National museum Katar, Doha

(Jean Nouvel) 

At the point where the road ended, we took a short break. Here in the middle of the desert, it was even hotter than in the city and quite windy - about 47°C. The driver let some air out of the tires. In the meantime, we switched to camels and took a short ride.

A highlight was sandboarding. We slid down the dune on a sort of surfboard. Unfortunately, we then had to climb back up on foot - which was very exhausting in the heat and the loose sand.

Completely sweaty and 'sandblasted', we then headed back to Doha.

Much to our junior's dismay, we unfortunately couldn’t visit the Formula One track and could only get as far as the gate.

Exactly at a few minutes before 10 o'clock, the plane took off towards Qatar.

The flight itself was again uneventful. And after a good 9 1/2 hours, we landed in Doha.

The airport feels enormous - the sign to baggage claim indicated a 18-minute walk. However, one of those golf carts picked us up, shortening our journey.

The queue at immigration was not very long, but it took quite a while. By the time we were through, our suitcases were making lonely rounds on the baggage belt.
At the exit, our booked shuttle was waiting to take us to the hotel.
But first, we were faced with the weather outside: even during the landing approach, the pilot announced that it was 45°C outside. Luckily, the distance from the airport building to the car was not very far.

Arriving at the hotel, we checked into our rooms. After a coffee, we decided to take a little look around outside.
So we set off and walked to Flag Plaza. Since it was not only very hot but also quite windy, we felt like we were in a hot air blower.

From Flag Plaza we walked along the water to Souq Waqif and then back to the hotel.

To cool off, we subsequently paid a short visit to the hotel pool. After all, you could get a pretty good view of the city from there.

After a round of Uno, we went to bed relatively early - after all, our day had 5 extra hours today.

Statistics:
Flight from Denpasar to Doha (777-300)
Distance traveled: 27 km
Walked: 9.8 km
Overnight stay: Gloria Hotel and Suites Doha

On the evening before our departure from Phuket, we treat ourselves to a meal and a Singha at the Boss Bar, which made a name for itself already with the pizza the day before.

Before that, we had to withdraw cash from the ATM since the taxi driver who is supposed to take us to the airport in the morning does not have a card reader. Conveniently, the price for the ride is already fixed, and we know how many Baht we need. For 300 Baht, we'll be chauffeured, which is about 10 Euros. It's fine!

However, we first had to figure out how the ATM works. Inserted the bank card, and chaos began. A brightly colored display with the most beautifully ornate lettering and a little bit of English hints. We find out that you cannot enter a specific amount. The minimum amount is 1000 Baht – which we don’t need. It doesn't work any other way, so we request the 1000 and are shown that the value is incorrect... Huh, why???? And again, pressed cancel. Unfortunately, the credit card did not come out of the ATM anymore. Yes, very cool ... L. Thorsten

My travel buddy and plush unicorn Ursula, of course, navigated the security check without any issues – she's a pro after all. My backpack, on the other hand? Well, let's just say there was a little surprise. Yesterday, at the last minute, I packed my case to take pens for postcards. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that there was also a pair of scissors in there. Oops! But don't worry: after a quick inspection, the scissors were allowed to fly. I mean, who could be mad at an innocent plush unicorn and her slightly chaotic travel companion?

Upon arriving at the gate, Ursula first inspected our airplane thoroughly. Being the professional she is, there were no complaints at all. Once on the plane, there was plenty to see: snowy mountains, deserts, and – of course – clouds. While I slept through half of the 6-hour flight (sometimes catching up on sleep pays off), Ursula was totally in her element. She spotted the wildest things in the clouds – from dancing elephants to flying broccoli. I tell you, her imagination is unbeatable.

