Day 1: Departure Day

And we're off!

Our flight was a lovely 13 hours and I for one slept like a baby for most of it.

We got off the plane in Doha and were met with a wall of "feels like" 126 deg F air. We went through customs to enter Doha during our overnight layover but unfortunately a couple of members of our group got held up due to a new rule related to the source through which accommodations in Doha are booked. Seven of us met up with Javid, our guide during our night in Doha and made our way to the Museum of Qatar. We admired the unique architecture of the museum even though it was closed when we got there. We checked into our hotel and then made our way back out to see the old Souq. Most things were also closed here but it was still great walking around the market area. We were surprised by the bird section in the market! They had birds, bunnies, and other little animals that people commonly have as pets here. Later on in the evening, we learned that there would be a falcon festival in Doha soon! Falcons are kept as pets as well. We walked past the royal camels in the market - the royal family dresses in traditional wear and makes rounds with the camels twice every Thursday at the Souq.

We then made our way to a cultural center, and then the Pearl. One of the circles of the Peal, a manmade island, has 32 residential towers. We spent some time there, took some photos for the memories, and then went back to our hotel! It was late and we decided to explore the meal delivery service here, Talabat, to order dinner. After dinner and a malarone tablet, we called it a night. We're so pumped for Uganda tomorrow!