Saturday, December 12, 2009
Yes, it does rain in Doha!
Taken this morning (12 December) after a night of rain, thunder, & lightning!
Christmas Greetings (11 December 2009)
Sri Lanka seems a long way past (really only two weeks) & we're already making last-minute plans for our trip to Germany (21st December) to spend Christmas with relatives in Kaufbeuren. After that (27th December) we fly to England where Roger's brother, Graham, will be married to Dawn on 30th December. Then we'll spend New Year's Eve in Trafalgar Square with Jill before returning Qatar on the 1st January. Not sure when we'll get our Sri Lanka blog up but just to send Christmas Greetings to everyone, here is a small (& rather grainy) video clip of the Colombo Police Brass Band playing "Little Drummer Boy" outside the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. In their repertoire were also "Once in Royal David's City" & the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's "Messiah". Happy Christmas everyone & a wonderful 2010.
Monday, November 23, 2009
We’re only a few days away from our trip to Sri Lanka (26 November to 4 December) & the weather in Qatar is mild & very pleasant (around 25 C during the day). Two events stand out during the past ten days (apart from Roger’s trip to London to chair a big Amnesty meeting).The first was the England-Brazil “friendly” match (since both teams have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa) on Saturday (14 November). It turned out to be rather lack-lustre game, partly because most of the good England players were injured (or just not there). The remaining star player was Wayne Rooney who captained England. Brazil deserved the 1-0 win & it was fun to see players like Kaka & Fabiano. The game was largely an expensive show-piece for Qatar & a chance to show that this country will be capable of hosting the 2022 World Cup. If money & geo-political issues have anything to do with it (the World Cup has yet to be played in the Middle East), then Qatar stands a good chance.
The Khalifa Stadium is a wonderful venue & comfortably holds 60,000 spectators. With balloons, light sticks (which rained down on the perimeter before the game started), & an excited crowd, it was quite an occasion. There were even many attempts at the Mexican Wave which came crashing to a halt when it reached the VIP section. The white-thobed dignitaries stolidly remained sitting in their gilt armchairs, drawing hoots of derision from the rest of the stadium. After that, the Wave took on a new socio-cultural tone verging on revolution.
A week later, we had a chance to join a small group of Grade 12 students from Pat’s school on a visit to the Emir’s stables (now part of the Qatar Foundation). Known as “Al Shaqab”, it is one of the world’s leading stud farms for Arabian horses (in particular “Straight Egyptians”) & a wonderful facility which maintains purebreds in superb condition. It is also an educational facility & riding academy. There have been many world champions among the several hundred horses, including Marwan Al Shaqab which was world champion in 2001, 202, & 2008. This horse is a national hero. It even has its own site on Facebook! Check out the website: http://www.alshaqab.com & Youtube for some film of these elegant horses with their fine facial structure & long, almost swan-like necks. The lineage can be traced back over 3,000 years & there is great pride in the Gulf States for these horses that were part of the Bedouin way of life.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Birding highlight
Just want to share my sighting (Tuesday, 3 November, at 07h.35) of several Cream-coloured Coursers (Cursorius cursor). This has been one of my "target" birds since arriving in Qatar. It is a semi-desert bird & migrates down this way from Iran, Iraq, Syria, & Jordan. It also happens to grace the front cover of my well-thumbed "Birds of the Middle East" & has eluded me for for the past 14 months.
More adventures
Last week (27 October), we took the one-hour flight ($130 return with FlyDubai) to Dubai where Pat & friend Betty were attending a Learning Disability Conference. Dubai used to be something of a role model for Doha & its buildings & society are a foretaste of what Qatar may look like in a few years time.
The global recession has badly hurt Dubai & most construction has slowed down or halted altogether. Property prices have plummeted & the future remains uncertain. Were it not for the continuing wealth of Abu Dhabi (which supplies 90% of the oil revenue), the United Arab Emirates & Dubai in particular would be in a very sorry state.
Meanwhile the Dubai metro has recently opened (September 2009) & the world’s tallest building (Burj Dubai) at 818 metres (compare the CN Tower at 553 m.) has just been completed.
The metro is a driverless system running at an average speed of over 40 km an hour. There will be 29 stations eventually but several are still under construction. Although there is a “Gold Class Cabin” (with “wide leather seats, exclusive lighting & design, & a panoramic view from the front of the train”) & a “Women & Children Cabin”, the metro is proving to be something of a class leveler, with Emirati in thobes or abayas rubbing shoulders with workers & ex-pats alike. It is cheap (less than $2 & as little as 60 cents) & extremely comfortable.
We travelled by metro on Wednesday evening to the Dubai Mall to eat (Italian) & watch the astonishing fountains & music display. It was quite breath-taking & certainly a sight not to be missed. Here is a short sample:
Roger managed a morning of birding with a local birder & drove out of Dubai through Al-Ain (near the Oman border) to Green Mubazzarah Park (near Jebel Hafeet).
It was a great opportunity to find some birds that never show up in Qatar & also to take a trip into the nearby dunes, looking for (& finding) the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. Just one of fifteen species to add to his “life list”.
On our second day, Pat found time to go skiing. The ski “resort”, inside the Mall of the Emirates, has real snow, manufactured each night & groomed every morning. Coats & skis are included in the two-hour package (about $40) & it was another memorable moment in this desert utopia.
We flew back to Doha on Thursday night, just in time to see three movies at the first Doha Tribeca International Film Festival on Friday. The festival was created by Robert De Niro & is intended to make Qatar the film capital of the Arabian Gulf (if not the Middle East). Each film was only $3 & we managed to survive until the evening but gave up on the fourth which didn’t start until 11h.15. The films we saw: “Road, Movie” (very good Indian film by director Dev Benegal who was in attendance), “London River” (outstanding movie brilliantly acted by Brenda Blethyn & Sotigui Kouyaté) & “The Greatest” (slightly unconvincing movie with Pierce Brosnan & Susan Sarandon).
We would have gone to more movies but Saturday was semi-final day of the Sony-Ericsson Women’s Tennis tournament, with Venus Williams playing (& beating) Jelena Jankovic & Serena Williams playing Caroline Wozniacki (who retired hurt). Some good tennis & a relaxing day at the end of a hectic week.
