Qatar- Day Two- The Meal that Wouldn't End, Two Museums, and a Cultural Experience

 I am STILL full from lunch😏  After an early morning walk, lots of sight seeing and two delicious meals, I truly feel blessed by Qatari hospitality.

A very early morning took me to a giant pearl, an important reminder of an economy that went bankrupt after the Japanese developed pearl farming techniques in the early 1900's.

We visited the Qatar National Museum with it's beautiful architeture.  The architecture reflects a desert rose rock formation.

                                  

While at the museum, I enjoyed learning about Qatar's rich culture and interesting history.  I especially liked learning about traditional clothing and textiles.

Lunch was INSANE!  We experienced a 13 course meal.  The food just kept coming. I tried some new foods and enjoyed the company of my fellow teachers.

This samosa is filled with camel meat!

The Museum of Islamic Art provided an opportunity to view examples of Islamic textiles, mosaic tiles, calligraphy, glass pieces, and metal work from the 600's CE to the 1900's CE.  

Our last stop was a trip to Wakrah Old Souq.  This seaside market is home to Embrace Doha, an organization committed to helping guests understand the Qatari culture.  Another spectacular meal had us eating traditional Qatari food while sitting on the floor.  Some of our group members were invited to try on traditional clothing.

Shout-out to Brody:  The city of Doha is about 11 times smaller than New York City.

Shout-out to Nic:  Chicken, beef and lamb are very common foods.  I have really enjoyed the lamb in Doha, something I don't like so much in Rhode Island.  Hummus is common and so is rice.  Saffron is a VERY expensive spice used to flavor rice and many other foods.

Shout-out to Ellie:  I am trying to sample every new food.  Today I ate camel meat.  It was pretty good.  I also tried barracuda during our 13 course meal.

Shout-out to Ian:  There are 89 cities in Qatar.  Doha is the biggest.

Shout-out to Laney:  The women of Qatar are very fashionably dressed, even when they dress very conservatively.  I notice that the women wear beautiful accessories (eye glasses and jewelry).  The fabrics are gorgeous and eye makeup is also important as well as attractive.