Arriving in Doha, Ursula had a big debut: she found a huge new friend. Ted, the oversized bear in the airport's transit area, was completely taken by her. Unfortunately, the two could only ]]>https://vakantio.de/en/blog/einhorn-im-gepaeck-morena-und-ihr-plueschbuddy-erkunden-die-welt/abflug-ins-abenteuer-ursula-die-schere-und-ein-grosser-freund-in-dohahttps://vakantio.de/en/blog/einhorn-im-gepaeck-morena-und-ihr-plueschbuddy-erkunden-die-welt/abflug-ins-abenteuer-ursula-die-schere-und-ein-grosser-freund-in-dohaTue, 17 Dec 2024 15:58:00 GMT25.285447351.53103979999999

It's Tuesday morning, I'm lying on the couch, and I'm starting the last entry all over again. I fear I fell asleep at the keyboard yesterday, and of course the browser didn't save the draft this time. Okay, maybe it thought it was better this way and I should start fresh today. Yesterday was a day between worlds: not quite away from Laos yet, but certainly not really there in Stuttgart.

There are two types of return trips: the one that goes directly - fast, convenient, but usually expensive. And then the one with one to two, up to three layovers, which takes several days and is relatively 'cheap'. I opted (of course) for the latter and left the airline lottery to choose which cities I might discover as a bonus during the layovers. It was more or less clear to me that the first stop would be Bangkok. I spent an evening there enjoying delicious Pad Thai, a Thai massage (which still has me sore), and bubble tea. After a very short night in the hostel, early in the morning I continued to the next stop.

This second stop was Doha in Qatar. Many years ago I had been at the airport there but didn't leave. This time, with just over 14 hours of layover, I finally made up for it. The immigration process went smoothly. Unlike in Shanghai, I felt welcome here and not like the intruder that needs to be viewed as an enemy and gotten rid of as quickly as possible. I got to the city relatively quickly via the metro in just 20 minutes ('...you'll be in 20 minutes!...' ;-)). For the metro day pass, I paid about €1.50 and I've rarely seen such a clean and nice metro. I viewed the National Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art from the outside (great architecture!) and then took the metro further towards The Pearl, an artificially created island off the coast of Doha. The paths and distances should not be underestimated, so I couldn't make it to the island itself. I had booked a free walking tour of the Souq for late afternoon, so I had to head back.

Which was definitely worth it! Because Angie from Australia and I had what felt like a private tour with Hussain, a Pakistani who has lived in Doha for over 10 years. He loves his job and the city and showed us the Souq Waqif, the sprawling marketplace in Doha, explaining everything and taking us to corners and buildings that I would never have ventured into, despite my curiosity. We met people I would never have encountered or talked to otherwise. For example, we sat in 2 Majlis, which means 'place of sitting' or 'room of gathering'. Traditionally, these are places where men and women (!) meet, exchange information and stories, drink coffee together, and eat dates and pastries. It’s like social media in earlier times. Here, Arab hospitality is truly lived. No one asks where you come from, what you do, who you are; instead, you are first offered a coffee. However, the coffee served there doesn’t quite resemble our coffee. It’s called Gahwa and looks more like tea. It doesn't taste much like coffee either but rather has flavors of various oriental spices like saffron, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater.

We also visited a falcon shop, where one can buy falcons worth the price of small and luxury cars. The animals have great significance throughout the Gulf region and represent the connection between traditional culture and modern times. Even small children (boys) receive their 'own' falcon, which is trained, taken to the falcon hospital to have a lost feather transplanted, and then wins prizes in falcon races or participates in hunting or beauty competitions.

We also stopped by the small animal market and checked out the camels in the Camel Pen, an outdoor exhibition area for desert animals. Let’s just say: Doha may have developed significantly over the last decades. However, in terms of animal husbandry, there’s still a lot to be desired from our Western perspective.

We also met a man who is a celebrity in Doha and today owns a small pearl shop: Saad Ismail Khalifa al-Jassim, who at 89 years old is considered the oldest pearl diver in Qatar. Pearl diving started everything in Qatar when the oil and gas reserves had not yet been discovered. David Beckham has already been to his shop, along with many politicians and show stars.

After the tour, Angie and I made a quick stop at the harbor and took the obligatory photo of the skyline before I once again made my way back to the airport, feeling quite overwhelmed by all the impressions.

After Laos and Bangkok, Doha was a leap into another world. A traditional world of the Thawb (long garment for men), Ghutra (head covering for men), Abbajas (long women's garments), and Hijabs (face veils for women). I myself was accordingly dressed in long, airy pants and a t-shirt - for Qatari conditions, it felt relatively cool at 29 degrees, which is why I also saw some Western-clad residents in jeans and sweaters. On my way through the city, I was approached several times, asked if I wanted to take a city tour, or if I wanted to go somewhere by taxi. A 'No, thank you' on my part was not accepted; they continued to press or accompanied me some steps further. I wouldn’t say that I felt uncomfortable. Still, it’s a country and a culture that doesn’t particularly attract me to explore in the near future.

