Qatar Airport - Wednesday 1/31 (written 2/3)

And so we (Teddy The Bear and I) landed in Doha, Qatar, at the Hammad International Airport on Wednesday.

I learned immediately just how seriously they take their security. I was in no hurry so stopped to stare down into the main terminal and take a few photos at which point a light flashed over my head and a security officer approached to find out who I was and what I was doing. He was very polite and pleasant, but also intensely serious. I satisfied his curiosity and moved on. 

This is a massive slide for children!

At the next corner, I was looking around to figure out which way to go, and out of nowhere there was another officer. Same approach as the first one. So I moved along as he pointed out which direction to head. 

I even had to pass through a security checkpoint to enter the terminal although I just got off a secured flight. They x-rayed me, patted me down, the whole nine yards. But everyone else had to go through that, too. I wasn't singled out.

There were hundreds of security personnel visible as I spent eight hours there. Hundreds. And all quite intense in their work. As I stopped and gawked at the sights, several times I was approached and asked if I "needed help" by security. I told them what I was doing and moved along. 

Throughout the trip, I was frustrated by my attempts to use my phone for either calling/texting or internet access. I was worried about folks back home fretting, but I really had no way most of the time to reach out. Sometimes I could get a signal, but quickly it was gone, so my apologies for those of you who didn't hear from me.

So let me show you just a few of the sights there. It is absolutely the most incredible airport you can imagine. Vast. Filled with art. And the most expensive "shopping mall" in the world with absolutely zero "ordinary" stores. I didn't go into any of them, nor did I take pictures of them. But the money and the commercialization of flight is amazing. Okay, so some of the sights:

Even the ceilings are gorgeous

 

This is exactly how I felt, poor, tired critter!

I wandered around (much to the frustration of security) trying to find the pool/gym faclity, but they don't make it easy for us plebeians. I'm sure I walked several miles in that airport. I was exhausted, hungry, and my legs were swollen (in spite of all the things I'd done to try and prevent that). 

Eventually, I gave up on making it to the pool and accepted that what I needed most was nutrition, more water, and to rest and elevate my legs. I found the "simplest" place I could to eat in terms of healthy choices in a sort of food court. I ordered 2 eggs, a bit of smoked salmon, about 1/4 of an avocado, and a green juice.

Twenty five bucks, folks - yup, twenty-five big ones for that! $25 USD. But my body needed nutrition, and who am I to argue with anyone in a place with that much security! 

The entire airport was spotless and cleaning staff was ubiquitous. I wanted to take pictures of the bathroom, but they never left so you'll just have to imagine palatial bathrooms with 12' ceilings and 12' stall doors. I did get one shot inside a stall by putting my phone on silent...

So, welcome to the Asian world of "bum gun toilets." I'll do a separate post about them in a moment, but here's a teaser picture with Teddy showing no shame. 

I found a wonderful place to relax. It's a garden inside the building, complete with very tall trees. A guy in a cherry-picker was watering the giant plants. There were paths, benches, fountains, even wooden teepees to rest in.

Thankfully, I had seen pictures of spaces available for only women to rest in, so I found one and enjoyed some time there elevating my feet and trying to sleep (to no avail). 

Throughout the airport, there were a wide variety of nationalities, dress styles, and attitude (including a number of "entitled" attitudes). Most women did not cover their heads, so I did not feel it necessary to do so, although I had a head covering with me out of respect for the culture. 

And thus I filled my eight hours in the largest, most expensive, apparently safest airport in the world. It's like the Rolls Royce Disneyland of airports. I'm looking forward to seeing more of it on my way home. Someone warn security that I'm headed their way again, okay?

Sadly, Teddy The Bear won't be traveling with me. I lost him somewhere in Doha. Hopefully some kid is hugging him right now. It's either that, or security took him apart. So the rest of this trip, I'm traveling solo. Teddy, I miss ya.