Originally Posted on April 1, 2022
The destination was Film City, a historic site in Qatar. Where we ended up was a grocery store in Dukhan.
This time, I didn’t take any wrong turns. But the three routes on the GPS all led to tire-marked paths of sand and rocks that the rental car couldn’t handle.
Slightly disappointed, we decided we wouldn’t yet head back to Doha. We wanted to see something—anything—after spending nearly two hours on the road.
I drove us on to Dukhan, where we stopped at a shopping center right off the highway. The strip mall featured small local stores, a little coffee shop surrounded by turf, and a big grocery store called Food World.
Right next to a beautiful mosque were the Golden Arches. Regardless of where you roam in the world, McDonald’s is at the next exit.
Along the open highway leading to Dukhan, we saw miles of sand and dozens of plateaus. I stopped a few times to take photos of a “camel underpass,” the Zekreet Heritage Mosque, and a billboard-sized sign that welcomed us to Dukhan.
This city reminded me of Duncan, Oklahoma.
Cars lined up in the McDonald’s drive-through, children played at the park across the street, and the parking lot to the strip mall was fairly crowded.
Most families appeared to be enjoying a day of leisure on a “spring” day that most of the world would consider “summer,” given the heat.
Just for fun, we went to Food World. We certainly looked like vacationers, as I wore golden sandals and a long, red dress.
Before heading over to the park, we bought coffee and peach-and-blueberry swirl ice cream from the coffee shop, West Village of Qatar.
We sat on a bench and watched some kids play in (not around—but in) a fountain, while the adults lay in the grass under a shade tree.
I’d attended church that Friday morning, and those who practice Islam went to their respective mosques.
Together, we all sat around the fountains and listened to the sounds of children giggling and water splashing.
Time passed by slowly in Dukhan.
It felt like a Sunday afternoon in Oklahoma.
