Qatar-Day Three- School, a "taste" of Italy, and Dune Bashing!

 Day Three was packed full of very different activities that continued to deepen our understanding of the culture and the geography.

                                                Early morning Sunrise at Al Bidda Park

Our early start took us to Tariq Bin Ziad School, grades preK- 4.  Coincidentally, the school had a planned parade to showcase Qatari story books.  As we enjoyed a cup of tea, we marveled at the adorbale children and their many costumes.  The parade was followed by a tour of the school and a presentation about the school's history and mission.  Interesting fact:  In the 1960's there were only THREE schools in the entire country!!!

Check out this link showcasing the school.... past and present:   Tariq Bin Ziad School

 

For lunch and a chance to shop in air conditioning, we explored Villaggio Mall.  Much of the mall was filled with familiar stores but in the center there was an ice skating rink and the mall was designed to look like Venice, Italy, complete with a 6 minute gondola ride.  Oh!  I almost fogot to mention the amusement park inside, too.

The late afternoon was spent dune bashing in a monster truck and relaxing at Al Majles Resort (south of Doha) on the Persian Gulf. The highlight of this outrageous day was riding a camel along the beach.  Our evening ended with a sunset over the dunes and a delcious group dinner.

Sunset on the Dunes

Shout-out to Colton:  In the past, the Qatari people depended on underground water sources and finding an oasis in the desert.  In the present, the people of Qatar use a desalination process to remove the salt from salt water so the water will be safe to drink.

Shout-out to Olivia B.-  The main industries in Qatar are oil and gas.  In the last few years, the country has invested heavily in solar energy.  

Shout-out to Aarav- Most people of Qatar eat the same kinds of food we do on a daily basis.  The difference is that often they will take foods that you and I are familiar with but change them up to reflect the tastes of the Qatari people.  For example, instead of using beef for a burger, they might use camel meat.  Another example is their love of pasta but they will put Qatari spices on the pasta.

Shout-out to Alex- Up until recently, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been on decent terms.  On June 5, 2017, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of supporting terrorism.  In turn, these countries formed a blockade to isolate Qatar.  Although relations are more normalized now, this experience was a wake-up call for Qatar to become more independent.  For example, Qatar now has dairy cows so they can produce their own milk and make cheese.