The remaining hours until my departure were spent at the airport, after which I landed in Frankfurt after another 6.5-hour flight. Since Luang Prabang, I had been on the return journey by tuktuk taxi, airplane, public bus, taxi, another airplane, and metro. Everything went, really everything, smoothly. Until I arrived in Frankfurt:

• about an hour waiting for luggage
• the originally planned train had already left
• further convenient and fast ICE trains could not be booked with the free ride (BahnBonus reward) - paying for it was out of the question; for that money, I could have almost flown back to Bangkok
  
• the selected and booked alternative, affordable connection failed at the stop Mainz-Römisches Theater because the train was over 20 minutes late
• I boldly sat on the ICE in Mainz Hbf for which I had a ticket from Mannheim
• luckily I wasn’t checked, but I would have let it come to a discussion with the conductor

I don't want to get upset about this (I didn’t either), because I am grateful for everything we have here that others can only dream of. However, we should slowly get down from our high horse and stop looking down on other countries. There are indeed things that an developing country does better than we do.

Then yesterday, I unpacked my suitcase and indulged in jetlag on the couch. Now I am starting to find my way back into everyday life. Until the day I start my next journey. When, where, and at all? Who knows! Until then, stay strong, dear ones!

PS: Once I have sorted all the photos, I will also upload some in the previous entries. So to speak, as documentation. I'll let you know.

Thanks for that, bro.

...much better than expected! Layover in the jungle 🌿🌴💚

First, we went through the aquarium in the new harbor towards the buses.

From there, a free shuttle bus provided by the port took us right into the city.

We found many beautiful shops, from carpet stores with pillows, to countless unknown spices, to stores selling gold jewelry and all kinds of odds and ends.

The scent was indescribable once again.

We walked back to the ship. It was only 5km, which is easily doable on a sunny day. Plus, we wanted to visit the Mina District, a park opposite our ship, with houses in the style of Santorini.

In the evening at 10 pm, we left Doha heading towards Dubai. The exit from the port was unforgettable and amazing.

Now we've been on the road to Dubai for 3 hours, with winds of 134 km/h. It's sure to be fun.

If you find any spelling mistakes, you can keep them. You can try to write the text on your next roller coaster ride. Have fun.

Sleep well, it will be difficult for us 😬.

Stay healthy✌️

The first view from the balcony of our cabin revealed the skyline of Doha, Qatar.

This morning, the captain parked perfectly, backwards 😎👍.

Of course, we had planned a city tour for today as well.

At around 2 pm, we left the port towards West Bay, right into this skyline. There are banks, companies, and hotels located there.

We drove through the skyscrapers to Katara's cultural district. There is, among other things, an arena "similar" to the one in Verona, the blue and the golden mosque.

Then we continued on to the new luxury island, The Pearl.

There you can find everything you need.

After buying a new apartment, you can treat yourself to a Ferrari or Rolls Royce. Then you can go to Versace or Louis Vuitton with them.

Since it can get over 50 degrees Celsius in the posh shopping street in summer, everything is, of course, air-conditioned.

So far, still normal, but the shopping street is open air. Have fun cooling off... But energy is, as is well known, not a problem here 🤷‍♂️.

The conclusion was the 400-year-old market "Soug Waqif".

There you can buy camels, falcons, gold, lamps, carpets, and all sorts of colorful knick-knacks.

It smelled wonderful everywhere, sometimes like incense, sometimes like Persian food.

When the night slowly began, Doha became brightly lit and colorful.

Now we're enjoying the spectacular view of nocturnal Doha with some cheese (the selection on the ship is enormous) and a glass of red wine.

For dinner today, we also had goose with red cabbage and dumplings 🙈.

From time to time, you can hear the sound of a ten or twelve-cylinder engine rumbling through the skyline, despite the numerous German speed cameras nearby.