The global recession has badly hurt Dubai & most construction has slowed down or halted altogether. Property prices have plummeted & the future remains uncertain. Were it not for the continuing wealth of Abu Dhabi (which supplies 90% of the oil revenue), the United Arab Emirates & Dubai in particular would be in a very sorry state.Meanwhile the Dubai metro has recently opened (September 2009) & the world’s tallest building (Burj Dubai) at 818 metres (compare the CN Tower at 553 m.) has just been completed.
The metro is a driverless system running at an average speed of over 40 km an hour. There will be 29 stations eventually but several are still under construction. Although there is a “Gold Class Cabin” (with “wide leather seats, exclusive lighting & design, & a panoramic view from the front of the train”) & a “Women & Children Cabin”, the metro is proving to be something of a class leveler, with Emirati in thobes or abayas rubbing shoulders with workers & ex-pats alike. It is cheap (less than $2 & as little as 60 cents) & extremely comfortable.
We travelled by metro on Wednesday evening to the Dubai Mall to eat (Italian) & watch the astonishing fountains & music display. It was quite breath-taking & certainly a sight not to be missed. Here is a short sample:
Roger managed a morning of birding with a local birder & drove out of Dubai through Al-Ain (near the Oman border) to Green Mubazzarah Park (near Jebel Hafeet).
It was a great opportunity to find some birds that never show up in Qatar & also to take a trip into the nearby dunes, looking for (& finding) the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. Just one of fifteen species to add to his “life list”.On our second day, Pat found time to go skiing. The ski “resort”, inside the Mall of the Emirates, has real snow, manufactured each night & groomed every morning. Coats & skis are included in the two-hour package (about $40) & it was another memorable moment in this desert utopia.
We flew back to Doha on Thursday night, just in time to see three movies at the first Doha Tribeca International Film Festival on Friday. The festival was created by Robert De Niro & is intended to make Qatar the film capital of the Arabian Gulf (if not the Middle East). Each film was only $3 & we managed to survive until the evening but gave up on the fourth which didn’t start until 11h.15. The films we saw: “Road, Movie” (very good Indian film by director Dev Benegal who was in attendance), “London River” (outstanding movie brilliantly acted by Brenda Blethyn & Sotigui Kouyaté) & “The Greatest” (slightly unconvincing movie with Pierce Brosnan & Susan Sarandon).
We would have gone to more movies but Saturday was semi-final day of the Sony-Ericsson Women’s Tennis tournament, with Venus Williams playing (& beating) Jelena Jankovic & Serena Williams playing Caroline Wozniacki (who retired hurt). Some good tennis & a relaxing day at the end of a hectic week.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A week of adventures
On Monday (12 October), Pat attended the Doha Debate (sponsored by the Qatar Foundation) on the topic: “This House deplores the release of the Lockerbie bomber to Libya”. The debates are moderated by ex-BBC hard-talker Tim Sebastian & are pretty lively affairs. It is extremely difficult to get tickets (free but very limited) & we have been trying for over a year. Pat managed it as an accompanying teacher (four students) but Roger will have to wait. The participants in this debate included two Libyans (one for & one against), a British M.P. (for), & Jim Swire, father of one of the victims (against). The outcome (voted electronically by the full audience) was 53% for & 47% against. The full debate will be shown on BBC & will also be available eventually as a DVD.
On Wednesday (14 October), we decided to explore a different restaurant & so ended up at an “Afghan” restaurant (Al Afghani Brothers) just a few minutes’ drive from our place. It’s the kind of restaurant that is more comfortable with fast-food (kerb-side) than sit-down customers, especially those that belong to the privileged white ex-pat community. With barely a moment’s hesitation, they took us upstairs to Room 13. It resembled a sauna (cedar planks & all) & was very warm, at least until the air conditioning was turned on. Room 13 had only two tables, a washbasin (that was not hooked up to the plumbing) & a telephone (presumably to call when we needed anything). The food was copious & quite good: chicken, fish (hamour), or lamb (“Arab meat”) on a huge plate of rice. When we asked for tea, we were told that “no tea in the restaurant”, but for us there appeared three cups of Lipton tea. It was all very odd but quite satisfying, & we would go back (maybe).
On Thursday (15 October), we went for a four-hour dhow trip (along with about thirty others, mostly teachers & spouses). Meeting at 18h.00, we embarked & set sail in the Arabian Gulf but never very far from land. The view of Doha is spectacular & there is plenty of opportunity for photos, although few do justice to the city lights across the water. Some rather poor quality Arabic hors d’oeuvres were served & most people had brought their own alcohol. It seems that it is legal (or at least permitted) to drink once you’re on the water. After an hour or so, the dhow stopped near a sandbank & those who want to swim did so. Ten people or so jumped into the water from the upper deck, or stepped over the side & swam (& drank) for almost an hour. Last year, on a similar trip, several people were stung by jellyfish, but this time all was clear. We headed back to the harbour & disembarked at 22h.00. The Corniche was buzzing with activity & people were out enjoying the (relatively) milder (i.e. cooler) weather.
On Saturday (17 October), we drove about 40 km. to the south-west to find the famous “singing dunes”. With our trusty GPS we were able to reach them without difficulty & our little car made light work of the rough desert track. The dunes are quite amazing & made of very fine golden sand which, at midday, appeared blindingly white & was extremely hot. We parked the car at the bottom & scrambled up the fifty or sixty feet to the top. Sitting on our backsides we slid down thus creating the “singing” which is more like the sound of a heavy plane in flight. We were unsuccessful in getting good pictures (much too bright) but here is a short video clip taken by Pat as she slid down. If you listen carefully, you will hear the “music”.
On the way home, we stopped at one of Roger’s birding haunts (a vast water treatment lagoon) & found thousands of Grey Herons & a flock of 200+ Flamingos. I (Pat), was in awe and I can almost understand Roger’s obsession for the birds. Really, thousand of elegant herons and hundreds of pinky-white flamingos all facing the same direction was actually awe-inspiring. Some Blue-eared Bee-eaters on a wire provided a cheerful end to a great day out.
