Welcome to the penultimate installment of the Caves to Qatar Series.

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Fist bumps came first.

Excited, even thrilled, to explore our fourth country, Qatar, our ten-membered family trickled through customs.

Each passport slapped open, scanned; mugshots, shot; and we were in.

We didn’t have forever to explore Doha. When we landed it was T-minus 13 hours, but three hours of touring fits easily into an empty schedule and the diversion from our wait was appreciated.

Tossing our backpacks into the belly of the bus, we disembarked on a government-run tour.

At our first stop, a five-minute photo op, my little brother photographed the Museum of Islamic Art using his all-new invisible camera.

Next up came the Katara village, a replication of ancient Qatari dwellings.

These are pigeon towers outside the Katara Mosque. They used to be constructed to harvest pigeon droppings for fertilizer.

Stepping over the bricks, we made our way to the center of the village to a place I will never forget visiting.

While not a replication, the Katara Amphitheater is a stunning symphony of Romanesque theaters and Islamic art.

We shuffled in through a stone corridor and came into a serene abode of stone.

I found a spot in the center of the stage.

Reflecting on the fact that this panoramic would certainly make it into a future writing project, I inhaled the breath of the Persian Gulf.

Though temperatures had peaked 113 that day, Doha lost most its heat when it lost its sun. Sultry Thailand and Malaysia behind me, the Qatari breeze, however blistering, was comfortably dry, evaporating perspiration instantly.

The tour guide had taken the other tourists further on, leaving me alone in this ring of marmoreal bleachers, so breaking from all mental book plotting, I hurried after and rejoined my clan. A view of the Persian Gulf awaited me.

Retracing our steps through the village and boarding the bus, we moved onto another stop, a stable where whiskery, lippy, leathery camels fed on fresh greenery – and I filed yet another scene into the mental database.

Our last stop was at a souq, a market. You would be well-advised to watch your pockets whilst perusing aisles of wares; the salesmen are particularly persistent.

Wrapping up, heading back, and reentering the airport, we prepared to board another airplane.

Texas awaited.

The Caves to Qatar Series ends with one more email…

Yes! It’s been fun, but it’s wrapping up soon!

Announcement!

I have been and am going to be blogging every day in September (😱)! Not all of it can make it into the newsletter so keep an eye on the blog for new content daily!

Here’s a post if you’re interested:

I set up most of our books… and learn a little more about calling…

And that’s all for today.

With a spark and a flame,

Indy.