The place most exceedingly rare.

by Natalia Kirichuck (Russia)

Making a local connection Qatar

It’s funny how most people are surprisingly good at assumptions- that is a fact proven by psychologists. So we were not an exception when we decided to travel to “the place most exceedingly rare” as the airline stated-Qatar. Taking our assumptions with us and gradually proving them wrong. Having ticked off all the beach-hotel-restaurant-museum list we were craving for unique experience which came, as all memorable things in life, unexpectedly. Responsible travellers, we had done our research that prepared us for a must-do in the Middle East- a desert trip to the singing dunes. It is common knowledge that you have to drive a large SUV car in a desert- and fools we were not: we drove a full four-wheel-drive. Except that rarely do they tell you to lower your wheels there before you actually find yourself plunged into the sand half-a-wheel deep with no one around. Which of course we did. And that was the point where miracles began. Good timing, considering our despair level started to go off scale. Qatari locals are known to be hospitable and they tend to come at rescue out of nowhere like genies from a magic lamp. Rubbing sand off our faces, hair, hands and other body parts, we were walking on air and grateful to accept much-needed help from a local amicable man in his late sixties. When we were digging our car out it came as a surprise that a white thobe with the red-and-white ghutra he was wearing could be so convenient for any kind of bodywork. And the authentic outfit proved to be quite warm later on, too. Our passionate “thank you”s or simply his genuine interest for the new made Mr Mohammed- that was the name of our Qatari saviour-even more willing to take part in our destiny and show us around. He turned out to be the humble owner of the huge piece of land with a “country house”, a herd of camels and sheep (he called them chickens, but that’s « what they call them in England »where he had just come from). Mr Mohammed seemed genuinely keen on what we had to say, the country we came from, what we did for a living and what god we believed in. The latter was of especially intriguing to him as being an atheist in the Middle East is considered worse than believing in any kind of god. The host was incredibly hospitable, wise, easy-going and fun to talk to. He invited us to a special blend of tea that was hand-picked in India for his family, indulging us into a 1001 night conversation that lasted until the dusk. Paraphrasing a famous poet, the sunset in the desert was probably « the sight most touching in its majesty » that our eyes had ever laid upon, or at least it seemed so at the moment. The desert did like a garment wear the beauty of the evening: silent, bare it lay open to the sky when the first stars made appearance. Our silent admiration for the nature’s beauty was interrupted when pet camels found their way home after a day-long stroll in the vastness of the desert and Mr Mohammed knew each and every one by its name which we found very cute. All Mahas, Amilas, Budurs, Abbases and Karibs got their dinners and took their places next to the sheep ready to fall asleep. Startled yet peaceful we already wanted to come back again some day and that was when we actually got the invitation for the week-end party Mr Mohammed’s family were having soon. There was absolutely no way we could have missed it. With time our acquaintance developed into something much deeper and there aren’t enough words to describe how unforgettable that party was, how bizarre yet luring local customs and traditions seemed and how much we learned about acceptance, tolerance and open-mindedness from Mr Mohammed and his family. So now we are proud to say that we have definitely made a local connection that seems to have turned into a life-long friendship.