On Wednesday (14 October), we decided to explore a different restaurant & so ended up at an “Afghan” restaurant (Al Afghani Brothers) just a few minutes’ drive from our place. It’s the kind of restaurant that is more comfortable with fast-food (kerb-side) than sit-down customers, especially those that belong to the privileged white ex-pat community. With barely a moment’s hesitation, they took us upstairs to Room 13. It resembled a sauna (cedar planks & all) & was very warm, at least until the air conditioning was turned on. Room 13 had only two tables, a washbasin (that was not hooked up to the plumbing) & a telephone (presumably to call when we needed anything). The food was copious & quite good: chicken, fish (hamour), or lamb (“Arab meat”) on a huge plate of rice. When we asked for tea, we were told that “no tea in the restaurant”, but for us there appeared three cups of Lipton tea. It was all very odd but quite satisfying, & we would go back (maybe).
On Thursday (15 October), we went for a four-hour dhow trip (along with about thirty others, mostly teachers & spouses). Meeting at 18h.00, we embarked & set sail in the Arabian Gulf but never very far from land. The view of Doha is spectacular & there is plenty of opportunity for photos, although few do justice to the city lights across the water. Some rather poor quality Arabic hors d’oeuvres were served & most people had brought their own alcohol. It seems that it is legal (or at least permitted) to drink once you’re on the water. After an hour or so, the dhow stopped near a sandbank & those who want to swim did so. Ten people or so jumped into the water from the upper deck, or stepped over the side & swam (& drank) for almost an hour. Last year, on a similar trip, several people were stung by jellyfish, but this time all was clear. We headed back to the harbour & disembarked at 22h.00. The Corniche was buzzing with activity & people were out enjoying the (relatively) milder (i.e. cooler) weather.
On Saturday (17 October), we drove about 40 km. to the south-west to find the famous “singing dunes”. With our trusty GPS we were able to reach them without difficulty & our little car made light work of the rough desert track. The dunes are quite amazing & made of very fine golden sand which, at midday, appeared blindingly white & was extremely hot. We parked the car at the bottom & scrambled up the fifty or sixty feet to the top. Sitting on our backsides we slid down thus creating the “singing” which is more like the sound of a heavy plane in flight. We were unsuccessful in getting good pictures (much too bright) but here is a short video clip taken by Pat as she slid down. If you listen carefully, you will hear the “music”.
On the way home, we stopped at one of Roger’s birding haunts (a vast water treatment lagoon) & found thousands of Grey Herons & a flock of 200+ Flamingos. I (Pat), was in awe and I can almost understand Roger’s obsession for the birds. Really, thousand of elegant herons and hundreds of pinky-white flamingos all facing the same direction was actually awe-inspiring. Some Blue-eared Bee-eaters on a wire provided a cheerful end to a great day out.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Turkish Delights (Istanbul, 17-24 September 2009)
Some vivid & random memories: visiting the Blue Mosque together with several thousand others, mostly from the cruise ships; learning to play the national pastime backgammon (“tavla”) from Emrah, a young student working at the Orient Hostel with strong ideas about politics, Islam, & an enlightened Turkey; drinking raki (Turkish version of ouzo & the unofficial national drink) after a long day of walking everywhere; learning how to avoid “invitations” to visit “my shop” or “my restaurant”, eating the same breakfast every day (three slices of cucumber, three slices of tomato, four black olives, two kinds of cheese, one slice of processed meat, & one over-boiled egg); smoking the narghile (hookah shisha) with apple or strawberry flavour while people- watching or just dreaming; experiencing a Turkish bath (hamam) at Cembalitas (built in 1584 by Sinan) but finding it a little over-commercial; imagining the terrible lives of the concubines (up to 800!) in the Topkapi Palace Harem & wondering how many ended their days in a sack at the bottom of the Bosphorus; spending time with friends from Ottawa, Tom & Betty, who just happened to be in Istanbul at the same (Tom worked with Roger at AI); discovering contemporary Turkish art at the Istanbul Modern gallery (notably an exhibition of the work of Sarkis); exploring the vast underground Basilica Cistern with its fish & coin-filled water & spooky vistas among the ancient columns (including two carved Medusa heads lying sideways or up-side-down); staying at the Orient Hostel & the friendly company there (staff & visitors); stray cats everywhere; drinking alcohol in public & eating during Ramadan, in such contrast with the austerity of Islam in the Middle East; eating fresh fish just metres away from the fish market in Karakoy (other side of the Galata Bridge; marveling at the whirling dervishes, spinning like planets in a starry meditation; meeting Jennifer from Edmonton who owns a towel & bathware store in the Arasta Bazaar (as well as a ceramics shop) & is a wonderful source of information & advice about Istanbul (especially places to shop & eat); buying a set of stunning Iznik tiles (hand made with quartz & metal oxide for pigments); mastering the tramway system & taking the funicular up to Taksim Square (commercial centre of Istanbul & site of revolts & revolutions); confronting the ice cream seller near Taksim Square who had passed us a phony $5 bill (US) & getting our money back with an apology; loving every minute of being there!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Back in Doha ...
After a wonderful summer with family (especially grandchildren) in Canada , we arrived back in Qatar Doha
Arriving early Saturday morning in the middle of Ramadan meant that there was little traffic & after getting through immigration at top speed (thanks to our “e-gate” passes) & finding our luggage immediately, we were back “home” before 09h.00. We felt happy to be back & to know how everything works in this unique country. Inevitably, new buildings had sprung up in the last two months while others (sometimes quite new) had been demolished.
We were able to get our new car (2006 Suzuki Jimny) working right away & managed a trip out to our local convenience grocery (Al-Meera) for some essential supplies. Getting used to the traffic culture again was a challenge, particularly in a gea
r-shift car, but we have survived the first few days & it’s even feeling like natural chaos once more.
Pat went back to school on Sunday for five days of administrative meetings & getting to know new staff including Tina, the new principal. The biggest shock for many was the announcement that James (social science teacher) was not returning, although he is around collecting his belongings. The reasons for his sudden departure are not widely known, but, for those of us who do know, it is still barely comprehensible. Just another reason to wonder at the workings of this strange world.
Equally distressing was the news that our good friend Jenny (known as one of the best teachers at the school) was facing imminent dismissal because of problems with her police clearance report. Nobody seems to know what the issues are but she will find out later this week whether she will be able to continue working &, if so, whether she will have to find a different school. Last year there were several teachers from another school who faced a similar problem & ended up being given three weeks to leave the country!