We're going back to Deck 12 now, as there will be a party starting at 10.30 pm. However, if people dance like they did in the zombie zoo again, we'll prefer to disappear to the balcony with enough "ammunition" for the night 🥂🍻.

I hope we sleep more peacefully tonight and you all stay healthy ✌️.

It's 8:00 in the morning, arrived in a new port. After sailing through the night with calm seas, the capital of Qatar emerges like a mirage, surrounded by sand and sea, with its modern skyscrapers. Once again, a magical sight.

After breakfast, at 10:00, we head straight to one of the excursion buses that will take us on a 3 and a half hour sightseeing tour of the desert city. Normally, the clock would be set back one hour here, but the captain insists that the ship's time (3 hours ahead) remains, and emphasizes that this should be kept in mind when going ashore. The ship departs at 19:00 according to ship time, but if you go by the local time, you're out of luck because the ship is already one hour away towards Muscat. Well, luckily my excursion is under AIDA supervision. Otherwise, I would be a potential candidate standing at the empty port at 19:00 local time.

In the bus, we quickly arrive at the Corniche, a waterfront promenade, similar to the one in Abu Dhabi. 7 kilometers long, it offers a beautiful view of the city's modern skyscrapers, as well as the traditional dhows in the bay. Impressive also is the cultural village of "Katara". An establishment opened in 2010, to keep the cultural heritage of the region alive. Numerous exhibitions and festivals take place here in replicas of various types of buildings in the country. The preparations for the "Arabian Horse Festival" are currently in full swing. From there, we head east towards "The Pearl", an artificially created island in the shape of a pearl. If you want to rent a 60-square-meter apartment there, you pay around 15,000 euros per month. A real bargain! Well, Qatar is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world, if I understood the English tour guide correctly. The most important economic factor here is also the export of oil and gas, while agriculture is only possible to a limited extent due to the infertile soil. On the way back to the ship, we visit one of Doha's famous souks. Here you can get everything your heart desires. From spices, dates in all kinds and forms, gold, souvenirs, to birds, rabbits, turtles, and falcons. Yes, there is a real falcon market here. You can get various accessories and even the birds themselves. A trained hunting falcon costs up to $15,000. For comparison: you can get a camel around the corner for only $1,600. Falcon ownership is a symbol of luxury here.

Back on board, I treat myself to a cappuccino and a slice of cake. I can already hear my partner laughing mockingly at home. Shut up, I think, I'm on vacation! Okay, it's not that easy after all. Off to the treadmill, Madame!

For dinner, we go to the "Time Machine" tonight. A culinary journey through space and time. With its extravagant steampunk-style design, you feel like sitting in a huge time machine and traveling. "Outside", clouds pass by, and various gears are turning. Meanwhile, a delicious 3-course menu is served. Absolutely recommended.

The day is perfectly rounded off by the best party on AIDA. Today, the silent party takes place at the BeachClub. I LOVE IT!

On Sunday morning, February 2nd, 2020, breakfast is already served at half past eight at Azadi Park in Shiraz. Then we slowly pack up our stuff and I take another stroll with Rango in the park before we head south. In Shiraz, an oil change is scheduled for the T4, we restock our food supplies, and then we hit the road again. Along the way, we stop at an old watchtower for a little lunch break. Located in the mountains, it's a wonderful spot. It's already around seven o'clock when we finally arrive at a beach in Bandar Siraf on the Persian Gulf. Shortly after our arrival, we are visited by a police patrol who discreetly remind Koohyar not to be too obvious with his affair with Txell. Extramarital relationships are not well regarded in Iran.

As a young Iranian woman with a foreign friend, there would surely have been bigger problems. After dinner together, we have a tea with the patrol, who come by again, and then the sound of the sea lulls me to sleep.

On Monday morning, I take the opportunity to go for a morning swim in the Persian Gulf. Magnificent. Then breakfast is served, and I unexpectedly get a visit at the tent. Gitta and Karlotta, two young cyclists from Hamburg, had set up their camp nearby the previous evening and now take the opportunity for a chat in German. Then François invites us for coffee before it's time to pack up slowly. In the meantime, Rango is struggling with some kind of epileptic seizure. He convulses for what feels like an eternity, but luckily he recovers. Completely confused, he tries to run away, but after some comforting words, he comes back. Once the two girls from Hamburg have found a spot for themselves and their bikes, we continue along the coast. The turquoise-blue Gulf on the right, the partly rugged Zagros Mountains on the left. After about 150 km, we set up our camp somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the coast. After Koohyar and I have gathered some firewood, the evening peacefully fades away by the fire with live music (Gitta and Pablo have brought instruments).

