the gilded cage

Qatar Airways and the Hamad International Airport are clearly working to establish their place in the industry. Before we took off from Johannesburg, we each got a moist towelette and a candy, headphones, and a personal care package containing eye covers, a toothbrush and paste, and socks. Then we got free drinks (full bar), a snack, then dinner, and coffee service. Late in the flight another light meal was offered.

There are hundreds of movies, TV shows, games, all free, in the console in front of me. And for a small fee, access to the internet. Texting is allowed. It almost feels like someone made a mistake and installed me in business class.The only thing hampering my complete comfort was the coach size leg room.

Compared to my hour long wait in South Africa immigration lines, Qatar's was fast. But at 12:30 am, nothing is very pleasing. The free hotel room provided by Qatar Airways (for layover of more than 8 hours) comes with strings. I must wait for the shuttle, then ride along for what feels like a drag race (see below), and then wait again at the hotel to be checked in as a group. Most distressing for me was the discovery that I am required to wait at the hotel in the morning for the shuttle back to the airport, making me feel slightly trapped. 

I'd rather have paid for a room, but of course all of this was disclosed incrementally, when it was rather too late to change. I'm not clear what my visa status in Qatar is as well. If it involved more than a couple of hours wasted this morning, I would have made more of an attempt to figure it out. As it is, I conceded, although with poor grace.

I was amazed at the van driver's antics, but according to another passenger who appears to be at home here, this is common to race past another driver, cut in front and then brake, not allowing the other to pass. The car in the rear flashes his brights continually and honks vociferously, and at last our driver moves over. In no time, the other car, or another one, does the same to us, and this pattern continues all the way to the hotel. At first I thought there was some sort of mechanical problem when we braked for no apparent reason in the middle of the freeway, with no cars in front of us. But no, merely grown up boys playing a real life game of drag racing. Next time I'm looking for a seat belt when I get in.

The drive back this morning disclosed white sands and a cerulean blue Persian Gulf.

The airport is quite new, and is perhaps a traveler's dream, especially for layover of any duration. There are internet areas with large, sleek computers, separate pods for tv viewing, sculptures that double as childrens' play structures. Within the secure area there are luggage storage lockers, in case you don't want to lug your carry on luggage around between flights.  The toilet stalls have room for luggage without playing twister with the toilet bowl, there is a lounge with reclining loungers for coach/economy passengers, the coffee shop accepts nine different currencies for payment.

The coffee wasn't great, but I've lowered my expectations in that arena.

Best of all, fast internet, and as an added bonus, it's free. No doubt someone is stealing my information as I type this.

Bearded men go by in white robes and headdress, the women all in black, people in western attire, head scarves, a multi-cultural collage of humans. I've been told there is another, less posh side of Qatar, but it's not on display here.