On Sunday, I joyfully made my way back to my favourite barber’s shop. The experience was as good as ever, although without the smoothie & the massage because, during Ramadan, they would be unacceptable. Yesterday’s challenge was to renew the vehicle registration which expires next week. Anticipating crowds & delays, we went to the Traffic Office after school only to find the place close. Obviously, we had forgotten Ramadan, although there seems to be no way of finding out the office hours. Feeling confident at it would open at 18h.00 we returned, only to find it still closed. A security guard told us that it would open from 20h.00 until 03h.00 next morning! So back we went at 20h.15 & were relieved (& surprised) to find that not only was it open but that the whole process took less than thirty minutes.
So we are gradually acclimatizing to the now/old life. This evening we are invited to an iftar (“break fast”) meal, served after sundown & traditionally opened with dates, followed by lamb & rice & other excellent foods. We went to an iftar last year & feel a lot more confident in taking part now. The meal this evening is hosted by the family of one of the Qatari teaching assistants at the school & it seems as though we will be the only non-Muslims there. The women will eat separately from the men, so we will have many different stories to share afterwards.
Friday marks the beginning of the school Eid break & we have booked our tickets to travel to
p.s. The iftar meal was wonderful & the family that invited was welcoming & gracious. Roger spent the evening with the men (father, several brothers, & a brother-in-law) & Pat was sent off with the women. The food was outstanding (& the same in both places!) & everyone went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. It’s at such times that the gulf between Muslims & non-Muslims seems totally bridgeable & unnecessary, & yet there is so much suspicion of “the others” that it takes a few first steps to move forwards.
p.p.s. Roger spent six hours birding in mid-thirties heat along the northern coastline (Shamal) of
Friday, May 15, 2009
India (24 April to 2 May 2009)
We were barely back from Wales & England than I received an e-mail from Gord Saunders asking whether I might be interested in a birding trip to India. Gord is from Newfoundland & is teaching English at the Memorial University "College of the North Atlantic" here in Qatar. We have birded regularly together here & the opportunity was too good to pass up. So it was that we flew to Delhi just a week later & spent the next nine days birding south of Delhi (Bharatpur) & then in the north-east (Corbett National Park). There was a one day side trip to visit the Taj Mahal & even there we found a new bird (Lesser Coucal) for our India list.
There were just the two of us & we had excellent guides, starting with Ratan Singh at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Ratan was a friend of Salim Ali, known as "the birdman of India" & author of the first serious books on Indian birds. He was only with us for our first day but what a pleasure it was to bird with him, even though we had had no sleep on the overnight flight from Doha & had then driven directly to Bharatpur from the airport. A quick "breakfast" & then we were off to the park in rickshaws & then on foot. We saw 116 species that first day, almost half of our total of 276 for the whole trip. Many were new birds ("lifers") but there were old friends (especially shorebirds, herons, & egrets). We were totally exhausted by fatigue & high temperatures (mid-30s) but happy with the day & delighted to have a couple of Kingfisher beers to celebrate.
Next day was spent mostly on the road with a major stop in Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum itself is smaller than I expected & there is not a lot of room inside to accommodate the many visitors. Over 400 years old & constructed entirely of white marble with precious & semi-precious stones (jade, jasper, onyx, sapphire, turquoise, carnelian & many more) inlaid, it is simply stunning. We spent almost two hours looking at the buildings & the beautiful gardens. After a bit of "tourist" shopping we headed into Delhi to spend one night before going north. Parts of central Delhi reminded me of Washington with its wide-open green spaces, monuments (for example, India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1921), & boulevards. What a contrast with the busy, crowded areas with the crazy traffic & wretchedly poor people eking out their existence on the sidewalks & in the gutters.
The journey north to the Corbett National Park took several hours & gave us a panorama or India with all its physical beauty & contrasts. The brilliant colours of the saris, the peasants harvesting wheat by hand, the water buffalo, the piles of dung-cake fuel drying or ready to use, the roadside barbers & every other local trade necessary in a world that depends on humble day-to-day activity for survival, the crowded village markets, & the people hurrying about their immediate tasks or simply sitting or sleeping in the shade. We crossed the Ganges & finally reached Tiger Camp (hotel) for lunch. We transferred to a 4WD (called a "gypsy" in this part of the world) & drove (bumped) our way to Riverine Woods for the night. This is primarily a fishing camp & a very challenging place to reach, crossing (in the water) the River Ramganga several times. Now we were in tiger territory &, although we kept looking, we never did see more than very recent paw marks & fresh claw marks on some trees, & only heard the alarm cries of the spotted deer when a tiger was close by. The birding at Riverine Woods was excellent, but I have to mention the beautiful Asian Paradise-flycatcher, the male with crested black head & all white body with long tail-streamers, & the female in striking black & chestnut, as they flew in pairs through the trees. The valley itself & the lodge are idyllic & very secluded. It is definitely a place to return to.
After lunch next day we met Ganesh, who was to be our bird guide for the remainder of the trip. He is from a remote part of Nepal & spends several months guiding birding tours in India to support his wife & two children back home. He is self-taught & is now a very professional & thoroughly likeable individual. We travelled by gypsy from the main gate of Corbett Park to Dhikala Forest Lodge where we spent the next night. The three-hour trip was itself a birding safari, although we could not get out of the vehicle because of park rules (& theoretical tigers). There were many new birds as well as views over the valley, where we could see Asian Elephants & various kinds of deer. One highlight for me was hearing the call of the Eurasian Cuckoo, seeming strangely out-of-place here in the Indian jungle (rather than the English countryside). The Lodge was comfortable & protected by an electrified fence ... just in case!
From there it was back to Tiger Camp for the next two nights. Even the resort grounds were good for birding & turned up a roosting Collared Scops Owl & a few other "new" species. During the following days we looked again for a tiger but without success. A group last December even found a leopard resting in one of the trees over the road. By now we were really looking forward to travelling to higher elevations & escaping the heat. Our driver, CB, received news that his father had died suddenly & he had to return overnight to Delhi. We were sorry to see him go as we had driven with him from the time we first arrived & he had become a good friend. Asian Adventures arranged for another driver & so we set out for our last stop in Pangot (Jungle Lore Resort) in the Himalayan foothills about 100 km from the Nepal border. Although we were now at 7,000 ft. it was not in fact significantly cooler. This was largely because of the many forest fires buring throughout the region, at times very close to the road.