On the fourth of February (Tuesday), I go for a swim in the morning before breakfast, not just once during the day. At noon, the two cyclists leave us and the rest of us relax mostly in the shade. The winter here feels quite summery. After gathering some more firewood, we cook together in the evening and lounge around the campfire.

On Wednesday morning, a small fishing boat is near our camp, and Koohyar can order some fresh fish for the afternoon. Otherwise, I wash some laundry and myself at a nearby water source, take care of the fresh fish in the afternoon, and enjoy the wonderful spot where we stay. We spend the evening by the fire again, this time with a fish barbecue and other delicacies. Around midnight, sweet dough sticks and a cup of coffee round off the feast.

Thursday (February 6th, 2020) is planned for the onward journey, so after a morning swim and a small breakfast, it's time to pack up. We also decide to collect some garbage all around, but like everywhere else, it feels like a futile endeavor, there is just too much. On our way along the coast, we stop again for some shopping, refill our camping gas, and finally settle down at a kind of rest stop near Bandar-e Moallem after about 200 km. After dinner together, the day once again comes to an end by the fire in good company.

As if the fear of a COVID-19 outbreak in Vanuatu was not enough, a cyclone approached two weeks ago. A storm formed over the seas, gaining strength as it headed towards Vanuatu.

Initially classified as a Category 3, it seemed harmless. But two days before it was supposed to hit Vanuatu, it was clear that it had reached the strongest level (Category 5). Vanuatu experienced this strength five years ago with Cyclone Pam, which particularly devastated the main island of Efate, destroying 98% of the island. Precautions were quickly taken, with residents shuttering their windows, packing up outdoor furniture, and parking their cars in safety.

Fortunately, Efate, and therefore us, were not heavily affected. We experienced a strong storm, Merli crawled into bed with us, and the next morning there were coconuts, palm leaves, and fallen banana trees everywhere. Otherwise, everything was okay.

However, five islands in the northern part of the country felt the full force of the cyclone. Buildings were almost completely destroyed, and important infrastructure like small medical clinics was swept away. Reconstruction and the well-being of the people are now the focus for Vanuatu. Aid from abroad is being flown in to support them, but only with special permission to enter the country. The borders remain closed, which slows down the entire process as the government is afraid of bringing the virus into the country (so far, there have been no confirmed cases). NGOs and volunteers who had done valuable rebuilding work after Cyclone Pam had to leave the country due to the COVID-19 crisis and are now not allowed to return. Once again, the mentality of the islanders surprised us: calm and positive, they began the rebuilding effort and sent all available resources to the north.

A state of emergency remains in effect in Vanuatu after the cyclone. So, there hasn't been much change in our daily lives. The weather returned to normal, and we took advantage of the Easter weekend to go on a trip with our Spanish friends. With Alberto, Alexa, and their daughter Luna, we spent many hours of our free time together during this week. The small family arrived in Vanuatu in October last year, and we became friends after meeting Pepe. Among other things, we spent a night in a private bay in small villas, made sushi in the evening, and enjoyed the infinity pool.

We indulged in this luxury with the thought that our departure from the island could suddenly come. There were rumors that a charter plane from Germany would pick up stranded tourists from Tonga and Vanuatu. At first, it was hard to believe, but a few days later, the rumor was confirmed. We were already somewhat prepared for departure, but we didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Within a week, we sold the car, returned many borrowed baby items to friends, took care of paperwork, and informed our employers. Merli supported us in all the hustle and bustle, which was a great help. In the end, we gave much to our housekeeper Lewia, our nanny Lowra, and the gardener Alex, all of whom had become dear to us.

