The weather is hot, hot, hot now - averaging 40 to 45 degrees most days now and staying in the late thirties in the evenings as well, sometimes there is a light breeze if you are by the water which is a relief but we are glad of the air conditioning and mostly not going far during the day now. Doing things outside during the day is mostly a no, no unless there is somewhere to sit in the shade. I must be getting acclimitatised a bit though, because I remember a time when at home in England, I couldn't sit in the sun for long in 80 degrees.
We went to the desert last weekend to camp overnight which was an experience, with some friends who had a caravan for the ladies to sleep in. Fortunately, it has air con so we were able to sleep in reasonable comfort. We sat up until quite late, playing cards and chatting. We had a barbecue and campfire and were about ten yards from the sea which is now very warm to swim in, like a tepid bath. Then the next morning, we were up early, about six am to break camp and pack up before the sun got too hot to head back to Doha.
Colin is hoping to have a permanent camp next September - you are allowed to do this from September to March over the winter season when it is cooler. You have to have a licence for your tent and there is a small charge.You can set up a tent or caravan and leave it up, all kitted out with all your gear. They have toilets, outdoor kitchens and even bedrooms in some of the bigger tents. This means that you can go on a Thursday night and stay all weekend if you want to at the Inland Sea. It is very popular for people who want to get out of the city.
We had another great trip with Khawar's diving friends to a small island just off Doha city - Banana Island - in a dive boat. We took a picnic and spent a great couple of hours there and we were able to swim in the sea - the Arabian Gulf which was very warm.People here, even if you have only just met them, are very generous with their time and hospitality and cannot do enough for you.
Colin has made a lot of new friends already since he has been here - everyone gives you their business card and apparently there are 54 different nationalities living in Doha. So many different languages to listen to and try and understand and the different stories of why people have ended up in Doha are neverendingly fascinating. Everytime he goes out, he comes back with a tale of someone else he has met - we are all riding in his slipstream and our social lives are climbing accordingly.
Last week we went to the Opera - in Doha, we have Katara, the cultural centre which is a great open air area with new buildings, restaurants, an amphitheatre, opera house, beach and is brilliant for people watching. A Spanish Flamenco company came here for four days to perform their interpretation of some well known operas and we went to two different performances - brilliant and free as well. My social life is certainly well on the up and up.
Downside, we had a fire in the apartment block last Saturday. This was a very scary few hours as it started on the seventeenth floor, one below us and just across the tower from us. We were outside for five hours whilst they got everything under control. No-one was hurt and it was apparently started by an electrical fault. Not surprising considering the electrical problems I have had in the apartment since I have been here. I will not be sorry to leave, although we do have great facilities here but they are all closed at the moment whilst they carry out the repairs, even the pool has been emptied because of the debris falling into it.
Good news, we have found a villa to rent with Khawar which is massive and we will be able to sublet a couple of the rooms to help with the rent. It has a large garden which is something of a rarity here and covered parking. It is unfurnished so we will have to get some stuff but there is always plenty of secondhand furniture from the expats who are leaving available.We will have room for visitors anyway.We will be moving in when we get back from England end of June.
Watch this space for some pictures.
We went to the desert last weekend to camp overnight which was an experience, with some friends who had a caravan for the ladies to sleep in. Fortunately, it has air con so we were able to sleep in reasonable comfort. We sat up until quite late, playing cards and chatting. We had a barbecue and campfire and were about ten yards from the sea which is now very warm to swim in, like a tepid bath. Then the next morning, we were up early, about six am to break camp and pack up before the sun got too hot to head back to Doha.
Colin is hoping to have a permanent camp next September - you are allowed to do this from September to March over the winter season when it is cooler. You have to have a licence for your tent and there is a small charge.You can set up a tent or caravan and leave it up, all kitted out with all your gear. They have toilets, outdoor kitchens and even bedrooms in some of the bigger tents. This means that you can go on a Thursday night and stay all weekend if you want to at the Inland Sea. It is very popular for people who want to get out of the city.
We had another great trip with Khawar's diving friends to a small island just off Doha city - Banana Island - in a dive boat. We took a picnic and spent a great couple of hours there and we were able to swim in the sea - the Arabian Gulf which was very warm.People here, even if you have only just met them, are very generous with their time and hospitality and cannot do enough for you.
Colin has made a lot of new friends already since he has been here - everyone gives you their business card and apparently there are 54 different nationalities living in Doha. So many different languages to listen to and try and understand and the different stories of why people have ended up in Doha are neverendingly fascinating. Everytime he goes out, he comes back with a tale of someone else he has met - we are all riding in his slipstream and our social lives are climbing accordingly.
Last week we went to the Opera - in Doha, we have Katara, the cultural centre which is a great open air area with new buildings, restaurants, an amphitheatre, opera house, beach and is brilliant for people watching. A Spanish Flamenco company came here for four days to perform their interpretation of some well known operas and we went to two different performances - brilliant and free as well. My social life is certainly well on the up and up.
Downside, we had a fire in the apartment block last Saturday. This was a very scary few hours as it started on the seventeenth floor, one below us and just across the tower from us. We were outside for five hours whilst they got everything under control. No-one was hurt and it was apparently started by an electrical fault. Not surprising considering the electrical problems I have had in the apartment since I have been here. I will not be sorry to leave, although we do have great facilities here but they are all closed at the moment whilst they carry out the repairs, even the pool has been emptied because of the debris falling into it.
Good news, we have found a villa to rent with Khawar which is massive and we will be able to sublet a couple of the rooms to help with the rent. It has a large garden which is something of a rarity here and covered parking. It is unfurnished so we will have to get some stuff but there is always plenty of secondhand furniture from the expats who are leaving available.We will have room for visitors anyway.We will be moving in when we get back from England end of June.
Watch this space for some pictures.
