Qatar

When going to Qatar, make sure you have a VISA card that works. Otherwise you can’t pay the entry visa, and you can’t get in to the country. My VISA card didn’t work. Until I realized that the regional block was on. Luckily the bank application on the phone was able to unblock it. :-)

 
I’ve never really been to the middle east before, so it felt really cool to follow the plane over places like Jordan and Iraq.

Jiri, who did the kitesurf instructor training with me in Thailand, picked me up at the airport, and the day after we went out to Zekreet, a spot just opposite the country of Doha, to kite.

We were the second car to get to the spot! Wind at 22 knots and temperature around 16 degrees.

 
Jiri jumping a bit.

A french guy came a bit later and pulled massive 8-10 meter jumps pretty close to the shore

 

    
I didn’t bring any wetsuit, and the water was freezing cold, so while I waited for someone to show up at the beach with an extra wetsuit I took a walk in to the closest village. Some camels standing around in the sandstorm, an abandoned house and some inhabited. Take a look at the tree that is this vital and green regardless of the tough environment.

 

Just outside the village there was a hill that you could go up to overlook the whole place. I went up there, gazed at the empty desert, and when I walked over to the ledge, what is hidden there below..? A whole camel farm!

This is what the Qatari desert look like in strong winds.

 
The day was complete by a visit to “spicy or not spicy chicken”. The locals favourite after-kite place. Great food :-)

 

After a good nights sleep, and being woken up for prayers at 5 O’clock we went to Al Mafja, on the northern tip of the country to kite.

This was an EXCELLENT spot! Lots of flat water, space and clear water with coral sand.

There was an abandoned village just near it. Lots of buildings just left in favour for the owners new places. If you looked hard, you cound find some left stuff as well, as this tape with arabic music.

 

 
After a long day of kiteing, we fired up the grill with a copule of other kiters and watched the sunset on the beach. The arabic sausage we got our hands on in the supermarket was one of the best one I have grilled for ages.