On Friday at 7 a.m., we met the other Europeans who wanted to leave at the airport. The German consul in Vanuatu proudly saw us off, and so 31 stranded Europeans were able to make their way home. The plane already had tourists from Tonga, some of whom were surprised by the cyclone and were all the happier to be going home. After a brief refueling in Brisbane, we landed in Sydney 6 hours later. There, we were picked up by the next German consul and taken to our gate through an empty airport. The next flight was a commercial flight from Sydney via Doha to Frankfurt. Qatar Airways is the only airline currently offering flights.

After 24 hours, we landed in Frankfurt, dashed to catch the train, which we unfortunately missed, relaxed for another 2 hours at the train station, arrived in Hamburg around 11 p.m., and finally reached Kathweg around 1 a.m. Whew... 45 hours without proper sleep.

In Hamburg, Merli parted ways with us and went to her shared apartment in Oldenburg to make full use of her quarantine time for her bachelor's thesis.

We are spending our quarantine on the second floor in Kronshagen. The large garden is particularly good for us, even though we are only allowed to approach the property line by a maximum of 1.5 meters.

We are incredibly grateful that we have arrived safely back home and have these two weeks to recover from jetlag and understand the changes. After that, we are very much looking forward to gradually seeing all our friends and settling into our new apartment.

We'll see about everything else. Planning still doesn't really work.

The drive to the airport was very fast since there were hardly any cars on the road and we were only checked twice, where I had to show my ticket. The only thing that got in our way were three peacocks and a monkey on the road :D

Later, everything went relatively quickly and I was more than relieved when I had my 3 tickets in hand! However, the atmosphere at the airport was tense for everyone and it was strange to see everyone wearing masks. Here in Sri Lanka, everyone is expected to wear one because if you don't, you are immediately approached by police officers on the street.

Planlos is back and now even more PlanLoser than before.

The wind has stabilized and given us the new direction-> down under we come 🥳

At home in the beautiful Dallenwil, nestled in a small valley between the beautiful snowy mountains and almost at the end of the world, we spent a cozy time in our parents' house. Ideas and visions became reality, and it was these preparations for reality that forced us to give up our coziness.

Now we should be in Hong Kong and fly from there towards Australia - that was the plan.

Checked in and a short wait for the plane, it quickly turned into "Ctrl+Alt+Delete"... clenched fists in our pockets almost made us explode. The Zurich airport is cozy and beautiful. I really like it, a lot! Besides the manageable size and the well-organized process, there's always enough time to wait here... even if you don't like waiting, people in Zurich welcome waiting 😍.

About four hours later, with a new airline, we continued to...

The *Awesome may sound very sarcastic BUT it's not. The flight from Zurich-Hong Kong-Australia cost us a mere 700.- (booked two weeks in advance) but due to the wait or crash hazard of the 700.- Swiss Francs airline, we were rebooked on the more expensive flight (also considered).

What have we gained?

- Vouchers, refunds, and 6 hours earlier arrival in Perth with better seats. -> Almost like winning the lottery!

After a 6-hour flight and on the new plane, it was time to say goodbye to Qatar or Doha... at night and from above, the whole thing looks very pretty.

For all interested readers, envious people, friends, commoners, and curious daredevils, we created an additional Instagram account for more moving pictures like "der bewegte Mann" (the active man) along with our blog Planlos2.0 -> PlanLoser.

Best regards,

01.10.2019

After a flight of about 6 hours, I landed in the capital of Qatar. Since I had a slightly longer layover there (8h), I had booked a city tour of Doha in advance.

The city tour started at 8pm and lasted for 3 hours.

The sun had already set and it was still about 35°C with incredibly high humidity. My glasses fogged up when I left the airport (which is air-conditioned, of course). The same thing happened to the lens of my good camera (it didn't go away either) - that's why there are only pictures from my phone.

During the city tour, we stopped at some places to take photos. The last stop was the market, where we had enough time to explore.

Skyline Doha

Doha


At the port


Souq Waqif
It is a traditional market where you can buy all sorts of things. Besides restaurants, I saw shops selling the following: food (spices, nuts, fruits), perfume, jewelry, animals (both live and stuffed), clothing, antiques, and much more...
It is a maze of alleys with different smells, temperatures, and many shops where you can discover exotic things.

