BY Clay Larroy
It doesn't matter if you take a trip
across the state line or the border, being far from home can be exciting and
also a bit stressful. When considering traveling, it is important to think of
the best mode of travel. Traveling by car can offer many more
sights and opportunities for side trips. Traveling by train can offer a chance
to relax and get some work done if they wanted. Planes can cover ground fast
but don't allow much movement and one cannot get off the plane in flight. Each
mode of travel has its own advantages and disadvantages to be considered. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
JEEP SAFARI
BY
RANIA MARGARI
With my passport in hand, I was filled with nervous
anticipation. My first trip to the Middle East, at Christmas, in a country
where only a few years ago tourism was all but nonexistent. At Doha
International Airport, Arab men and women in traditional Muslim clothing
dominated the terminal and tourists were few. I approached the window to buy my
visa. A woman in a veil and black dress viewed my passport and then studied my
face. Again she looked at my Greek passport, studying my picture. Eyes back on
my face. Eyes to my passport. Her hand reached slowly for the visa stamp. She
raised the stamp three inches above the passport, started to stamp the
document, then paused. Eyes to my face. Looking down once more, she brought the
stamp down on the document with a slam. I was legally in the country of Qatar.
The capital of Qatar, Doha, is
also known as "the pearl of gulf". In fact, pearl hunting was a major
contributor to local wealth just before the discovery of oil, a discovery that
led to the country’s tremendous development. The tiny, oil-rich sheikdom is
finally becoming a traveler’s destination, and remarkably modern. In general,
Qatari women enjoy a degree of freedom comparable to Egypt, which is good news
to a woman, like myself, traveling alone. Al Jazeera broadcasts here without
overt censorship, and the government no longer guards its population against
western corruption. Only a few years ago, a visitor to the country needed an
invitation from one of the hotels to obtain a visa. But with the 15th Asian Games
held in December of 2006, a building boom ensued with many new hotels and other
facilities for tourism.
While May-October temperatures are often as high as 120 degrees,
my first December night in Doha was perfect. Lying in my bed, in the cool air
of the evening, all I could think of was the Jeep safari I was embarking on the
following day. I had never been to the desert and my experience with Keeps was
just as limited. Jeeps, desert, sun and Christmas in a Muslim country. Things
could get interesting.
I was out of bed at first light. There were five of us going on
the morning’s trip to the desert, the rest of my party comprised of friends
from Greece who now lived in Doha. I had with me light-reflective clothing
suitable for the desert, my hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and my camera... and
plenty of cold water to taper the desert heat. In Doha the "weekend"
is on Friday and Saturday, and the city remained quiet and still at this hour
of the morning. The sun rose quickly and strong as we turned onto the road and
headed to Sealine, a port near the ocean from where we would depart into the
deep desert. Jeeps were all around us, as they are the most common vehicle in
the country.
Soon, I came across extraordinary and magical scenery - to my
right the Persian Gulf and to my left the desert. We drove south from Doha
along the coastal route to the Sealine Beach Resort. Our driver Ahmed turned to
us and said in English, "You must meet my family." As he spoke, he
slowed to a stop near a small encampment of tents. One by one, several men,
women and children came out of one of the tents, blinking in the sunlight, and
walked to our Jeep. Smiling warmly, they began introducing themselves. Meeting
all the members of Ahmed’s family, I could easily see the characteristic hospitality
of these once nomadic desert people. They were all very kind and open and eager
to make me feel welcome. During the night, strong winds had unexpectedly
arisen, blowing the ocean tide into the tent, and they had slept very little.
Getting soaked had not seemed to bother them. Speaking with Ahmed’s wife I
learned that camping this way is what they normally did during their weekends;
they came with all the family and stayed in tents by the sea. Their camping
facility had only the necessary amenities, not even water where they could have
a bath, but they enjoyed the tranquil beauty of the water edged up against the
vast expanses of sand.
REFERENCE SITES:
http://www.travelresearchonline.com/
Hilaire Belloc
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