A last full day of birding & it was at this point that I went down with a major case of "Delhi belly". This meant that I missed the last two hours next morning, which would have brought my "lifer" list to 200. As it was, I ended up with 196 which is still a fine total. It was a seven-hour trip back to Delhi with many hair-raising moments in the madness of the traffic. We managed a couple of hours sleep at the hotel before leaving for the airport at 1 a.m. Our adventures were not quite over. Our car had a flat tire about 6 km. from the airport & the spare was almost flat. We contemplated taking one of the passing motor rickshaws (3-wheelers) but our driver was horrified & insisted on driving the rest of the way on the spare tire. We wre tired & happy to be on the Qatar Airways flight back to Doha.
There were just the two of us & we had excellent guides, starting with Ratan Singh at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Ratan was a friend of Salim Ali, known as "the birdman of India" & author of the first serious books on Indian birds. He was only with us for our first day but what a pleasure it was to bird with him, even though we had had no sleep on the overnight flight from Doha & had then driven directly to Bharatpur from the airport. A quick "breakfast" & then we were off to the park in rickshaws & then on foot. We saw 116 species that first day, almost half of our total of 276 for the whole trip. Many were new birds ("lifers") but there were old friends (especially shorebirds, herons, & egrets). We were totally exhausted by fatigue & high temperatures (mid-30s) but happy with the day & delighted to have a couple of Kingfisher beers to celebrate.
Next day was spent mostly on the road with a major stop in Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum itself is smaller than I expected & there is not a lot of room inside to accommodate the many visitors. Over 400 years old & constructed entirely of white marble with precious & semi-precious stones (jade, jasper, onyx, sapphire, turquoise, carnelian & many more) inlaid, it is simply stunning. We spent almost two hours looking at the buildings & the beautiful gardens. After a bit of "tourist" shopping we headed into Delhi to spend one night before going north. Parts of central Delhi reminded me of Washington with its wide-open green spaces, monuments (for example, India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1921), & boulevards. What a contrast with the busy, crowded areas with the crazy traffic & wretchedly poor people eking out their existence on the sidewalks & in the gutters.
The journey north to the Corbett National Park took several hours & gave us a panorama or India with all its physical beauty & contrasts. The brilliant colours of the saris, the peasants harvesting wheat by hand, the water buffalo, the piles of dung-cake fuel drying or ready to use, the roadside barbers & every other local trade necessary in a world that depends on humble day-to-day activity for survival, the crowded village markets, & the people hurrying about their immediate tasks or simply sitting or sleeping in the shade. We crossed the Ganges & finally reached Tiger Camp (hotel) for lunch. We transferred to a 4WD (called a "gypsy" in this part of the world) & drove (bumped) our way to Riverine Woods for the night. This is primarily a fishing camp & a very challenging place to reach, crossing (in the water) the River Ramganga several times. Now we were in tiger territory &, although we kept looking, we never did see more than very recent paw marks & fresh claw marks on some trees, & only heard the alarm cries of the spotted deer when a tiger was close by. The birding at Riverine Woods was excellent, but I have to mention the beautiful Asian Paradise-flycatcher, the male with crested black head & all white body with long tail-streamers, & the female in striking black & chestnut, as they flew in pairs through the trees. The valley itself & the lodge are idyllic & very secluded. It is definitely a place to return to.
After lunch next day we met Ganesh, who was to be our bird guide for the remainder of the trip. He is from a remote part of Nepal & spends several months guiding birding tours in India to support his wife & two children back home. He is self-taught & is now a very professional & thoroughly likeable individual. We travelled by gypsy from the main gate of Corbett Park to Dhikala Forest Lodge where we spent the next night. The three-hour trip was itself a birding safari, although we could not get out of the vehicle because of park rules (& theoretical tigers). There were many new birds as well as views over the valley, where we could see Asian Elephants & various kinds of deer. One highlight for me was hearing the call of the Eurasian Cuckoo, seeming strangely out-of-place here in the Indian jungle (rather than the English countryside). The Lodge was comfortable & protected by an electrified fence ... just in case!
From there it was back to Tiger Camp for the next two nights. Even the resort grounds were good for birding & turned up a roosting Collared Scops Owl & a few other "new" species. During the following days we looked again for a tiger but without success. A group last December even found a leopard resting in one of the trees over the road. By now we were really looking forward to travelling to higher elevations & escaping the heat. Our driver, CB, received news that his father had died suddenly & he had to return overnight to Delhi. We were sorry to see him go as we had driven with him from the time we first arrived & he had become a good friend. Asian Adventures arranged for another driver & so we set out for our last stop in Pangot (Jungle Lore Resort) in the Himalayan foothills about 100 km from the Nepal border. Although we were now at 7,000 ft. it was not in fact significantly cooler. This was largely because of the many forest fires buring throughout the region, at times very close to the road.
A last full day of birding & it was at this point that I went down with a major case of "Delhi belly". This meant that I missed the last two hours next morning, which would have brought my "lifer" list to 200. As it was, I ended up with 196 which is still a fine total. It was a seven-hour trip back to Delhi with many hair-raising moments in the madness of the traffic. We managed a couple of hours sleep at the hotel before leaving for the airport at 1 a.m. Our adventures were not quite over. Our car had a flat tire about 6 km. from the airport & the spare was almost flat. We contemplated taking one of the passing motor rickshaws (3-wheelers) but our driver was horrified & insisted on driving the rest of the way on the spare tire. We wre tired & happy to be on the Qatar Airways flight back to Doha.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Cheeses & Churches (Wales & England)
It's hard to believe that, just a week ago, we were enjoying springtime in the UK. Hawthorns, cherry trees, daffodils, primroses, all in blossom & the first Barn Swallows already back from Africa & ... the Middle East. Every morning the dawn chorus woke us up, with blackbirds, wrens & English robins leading the harmony of the most beautiful natural music imaginable. When I was a teenager, I tried several times to describe what it was like in words but I failed miserably. So here's a link to just thirty seconds of the dawn chorus (wish I'd recorded it myself):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1W0F59T78
Our first five days were in Wales where Pat was attending a conference (IATEFL or International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) in Cardiff. It was a huge meeting & very academic in nature but useful for contacts & ideas about setting up an English as a Foreign Language programme which Pat will be doing here next year. I seized the opportunity to do some birding along the Severn Estuary & inland (Cwm Clydach), & managed half a day with local birder (Howard Oates) who showed me some great places for spring migrants.After the conference ended we headed for England & Tiverton (Devon) where we met my sister, Jill, & our brother Steve with his wife Gill. Steve is an architect & one reason for his visit was to give advice on the feasibility of restoring an old Congregational Church in Witheridge which Jill is helping arrange.
