Hey geograpeeps! This is episode 3 of Georgaphy Go, where I go out and meet you guys, the geograpeeps.
Last time we went to Saudi Arabia, before that we went to Bahrain,
Where else in the gulf can we go?
Hmmm.... Oh!
Maybe... (mispronounces 'Qatar' several times)
Qatar. Qatar. It's pronounced Qatar.
Qatar. And the city is Doha.
(rock introduction music) Let's go!
This is Doha International Airport.
And as you can tell,
they are trying really hard to compete with Dubai.
I'm gonna visit my geograpeep Gilberto.
And here he is! Gilberto!
Gilberto: How's your flight?
Paul: How you doing? Good.
Gilberto: Are you recording, or..?
Paul: I'm recording, yeah.
Gilberto: Oh, okay.
Paul: So hey, he's gonna help me in Doha.
Paul: So, Gilberto's home has a patio.
Woow....
This looks like... Gotham City.
(Gilberto laughs in the background) Paul: Like Batman. Gilberto: Yeah.
Paul: I wonder what it's gonna look like in the morning.
(music)
Well, it's morning. Let's see what it looks like in the morning.
Doha.
So today, I'm just gonna walk all around Doha and if I see anything cool, I'm bascially just going to record it.
The objective is - I'm gonna try to make it to the Islamic Art Center, which is a little far from where I;m at
and also I want to check out the pearl monument. If those 2 things can happen,
today's a success.
I forgot to mention that Gilbert[o] is bust today, he's working,
so he's not able to be my tour guide.
But that's okay! I can totally just walk around and be my own tour guide!
Even though I know nothing about the city.
(music)
Now, this place is beautiful, however, I just realized, like many other countries in the gulf,
nothing opens until 10 A.M.
And right now it's about 9:30.
So uh... yeah, not a lot of people here.
(music)
One of the reasons, not the only reason, but one of the reasons
why Qatar and specifically Doha is developing its urban landscape so much at a rapid fire pace
is because in a couple years, they're gonna host the World Cup.
And when you are on such a large scale international stage, you gotta impress people!
Okay, that right there behind me is the most famous building in all of Doha,
let alone Qatar.
(music)
And if you look close, all of the windows are encapsulated in this metallic grale type of shell.
I don't know if you guys can see it.
But there's a guy right there cleaning windows
on this skyscraper, okay?
That is the scariest job on the planet.
What is that guy thinking?!
One cool activity you can do in Doha
you can just sit in the shade and relax.
'Cause it is really hot.
I cannot stress out enough how water is.
Okay, that right there
is the building I believe I have to go to.
Still have a long way to go.
(music)
That's a big goat!
Or... antelope.
Gazele. I don't know.
(music)
Before Doha was a booming metropolis like the one you see behind me,
it actually had a long history of seafaring residents that would ships like this for trade, commerce, and fishing.
It's crazy how much the country has developed in such a short amount of time.
Okay, I don't think I'm allowed to do this.
But I'm gonna go on a boat.
I'm on the boat!
(laughing softly)
Okay, someone's coming. I think I have to get off.
Woah! I made it!
This is one of the things I came for!
The giant clam.
(music)
Ah yeah! Banana island!
(music)
That right there behind me is the museum of Islamic arts.
It's free, and I've been told that it's really cool.
So I'm gonna go check it out.
(sighs) The moment you step inside it's like a (sound)
a waft of air conditioning.
(music)
You know, I gotta say, this museum is actually really cool.
I'm glad I came. It's free, you have a lot of cool stuff to look at,
and I would say the coolest thing about this museum is that in the huge window outside
you can see the entire city.
(music)
Alright, so, here we are.
It's night time.
Gilbert[o], explain where this is. Where are we?
Gilberto: We're in Souq Waqif, which is the traditional market of Doha.
Paul: Okay.
Paul: Animals?
Paul: You can find falcons here?
Gilberto: Yeah.
Paul: Oh, as expensive as a Ferrari?
Paul: Is there a lot of traditional stuff here too?
Gilberto: Yes, actually you can see some of that stuff here. Paul: Ooh.
Like this.
Gilberto: (hard to hear) It's the trading of furs.
(music)
Paul: Yeah.
(music)
What...
It's made out of sea shells.
(musicians playing and singing)
Okay, now let's find the falcons.
(squacking of birds)
(animal makes noises, Paul laughs)
Paul: Hey!
Hey little buddy.
Every pet imaginable is sold here!
(music)
(birds in the background)
Paul: ooh...
Falcon Souq.
Falcon hospital.
It's an actual falcon hospital.
So we're going into the falcon store.
(music)
Wow.
They stand so still.
I'm in a store that sells falcons.
When you get your falcons, you gotta get your falcon accessories.
(music)
And they sell horses.
(music)
Even the benches, if you just wanna sit down and rest.
It's just so comfortable and cozy.
(metal clinking)
(salesman yelling)
So this is the art market.
The art souq.
Lot of cool stuff over here.
(music)
A lot of people here just sit and paint.
Or draw.
And they just display their artwork.
And if you want, you can buy it.
It's really cool.
(music)
Aluhi cheese.
And so ends my day in Doha...
And tomorrow we go to Dubai.
Good food, good friends, good experience overall.
So of all the days I came to Dubai,
on the one day that it rained.
So this is what Dubai looks like on a cloudy, rainy day.
By the way, fun little side note:
This is place where Rihanna got kicked out for being a little too provocative.