We are happy to announce that we finally have a car! We are leasing Suzuki SX4, but are considering buying a bigger car as they are very cheap. We filled up the tank for $11 the other day. Yes, $11. Why bother even charging for it?!
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| The Corniche |
It feels good to be able to get around easily and not rely on the taxis (although they are really cheap), and the mother in me is much happier that the kids are back in their booster seats. We have a lot more freedom with our new wheels. There is no public transport system in Doha and our compound isn’t really walking distance to anything. Besides, it’s still too hot! On Friday morning (first day of the weekend), we drove down to The Corniche, which is a bit like the sea wall in Vancouver. It was quiet and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
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| The Corniche |
The driving is crazy here. I am not sure how many white Toyota Landcruisers (with gold stripes down the side) are here in Doha, but I think every Qatari must have at least one! It’s like a uniform. Our little Suzuki seems tiny next to them. There are massive three lane round abouts and it's not uncommon for a shiny white and gold Landcruiser to leave the inside lane seconds for his exit and just barely miss crashing into several cars. Another scary part about driving here is the tailgating; it's not just one car every now and then, it's most cars everyday. Each day Andy travels with students from our school to the college for their PE class (no gym on our campus and outside is still too hot). He sees several accidents a week on his short five minute drive. Apparently there are seatbelt laws and mobile phone laws, but you wouldn't know it!
I found this video on youtube (circa 2008). While it's probably not the worst intersection in Doha as the title claims, it gives you a glimpse of the driving situation.
For the time being, Andy is the one who drives. I haven't been for my license yet, but will venture out for it in the next week or so. Wish me luck!
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