Next day was Palm Sunday & we found ourselves visiting another of Jill's churches (which seems likely to close) where there was a procession along with a live donkey & a small congregation.
We travelled on to Killerton House & Gardens (not far from Exeter). This was something of a birding pilgrimage because Killerton was where I cycled frequently as a boy to watch the herons that used to nest there. The beech trees were the same but the herons have moved away. The gardens were beautiful & we spent several hours enjoying the sun & flowers (& lunch).
Next stop was Lyme Regis in Dorset (home of John Fowles & setting for The French Lieutenant's Woman. Also a town frequented by Jane Austen. We stayed there with Jill & were able to spend time with her eldest son, Ian, who is artistic director of the Lyme Regis theatre.
Before heading back to Jill's home in Kingswood we stopped to look at an 11th-century church (now Church of England) in Branscombe.
The last few days were spent in Kingswood with Gail & Thea, Shaenna, Phil, Aidan, & Erin. We even managed to get our teeth cleaned (thanks to Phil).
Our last little trip was back into Wales to Blaenafon where Jill was to take part in the closing of the Congregational Church there. It was a rather sad occasion because it was one of the churches that George had worked so hard to support right up to the time he died last September. Pat & I didn't attend but explored the town (in the mist & rain) & the hills around. Pat discovered an incredibly good cheese shop (see http://www.chunkofcheese.co.uk) & so we stocked up for the next few weeks in Qatar. We were sad to leave but look forward to another short visit to England in May when we'll be in Harrogate (Yorkshire) for Jill's induction as president of the Congregational Federation of the UK. And the dawn chorus will be as beautiful as ever.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Beckham does Doha
There are many theories as to why the match took place at all. One is that it is good for soccer in
The star of the show, however, had to be David Beckham. Some other “greats” (notably Ronaldinho & Kaka) were present but not fit to play. But the opportunity to watch a game that included the likes of Pato, Matteo, Maldini (captain), Shevchenko, & others, was quite something. The Al Sadd stadium holds 15,000 & was not full but certainly the East Stand (cheap seats at 250 QR or around $85 CAN) was packed & most of the West Stand once they let people in. The North Stand held the usual sprinkling of dignitaries & VVIPs on their plush thrones, along with the Italian Ambassador & his retinue. We were lucky to get tickets from one of Pat’s students, whose uncle was a principal organizer of the whole event.
Getting the stadium ready -- Yes!!
Celebration of Jafal Rashed -- Jafal Rashad takes a free kick
Beckham takes a corner kick -- Pato takes a look
Beckham bends another corner kick
Friday, February 27, 2009
How far is too far?
When I first heard mention of the plan, my reaction was one of bemused horror & deep cynicism. Why would anyone want to walk sixty kilometers across stony desert & soft sand dunes? Why would anyone attempt to do it in two days? Yet, the idea of walking the breadth of Qatar has a romantic feel to it &, as the time drew closer, the reality of adventure began to take hold. Not that I would do it, even for all the grains of sand of Arabia. But I understood why Pat wanted very much to succeed in this awesome challenge. My share of her adventure was to be one of encouragement & faith that she could do it.
Pat ready to get going
The decision to walk from west (Abu Samra, near the Saudi border) to east (south of the Sealine Resort) was largely the result of last year’s failure to manage the journey from east to west. After 25 km. the group encountered a fierce sandstorm &, after struggling to continue, they turned back to their starting point, faces burned by the sun & flayed by the vicious sand. Sandstorms are generally the result of a strong shamal (north-westerly wind) & so the chances of success looked better when keeping the wind from behind. Jeff & Ellie Holte (from Minnesota) were the instigators, inspiration, & planners last year & again in 2009.
Chris V. (from North Bay) & Mary (from California) were also back for a second try.
I felt that my best contribution would be as part of the logistics & back-up team & so it was that I found myself two weeks before THE WALK driving around the southern Qatar desert with Jeff & Chris. Our task was to locate a suitable finishing point & make sure that it was marked in the GPS. That done, we back-tracked twenty km. to find a good site where the walkers could camp overnight. That too was marked & we began the task of burying tent, sleeping bags, food, & water. We also left a pile of wood for a campfire. Then it was on again another 20 km. where we hid 18 litres of water (marked on the GPS). So the stage was set.
Chris V. & Jeff with the Suzuki Jimny
Part of the purpose of the reconnoitering was to give me training in driving the Suzuki Jimny through the dunes & also unravel the mysteries of the GPS. What a great learning experience. Letting air out of the tires in order to keep moving in soft sand, switching from second to first gear at 5,000 RPM so as not to lose momentum when only half way up a steep dune, making split-second decisions on direction so as to avoid hidden rocks or impossible patches of sand. That is to say nothing of travelling along an innocuous dune only to realize at the last second that there
was a fifty-foot precipice just to our left. It was all very exhilarating & scary at the same time. We made it, however, & only got stuck once.
On Thursday (19 February), a convoy left the school at 16h.00 & headed for Abu Samra, The trip down was uneventful except for a brief panic when one of the mattress pads escaped from the ropes on top of one car & flew onto the highway. No harm was done & so we continued after a few adjustments to the load.
It took just over an hour & we found our way from the main road down onto the beach, only a few kilometers away from the Saudi border. A strong north-westerly wind was blowing & it was too cold to set up camp beside the sea. So, we drove a couple of hundred yards inland & parked the three vehicles in line to provide shelter in their lee.
Chris & Jenny W. readjust the load.
