’t show up, usurp the slot, board the bus quick and don’t look back.
Laugh, but it was how we were able to see the sights in Qatar when we were there late October to cover the 2nd Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF). We arrived on the second day of the festival when the slots for the morning excursions to explore the capital city, Doha, were already filled up.
We had to come up with a way to conquer Qatar—except that we ended up captivated instead.
Dhow Cruise
From the W Hotel where we stayed, we accidental tourists were transferred to the Dhow harbor where a traditional Arab sailing boat was waiting. Originally designed as a fishing vessel, such a boat used to leave the harbor either for fishing or pearling. Nowadays, the boats mainly carry tourists to Al Safliya Island, where they can swim about for an hour in the sometimes emerald, sometimes turquoise-colored (depending on the time of day) sea.
Our Sri Lankan guide answered our questions as best as he could. We learned that many of the beautiful buildings that comprise the Doha skyline, as seen from the waters, are unoccupied. He added that the emirate is so rich that it can afford to just tear down the buildings if no one rents within five years or sooner when these begin to look “old.”
“And don’t be fooled by the palm trees lining the cornice,” our guide pointed out. “Those were only planted there recently, and will be uprooted and replaced as soon as the leaves turn brown.”
It’s always the right time to take a dhow cruise because it rarely rains in Doha. It is said that years could pass without a single drop from the sky falling on this Arabian peninsula. This is the reason why when there’s a downpour—no matter how briefly or lightly—the city gets flooded quickly because its drainage system is not made for such.
The rush of sea wind on one’s face, the embrace of sunlight, the ahhh-inducing sight, the whiff of exotic food ( a mix of Indian and Arabian selections such as humus and masala), and Bon Jovi singing “Living On A Prayer” in the background…this is the way to kick off any vacation.
Desert Safari
“We’re heading to the Inland Sea where the dunes are” were the words our guide opened this excursion with, promising dune buggies “gliding, zipping and bashing across the sand” along the way.
Unlike the day before, we were picked up at the hotel by a four-wheel drive car with tires that were deflated later, which prepares the vehicles for driving over dunes.
Before hitting the desert, we stopped by an area where camels tarry with their Bedouin owners. For 20 Qatar riyals (about 250 pesos), we were able to ride the humped creatures and have our pictures taken astride one.
“Is it true that camels bite and spit when annoyed?” we asked our guide who then asked a Bedouin in Arabic. A few seconds later and we got our answer: Yes.
We stopped petting the camels.
The white heat that covers the desert at high noon can be hypnotic. And though we were traveling at high speed, it felt as if we weren’t moving because the tableau before us did not change for minutes on end. It was all sand and more sand.
It was a surreal experience, almost spiritual; the same feeling one gets the first time one sees the ocean or clasps his hands in prayer. We could’ve wept except that the driver was playing Akon’s “Smack That” in full volume.
Enjoying a desert safari is like asking for a hell of hematomas all in the name of fun. You swerve this way, and that way, this way and that, until you start bumping into your own shadow. At one point, we dove downhill towards what seems to be a body of water (was it a lake or a mirage?).
The final stop of the desert safari was at the border where Qatar ends and Saudi Arabia begins. Like mad men, we went out and started jumping around, waving at the other side. We could’ve been shot.
Many of us took off our shoes and planted feet on sand. We later filled up the empty bottles of mineral water we had with sand---perhaps, the best souvenir there is from the middle of nowhere.
Museum of Islamic Art
It’s amusing to note that a museum with one of the most complete collections of Islamic artifacts is actually designed by a Chinese American architect, I.M. Pei.
Story has it that Pei, who was 91 years old when commissioned to work on the museum, had to be coaxed out of retirement to immerse himself in everything Muslim for six months in order to draw inspiration for his design.
Training our eyes around the 64-acre lot, we can say that Pei was perfect for the job.
We like the MIA for several reasons: 1) it’s built on a stand alone island like, well, Alcatraz; 2) the collection of artifacts spans three continents so it was like going to Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, etc. in one go; 3) one can take pictures inside freely; 4) entrance is for free with unmatched air-conditioning inside, and; 5) one of the attendants at the curio shop is Pinoy.
It’s hard to start enumerating what’s inside the MIA because once you do, there’s danger that you won’t—can’t –ever stop. The question is not “What’s inside the MIA?” but what’s not inside it. Samples of Islamic calligraphy, exquisite pottery, luxurious textiles, enameled glass, highly decorated tileworks…everything imaginable.
Now, imagine if you break even just one of those (consider it sold?).
Souq Waqif
This was actually part of a city tour excursion dubbed “Doha at a glance.” The excursion included stops at The Pearl, where designer boutiques are found; Al Shaqb, where many Arabian stallions are; the Camel Market; and the Gold Souq for a glittery ending.
Still, we consider Souq Waqif the highlight of the outing because we came as paupers to Qatar and we wanted to maximize our budget to the last cent. “Souq,” which means “market” in English, was clearly the place to be.
We came to the souq in the morning of a Friday, the official rest day in Qatar. Few people were shopping then and not all of the stores were open. Nevertheless, we were able to see things that we believe were worth haggling over (and we did!): a framed scorpion, small boxes made of camel bone, wool, swords used for ardha (traditional sword dance), Gulf style “Russian dolls” in the image of Saddam Hussein, strange-looking incense burner, spices, etc.
We returned to the souq the next day in late afternoon and saw many shisha (water pipe) bars setting up shop. The thing is, one can never go hungry while at Souq Waqif because there’s just so many local and international restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors. Plus, there are ATM machines everywhere.
We ended up making friends and having coffee with an Egyptian who offered us tips on how to haggle with the locals. He said that you always counter with half price and work your way up. It sometimes help to raise your voice a bit but according to his experience, the best method is to look disinterested and bluff walking away even if you’re dying to pocket the merchandise. Eight out of ten times, he said, the merchant will cave in-- just make sure you buy when he does or there’d be hell to pay.
Katara
Our last day in Doha was spent here, the main venue for the DTFF. Said to be the country’s most ambitious design and architectural project to date, the Katara or The Cultural Village has been dubbed “the princess of cities;” the crown jewel of Doha, the current Arab Capital of Culture.
About a million square meters huge, the Katara “feels” so old school with its cobblestone road and peach-colored walls accented by Grecian blues and Scottish greens. Yet, it houses so many modern facilities and institutions including the Qatar Fine Art Society, the Qatar Photographic Society, the Qatar Music Academy, the Qatar Society for Engineers, and, heck, even the Arabic League Stamp Collection Museum.
The centerpiece of Katara is its amphitheater. We remember telling a friend via Facebook that walking through the hall to the main gate of the theater feels as if you’re entering Ancient Rome with its gladiators and condemned criminals. He replied that it doesn’t look like that at all----and he was right.
Indeed, there’s nothing on earth like the Katara amphitheater. The first time we saw it, we had to cover our mouths unless expletives escape unwittingly. Really.
The Katara is even more enchanting at night when all the lights are turned on. Qatar, after all, has no shortage in electricity so imagine how overboard they go when it comes to lighting effects. Blue, green, yellow…say the hue and you’re bathing in it when in Katara.
More, the whole complex is surrounded by the Arabian Gulf. If you sit real still, you can sense the lapping waves and bring home the memory of the moment with you.
Our favorite structure in Katara is a weird looking conical building with perforations. Apparently, it is a bird feeder and the holes are for fowl to enter and exit from freely. It is said to have been built in homage to Qatar’s long history with the sport of falconry.
And with that, we felt we’ve had enough.
Our quest to meet the quota for the quixotic in Qatar finally got quenched.
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