Doha Musings 1

DUSTSTORM!


Well I'm getting tired of my long winded rambles so I thought maybe some shorter punchier insights ...

We had a dust storm today, our first one. It was 25 C all day but the visibility was down to 200 m maybe. We, sorry I, left a couple of windows open, one of them just above our bed. Everything is covered in this thin layer of dust. I am sure the Philipino cleaning ladies are cursing all over Doha... Its like after cooking and there is flour on the counter, its there but you have to look to see it.

With all the dust in the air there was a lot of static electrivcity build up. We had an impressive lightning show last night. Multiple lightning flashes made sleeping from 11pm to about midnight a bit of a challenge.

We recently took 120 kids to the UAE and Oman for a week without walls.
Dubai International airport.

In BC we would go for 2-3 days to a forestry camp. The setting was very different but the experience was completely the same. Kids were homesick and some were just glad to be away with their friends. Its funny how kids are pretty much the same everywhere.



We did a wall climbing activity 3 stories high that got the better of a few kids but there were many successes! We snorkled, and that was a lot of fun, many cool fish! It was fun, beautiful and very rugged stark terrain. The only trees to speak of were acia trees which reach out and grab you. They are very prickly, big thorns. The mountain biking was cool, beautiful scenery!

We visited one of the oldest Mosques in the Middle East
The mosque was very small and plain
My group of kids outside the mosque. I had to keep track of all of there passports. In my little group there were 9 different nation passports, I had 14 kids in all.
The littte battlement at the top of the hill was one of two that helped prevent slave traders from killing the men and taking the women and children.

Kayaking in the Arabian Sea! And raft building

Mountain Biking

We went mountain biking and stopped atop this dam. Not a drop of water to be seen for kilometers but apparently that is a different case during flash floods. It also helps the ground recharge their aquifers as well water is very important in the region.
GPS orienteering, I thought this was a great activity, the kids thought it was too much like school work.

Many kids over came a fear of heights, so did a couple of teachers, not me of course....
Snorkeling - we saw Nemo again, man that little guy gets around... It was a little chilly that day

Our last night, a fire and a talent show

The muscle! Where's the beef?! My homies - we were the party-poopers!! For the kids our mantra was ..." It's past 7:30 Get to bed!"

Our last morning bfore our flight we had a boat cruise!

The activity leaders from UAE.
Oman by the Sea
The end..;) So much for being brief.