Camp Molly by the sea near Abu Samra
It was a struggle to get the tents up but we managed & soon had supper cooking over the fire. It was already dark & the stars sparkled in a moonless sky. Jeff, Chris, & I worked on the three GPS units to make sure we had all the rendezvous points synchronized & then we were able to sit around the fire for an hour or so just enjoying the company & the experience of desert camping.
Desert camp fire
The night was cool & the sleeping bags hardly sufficient, but we survived the night in spite of the wind which buffeted the tents until around 03h.00 when it subsided & shifted to the south. Although the plan was for a 05h.00 start, everything took a little longer than expected & it was already 07h.30 when breakfast was over & the site packed up. There remained a short walk to touch the sea & a few photos before the intrepid group of five headed off towards the east.
Chris V., Mary, Pat, Ellie, Jeff
Beginning of the long march
It was with mixed feelings that I watched them disappear in the distance, knowing as I did much of the hard terrain that they would face during that long Friday walk (20 km to the water cache & another 20 km to the campsite). So it was that the rest of us returned to Doha to wait for news.
About five hours later, back in Doha, I had a call from Pat saying that she was feeling the effects of heatstroke & thought it best not to continue. There was disappointment in her voice but also relief at knowing that this was the time to stop. They had covered 15 km in five hours & were running short of water. Jeff gave me the GPS coordinates & I set out immediately on my rescue mission. It was around 30 degrees & hardly surprising that the walk was proving harder than imagined. It took me about an hour & a half to drive across the desert but I finally found the group sheltering from the heat under a small thorn tree. I had stopped on the way at the water cache & so was able to provide much needed drink to the whole group before they continued while Pat & I headed back to Doha.
It took them another nine hours to reach the campsite (“Camp Oasis”) but they made it & were able to eat & sleep before continuing on Saturday morning. Pat & I, Peter & Robin, Betty & Judy, set off for the Sealine Resort where we were to await news & then head out to pick up the walkers at the end of the trip. Pat & I stopped on the way down & collected the tents, sleeping bags, & other stuff from Camp Oasis, which avoided another day’s excursion to pick everything up. Chris & Jenny W. were to have driven down but Chris unexpectedly had to go into hospital on Friday night. That left only two cars for the pick-up: the Suzuki & Peter & Robin’s SUV.
After an hour or so relaxing at the Sealine Resort, we had a call from Jeff that they were about thirty minutes from the end. So off we went to find the rendezvous point. This proved harder than expected & we were getting stuck in the sand & finding it difficult to get through the dunes to the beach. Peter & Robin decided to stay on the “main” track while Pat & I made our way to the coastline. We found the weary & sunburned group & then had to ferry them back in twos to Peter & Robin. That turned out to be harder than we thought & we realized that Peter & Robin badly needed a GPS that nobody had thought about. The sun was beginning to set when we managed to link up, leaving Ellie & Mary there while Pat & I headed back to pick up Jeff & Chris.
Jeff & Chris (the beer bottle is a mirage)
So, after getting the tires inflated, we drove back home, amazed that the crazy adventure had ended successfully. Pat felt good that she had attempted the walk & glad that she had the wisdom to know when to stop. Without the heat, she would have certainly been able to complete the 60 km & was in good shape to try.
This is me now…yep, it was an adventure. The landscape of that desert is harsh. But, we saw beautiful rocks…we couldn’t pick them up of course (more to carry) but we want to go back for shorter walks. The heat really was intense and after 5 hours, I was really beginning to feel sick. I just knew that I would not make the whole 60 km and I didn’t want to hold them back. As it was, it took them 8 ½ hours to walk the first 20 km. Anyway, I’m glad I tried and I’m glad I knew I had to stop. All that training was well worth it. This week I’m going to Scottish Country Dancing….from one crazy thing to another!
Down on the Farm (26 February 2009)
Last night we went out to the ‘farm’ of one of my students. He has been asking all year. We learned some things:
• A’farm’ here is more like a country estate.
• They have white camels (rare) and Arabian horses and Oryx and exotic birds of all kinds (including ostrich, peacock, guinea fowl, …)
• Boys and men in this family have a regular Thursday night get-together (in this case at the Al Kuwari farm)
• The girls and women go somewhere too…we don’t know where
• It’s a good idea to go later because they don’t eat until around 9 (we went at 4 pm.!)
• They play volleyball or soccer for hours….much like our families do when they get together….
• They are extremely generous…our cars were filled with produce from the farm…huge cabbages, eggplants and corn. All of these are used in the restaurants and hotels they own, but when guests come they insist that we take it home.
• Every Thursday night they feed around 50 people who just arrive….eat, and talk.
• We were served various drinks throughout including warm, sweet, camel’s milk, “karak” (sweet tea with lots of milk), & Arabian bitter coffee.
• When you’re finished drinking you hand the cup back to the servant with a little wiggle of the wrist. No wiggle & you’ll get another cupful.
• The teenagers love to show off their cars & drive like crazy all over the dirt roads on the farm.
• After eating people just drift away although close friends probably stayed on for many hours.
Pat ready to get going
The decision to walk from west (Abu Samra, near the Saudi border) to east (south of the Sealine Resort) was largely the result of last year’s failure to manage the journey from east to west. After 25 km. the group encountered a fierce sandstorm &, after struggling to continue, they turned back to their starting point, faces burned by the sun & flayed by the vicious sand. Sandstorms are generally the result of a strong shamal (north-westerly wind) & so the chances of success looked better when keeping the wind from behind. Jeff & Ellie Holte (from Minnesota) were the instigators, inspiration, & planners last year & again in 2009.Chris V. (from North Bay) & Mary (from California) were also back for a second try.
I felt that my best contribution would be as part of the logistics & back-up team & so it was that I found myself two weeks before THE WALK driving around the southern Qatar desert with Jeff & Chris. Our task was to locate a suitable finishing point & make sure that it was marked in the GPS. That done, we back-tracked twenty km. to find a good site where the walkers could camp overnight. That too was marked & we began the task of burying tent, sleeping bags, food, & water. We also left a pile of wood for a campfire. Then it was on again another 20 km. where we hid 18 litres of water (marked on the GPS). So the stage was set.
