Soul-searching among the sand dunes
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Qatar is, according to some travel guides, the dullest place on Earth.
This view was reinforced by a colleague who was sent to cover the Iraq war from the tiny Gulf state where the US military had set up a Hollywood-style presentation centre for the world's media. When he heard I was moving there in July to work for al-Jazeera's new English website, he pulled my leg endlessly about dull Doha nights.
It has to be said that the little peninsula sticking out of Saudi Arabia's gut appeared to be fairly unremarkable as my flight came in to land. Qatar has none of the culture of Syria, the rich history of Egypt or the duty-free bargains of Dubai, its close Gulf neighbour.
However, it does have a lot to offer keep-fit and spa fans who would like to be pampered, pedicured and cheaply spoiled in the many beauty salons and gyms around the capital. But, as the largely conservative Qataris take a tentative step towards attracting tourists, there is one unique selling point: it has the only desert in the world to meet the sea.
I decided to check it out for the first time last week, when al-Jazeera and I parted company. The desert seemed to be a good place to get your head together when faced with some enforced leisure time, so I decided to head north for some soul-searching. The desert is Qatar's hidden jewel, a detail which seems to have bypassed the tourist authority.
Most hotels in the capital do offer desert safaris (involving daredevil drivers hurling their vehicles over the dunes) and don't encourage tourists to wander off on their own. As a result, there are acres of virgin desert and sea to enjoy for those who prefer to go it alone. And there's nothing better than to take off 50 kilometres north of the capital Doha and head for the desert to leave behind all your troubles. However, be warned. Dune driving is very dangerous and unless you're skilled at driving in such a terrain, leave it to the experts and 4x4s.
The dunes are dramatic and the slopes ideal for sandboarding. Of an evening, I'm told, Qatari youngsters head out to the dunes to do this. Others race their 4x4s against each other.
I made friends with a Bedouin called Hamid, who offered to take me and some friends out into the desert. Our party stopped off at one beach so I could paddle in the sea. The water was crystal-clear, warm and inviting - however, I hadn't brought a costume with me and pulled back from a skinny dip.
Although the searing summer temperatures are now on the wane, it's still as hot as hell and with the sun beating down you need to be well protected. Hamid turned my kafiya (scarf) into a Bedouin headdress and it did the job perfectly.
As we drove along the beach, I saw another 4x4 with a lean-to and picnic table. 'British ahead!' scoffed one of my Arab companions. 'Nobody else in the world would come out to the desert for a picnic and spend all day here. They are crazy people.' As we drove past the Brits, they looked very happy in their isolation. Probably expats enjoying a day off.
The population of Qatar is made up of about 200,000 indigenous people plus 500,000 foreign workers from all corners of the globe. It is about to become the richest nation (per head of population) on Earth, with the average citizen worth $27,000 and rising.
The reason for the wealth is simple: gas. Qatar has one of the world's largest gas fields, a point not lost on the United States, which intends to have a large military presence there for at least the next 50 years. However, there is very little evidence of US soldiers in the capital, apart from occasional sightings of young men sporting Marine-style haircuts.
Tourists heading for Qatar this winter are unlikely to bump into any real Qataris, since those who need to work have managerial roles. Less than two generations ago, Qataris made their living by diving for pearls, which is reflected in the art and architecture around the capital. Statues of pearls in oyster shells abound and the shell motif appears on many buildings.
Resilient divers could remain underwater for a very long time and it was they who initially discovered freshwater rivers underneath the seabed. There is a reference to this strange phenomenon in the Koran, where it is referred to as one of Allah's miracles.
Which leads me to another little-known fact about Qatar - it bottles its own spring water from two wells in Shaflahiya, about an hour's drive north of Doha. Production of Rayyan water began in 1984 with some help and guidance from Evian.
Although there are no ancient mosques on the scale of some Middle East countries, there are some Persian burial sites in the north of the country. Islam - both Sunni and Shia - is the only religion practiced in Qatar and visitors are expected to observe modest dress. Bikinis and shorts should be reserved only for hotel beaches and swimming pools.
Qatar's diverse population has also spawned an excellent array of restaurants offering Asian, European and Middle Eastern cuisine. I think I may have found the best Lebanese restaurant in the whole of the Middle East. My friends have begged me not to name it, on the grounds that it is difficult to get a seat there at the best of times. The food is so fresh and I can still smell the herbs from the taboulleh , a Lebanese salad.
However, being totally unselfish to you, dear reader, I can reveal its name - Layali on the Salwa Road in Doha. It also has the best sheeshas in Qatar. Sheeshas, or hookahs, are centuries old and regarded as part of the social scene in Doha for both men and women.
Longer-lasting than a cigarette, and more satisfying than a pipe, sheeshas are very popular among Doha's café society. Although some veterans go for a tobacco called Zagloul, I and my companions prefer the fruity range of flavors on offer, including apple and grape. Mint is also a favorite, but the cappuccino sheeshas served at Layali are also memorable.
Just a word of warning to cigarette smokers who share the company of the hubble-bubble crowd - do not try and light your fag from the bowl of someone's hookah. It's a bit like drinking someone else's pint in a bar on Newcastle's Scotswood Road.
Shatir Abbas in the Al Sadd district offers wonderful Iranian food and for Syrian grills the Al Hamra in the centre of Doha is another must. Curry fans are really spoiled for choice, but the Star of India is exceptional. The other major plus is the price of eating out in Doha - it is so cheap. A good night out at Layali will barely set you back £20 a head.
Fitness fanatics, tennis lovers and golfers are spoilt for choice. Doha's five-star hotels offer deals to get you a round on the capital's world-class golf course. Although there are few public beaches, you can find scuba diving, windsurfing and all the usual water sports. There are also fishing trips available mainly for red snapper and hamour.
I recently took a flight to Bahrain, less than 40 minutes away, and on the return journey was aghast to see one passenger proudly carrying a falcon on his arm. Falconry is a Bedouin tradition and displays are available for tourists to watch this homegrown sport.
I have to say the thought of exerting myself in the heat - summer temperatures hit the 50C mark - does not appeal, but there are other ways of enjoying rest and relaxation.
The best, and most luxurious, spa is at the Ritz Carlton which also has a beauty salon. Shoppers can roam traditional souks and Western-style shopping malls and, like everything else in Doha, prices are competitive. Shopping is duty-free and electronic goods, in particular laptops and mobiles, almost equal the shopping Mecca Dubai for bargain prices.
But for my money, if Qatar really wants to pull in the tourists, it has to utilize the desert more. As I sat and pondered my own future surrounded by the majestic dunes, I thought the desert would make a perfect backdrop for a grand opera: The Pearl Fishers, perhaps?
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