Insomnia & Islamic Treasures
I suppose ‘insomnia’ is not really the correct word. It implies one is unable to fall asleep or stay asleep for no particular reason. I think ‘sleep deprivation’ is more accurate. The cause of my exhaustion was the Qatari tradition of whooping it up on Thursday night prior to the Holy Day, which is similar to our Sunday, when people abstain from working and recognize religious observances. Then after four o’clock on Friday afternoon the rules go out the window and all hell breaks loose again.
My lovely room at the Ritz Carlton overlooked a brand-new open air concert venue on a spit of sand in the canal at the back of the hotel. It became the scene of very loud music and revelry on Thursday night and a massive wedding on Friday night that cranked out deafening techno until nearly four in the morning. Being a light sleeper resulted in a grand total of about four hours’ sleep over two nights. (Note to self: ask for a room at the front of the hotel next time.)
Concert venue
Here is the source of my misery ‒ it was under construction when I arrived, and they managed to get it finished just in time.
On my final afternoon in Doha I played hooky from the show and snuck away with Canadian para coach Mary Longden and Bert Sheffield’s groom Karina for a couple of hours to visit a must-see attraction in Doha, the Museum of Islamic Art. We weren’t there long enough to do it justice ‒ you would need at least two days to see everything. The area has such a rich and important history illustrated by the art and artifacts featuring intricate detail, precious metals and priceless gems. It really hit home for me just how truly heartbreaking was the recent wanton destruction of priceless 3,000-year-old historic artifacts by ISIS thugs at the Mosul Museum in Iraq.
The Museum of Islamic Art
There was an eerie sense of déjà vu this year regarding Malaysia flight 370, which had disappeared the day before I left for CHI Al Shaqab last year and was the focus of every news report while I was there. On this trip, once again the news channels were flooded with stories about the unsettling mystery of the vanished flight on its anniversary. It is almost impossible to fathom that a year later they are no closer to finding the plane and bringing some sort of closure to the grief-stricken families.
The gorgeous arena.
Oh yes, and the horse show. There was that. Top international riders vying for big prize money at a stunning world-class venue. It was such a thrill to mingle with the likes of Scott Brash, Ludger Beerbaum and Kevin Staut; chat with Carl Hester and Patrik Kittel; visit some of the top equine athletes on the planet in the FEI stables; watch wealthy sheiks and members of the Qatari royal family; even fashion mogul Valentino was there! I hope that organizers will at some time in the near future be able to coax Canadian show jumpers and dressage riders away from Wellington to experience Al Shaqab. Several riders I spoke to suggested that a longer tournament might entice North Americans to ship their horses such a great distance. With money being no object, the Qataris will find a way ‒ you can bet on it.