Chris V. & Jeff with the Suzuki Jimny
Part of the purpose of the reconnoitering was to give me training in driving the Suzuki Jimny through the dunes & also unravel the mysteries of the GPS. What a great learning experience. Letting air out of the tires in order to keep moving in soft sand, switching from second to first gear at 5,000 RPM so as not to lose momentum when only half way up a steep dune, making split-second decisions on direction so as to avoid hidden rocks or impossible patches of sand. That is to say nothing of travelling along an innocuous dune only to realize at the last second that therewas a fifty-foot precipice just to our left. It was all very exhilarating & scary at the same time. We made it, however, & only got stuck once.
On Thursday (19 February), a convoy left the school at 16h.00 & headed for Abu Samra, The trip down was uneventful except for a brief panic when one of the mattress pads escaped from the ropes on top of one car & flew onto the highway. No harm was done & so we continued after a few adjustments to the load.
It took just over an hour & we found our way from the main road down onto the beach, only a few kilometers away from the Saudi border. A strong north-westerly wind was blowing & it was too cold to set up camp beside the sea. So, we drove a couple of hundred yards inland & parked the three vehicles in line to provide shelter in their lee.
Chris & Jenny W. readjust the load.
Camp Molly by the sea near Abu SamraIt was a struggle to get the tents up but we managed & soon had supper cooking over the fire. It was already dark & the stars sparkled in a moonless sky. Jeff, Chris, & I worked on the three GPS units to make sure we had all the rendezvous points synchronized & then we were able to sit around the fire for an hour or so just enjoying the company & the experience of desert camping.
Desert camp fire
The night was cool & the sleeping bags hardly sufficient, but we survived the night in spite of the wind which buffeted the tents until around 03h.00 when it subsided & shifted to the south. Although the plan was for a 05h.00 start, everything took a little longer than expected & it was already 07h.30 when breakfast was over & the site packed up. There remained a short walk to touch the sea & a few photos before the intrepid group of five headed off towards the east.
Chris V., Mary, Pat, Ellie, Jeff
Beginning of the long march
It was with mixed feelings that I watched them disappear in the distance, knowing as I did much of the hard terrain that they would face during that long Friday walk (20 km to the water cache & another 20 km to the campsite). So it was that the rest of us returned to Doha to wait for news.
About five hours later, back in Doha, I had a call from Pat saying that she was feeling the effects of heatstroke & thought it best not to continue. There was disappointment in her voice but also relief at knowing that this was the time to stop. They had covered 15 km in five hours & were running short of water. Jeff gave me the GPS coordinates & I set out immediately on my rescue mission. It was around 30 degrees & hardly surprising that the walk was proving harder than imagined. It took me about an hour & a half to drive across the desert but I finally found the group sheltering from the heat under a small thorn tree. I had stopped on the way at the water cache & so was able to provide much needed drink to the whole group before they continued while Pat & I headed back to Doha.
It took them another nine hours to reach the campsite (“Camp Oasis”) but they made it & were able to eat & sleep before continuing on Saturday morning. Pat & I, Peter & Robin, Betty & Judy, set off for the Sealine Resort where we were to await news & then head out to pick up the walkers at the end of the trip. Pat & I stopped on the way down & collected the tents, sleeping bags, & other stuff from Camp Oasis, which avoided another day’s excursion to pick everything up. Chris & Jenny W. were to have driven down but Chris unexpectedly had to go into hospital on Friday night. That left only two cars for the pick-up: the Suzuki & Peter & Robin’s SUV.
After an hour or so relaxing at the Sealine Resort, we had a call from Jeff that they were about thirty minutes from the end. So off we went to find the rendezvous point. This proved harder than expected & we were getting stuck in the sand & finding it difficult to get through the dunes to the beach. Peter & Robin decided to stay on the “main” track while Pat & I made our way to the coastline. We found the weary & sunburned group & then had to ferry them back in twos to Peter & Robin. That turned out to be harder than we thought & we realized that Peter & Robin badly needed a GPS that nobody had thought about. The sun was beginning to set when we managed to link up, leaving Ellie & Mary there while Pat & I headed back to pick up Jeff & Chris.
Jeff & Chris (the beer bottle is a mirage)So, after getting the tires inflated, we drove back home, amazed that the crazy adventure had ended successfully. Pat felt good that she had attempted the walk & glad that she had the wisdom to know when to stop. Without the heat, she would have certainly been able to complete the 60 km & was in good shape to try.
This is me now…yep, it was an adventure. The landscape of that desert is harsh. But, we saw beautiful rocks…we couldn’t pick them up of course (more to carry) but we want to go back for shorter walks. The heat really was intense and after 5 hours, I was really beginning to feel sick. I just knew that I would not make the whole 60 km and I didn’t want to hold them back. As it was, it took them 8 ½ hours to walk the first 20 km. Anyway, I’m glad I tried and I’m glad I knew I had to stop. All that training was well worth it. This week I’m going to Scottish Country Dancing….from one crazy thing to another!
Down on the Farm (26 February 2009)
Last night we went out to the ‘farm’ of one of my students. He has been asking all year. We learned some things:
• A’farm’ here is more like a country estate.
• They have white camels (rare) and Arabian horses and Oryx and exotic birds of all kinds (including ostrich, peacock, guinea fowl, …)
• Boys and men in this family have a regular Thursday night get-together (in this case at the Al Kuwari farm)
• The girls and women go somewhere too…we don’t know where
• It’s a good idea to go later because they don’t eat until around 9 (we went at 4 pm.!)
• They play volleyball or soccer for hours….much like our families do when they get together….
• They are extremely generous…our cars were filled with produce from the farm…huge cabbages, eggplants and corn. All of these are used in the restaurants and hotels they own, but when guests come they insist that we take it home.
• Every Thursday night they feed around 50 people who just arrive….eat, and talk.
• We were served various drinks throughout including warm, sweet, camel’s milk, “karak” (sweet tea with lots of milk), & Arabian bitter coffee.
• When you’re finished drinking you hand the cup back to the servant with a little wiggle of the wrist. No wiggle & you’ll get another cupful.
• The teenagers love to show off their cars & drive like crazy all over the dirt roads on the farm.
• After eating people just drift away although close friends probably stayed on for many hours.
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