Doha, Day One

First, I apologize for the lack of pictures so far. I'll try to resolve the Wifi situation in a bit, which will enable uploads to Facebook from our phones without paying exorbitant data fees.

We have successfully survived our first 24 hours in Qatar, much to the relief of our life insurance companies, and possibly even our family.

The trip out was not too bad, all things considered. Carma was frantically trying to finish the last-minute packing of items on Thursday evening, getting somewhat frustrated with me because I wasn't dong anything with any urgency. The source of this complacency arose when Thurman asked me what time the limo was coming to pick us up. I replied, "10:00 I think." I was soon corrected by Carma that it was coming at 8:00. Ooops.

In spite of my lack of efforts, we were able to leave on time. The stretch limo picked us up and whisked us away to JFK, with only a couple of minor detours. Upon arrival at the airport, our luggage was whisked away by the helpful staff of Qatar Airways, and we got our boarding and lounge passes.

One of the benefits of flying business class is access the the lounge. While there, you enjoy pre-flight snacks, beverages, Wifi, TVs, and comfy chairs. So comfy that Nico fell asleep, but it was late (10:30 or so by now). Also, they call you when it is time to board your flight, which is nice.

For us it was a nice experience. But not so nice and VIP that you'd actually expect any actual noteworthy or VIP people to share that experience with you. But I guess Chelsea Clinton and her husband were slumming it a bit. They were in the lounge as well, and were also on our flight.

Well, OK, they did get a little more special treatment. They were whisked to the head of the security line. Upon arriving, they were whisked away in a security car at the foot of the airplane. I could use some whisking, but I'm not complaining. Business class was awesome, and may have spoiled travel forever for us.

The seats were spacious, adjustable, and even would lie flat. The video entertainment system was unparalleled. During the trip, I watched parts or all of: Die Hard, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Toy Story 3, Iron Man 2, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It's a good thing I was entertained, as I was not able to sleep well on the plane (I never am able to). The boys slept relatively well, and Carma got enough to get by on.

Anyway, upon arrival, we cleared customs, had our luggage retrieved for us, and were driven to the hotel, were we stayed up for a bit trying to ensure we were as tired as possible and then went to bed hoping to get to church the next morning. (Here, the Sabbath Day is on Fridays, the workweek is Sunday to Thursday.)

Nico, despite sleeping the most on the plane, slept through the night with no problems. As he's known to tell us, he likes sleeping.

Poor Thurman had the worst time though. He fell asleep for an hour, and then woke up. o his body, it was only about 6 pm, but in Doha it was 1 am. He struggled for the next four hours trying to sleep. After reading his elements book (which he's enthralled with) for an hour and a half, he finally konked. (Carma thinks the book would have put her to sleep in 5 minutes.)

Carma was the person who was up with Thurman the most, as I had no problems going to sleep right away. But I finally helped out more after 3 am or so. Both of us had trouble getting back to sleep, but eventually did so. On and off, I woke up though, watching the progress of the sunrise through the cracks in the curtain. Needless to say, when the alarm went off, it was not a welcome sound.

We stumbled through the morning. We made it to church an hour late, and met several nice people. I took Nico to the hotel pool. We had a nice lunch. We went to a mall to check it out, and while there the boys enjoyed the arcade (with rides) and eating at Chili's. It was a pretty relaxed day!

Some observations about life in Doha:

1) Many people have said to us, "Oh, we're so glad you could visit now that it's cooled down!" Yeah, it's in the mid-nineties and humid. I guess I should be glad it's not worse too.

2) There are two flush buttons on our hotel toilets. One has one dot, and one has two dots. And yes, it corresponds exactly the way you would think.

3) The architecture of the downtown skyscrapers is simply fascinating. Some are modern, gleaming, and sometimes even a bit wacky in design. Mixed in are more traditional Arabian architecture styles. It offers a lot to look at and enjoy.

4) Did I mention that it is hot out? Thank heavens for air conditioning.

5) The driving? So far, not as crazy as I had feared. Life in New Jersey may have prepared me.

Ok. Time for bed.