So now it was, this noise at 4:30 am that nobody wants to hear. This alarm ringing, where you think, Really now... But at least you knew you were going to paradise and not to work. So I forced myself more or less happily out of bed. Packed the last things, practiced good hygiene to the best of my knowledge and belief, and then headed to Prague by car. There I had rented a parking space for the next three weeks. For a ridiculous 58 euros. Once arrived, you had to call a guy, he came, took the keys and papers, and drove away. Will I ever see this car again? 🤷‍♂️ Here it comes again... This 50/50 chance. At least I can already check off point one from the list 'Arrive in Prague on time'. After that, check-in and off to the security area. That was done within 10 minutes as well. Apparently, no one is flying from Prague at this time 😂

Then we flew off shortly after 9 on time, and after 6 hours it was 'Hello Doha'. And here the hamster started limping. I had 55 minutes for the transfer. I don't like to remember last year in Moscow, where I had to use every second of transfer time to make it just in time. But a buddy told me in advance... DOHA 55 minutes... Ridiculous, they have built a huge airport in the middle of the desert and do nothing but send people from A to B, they can do it.

And so it was, after arriving by plane we went from the runway to the terminal by bus. By the way, a cozy 46 degrees Celsius outside. Then quickly through the security check and off to the next gate, all within 15 minutes including a bathroom break 😊

After that, it was another 10 hours from Doha to Denpasar to finally arrive. Here I had to go through the security area to get a visa. I was also greeted with a proper belch. I wanted to give him a quick high five✋ but then decided to go for a nice smile and a wink. Finally, I took the overpriced taxi to the accommodation, but I just wanted to arrive.

The accommodation is not that great, but at least it's air-conditioned. There is no hot water though... But who needs that in Bali 🤪

Now I'm sitting by the pool and the adventure can begin.

So, now I'm sitting in the first of three airplanes on the long journey to Cairns, Australia, after a surprisingly tearless goodbye at the airport, accompanied by Bra, Janna, Lena, and Kathi, with 5000 group photos and hugs. And I still don't really know what's going on. I haven't fully realized that in two days we'll be on the other side of the world and I won't be able to sleep in my own bed for 5 months.
My back already hurts - after just one hour in the air - how am I going to survive the other 23 hours?
Linni is sleeping right now, but there should be 'dinner' soon, we even got a menu for it. There's a nice Asian guy sitting next to me, with whom we shared the cleaning wipes we got in abundance from the flight attendants. Unfortunately, we only understand some Schakalaka of what he's saying.
And my little TV doesn't turn on when I tap it, even though I would really like to watch some movies... it will probably work on the next flight.
So, I'm listening to my downloaded stargazer playlist with a positive attitude and waiting for the food, because there's nothing better to do while flying (except maybe opening fortune cookies, mine said 'Some advices from others are good from time to time', maybe someone will give me some advice in Australia).
They are currently presenting the alcohol supply next to us, should I treat myself to a sip? Better replenish the water supply.

▪

The food was actually not bad at all. I had the cottage beef pie with mashed potatoes and some unidentifiable vegetable mix, which I also ate because tomorrow the sun is supposed to shine (especially for everyone in Germany, they probably need it more than me - but it probably doesn't look good). But the brownie that was served for dessert was simply delicious, although it still couldn't compare to what I had for the last time at Omi's today.

▪

Update: There were even movie snacks!! What a premium flight. We'll be landing in three quarters of an hour and I took the opportunity to finally watch The Greatest Showman in the last few hours. I already knew the music and the movie was really nice, except that I wanted to punch a few characters sometimes.

▪

So, now at the airport in Doha. It took a while before we could connect to the Wi-Fi. We're now looking for the resting areas after finding out where we need to go at 8 am tomorrow morning. At least we've already gone through security here.

Song of the day: Goodbye by Jason Derulo, it's a really catchy tune and fitting.

Oh, yesterday was so exciting: Drive to the airport: top (no traffic (and 'free ride for free citizens'), refueling the rental car: flop (was almost on a first-name basis with the guy at Esso: had to refuel again after the supposed full tank (I'm really not too dumb for that) because the fuel gauge in the rental car complained), flight to Doha: both (great service ('would you like the Brut or the rosé Champagne' - totally right to always have 2 kinds 😂), lovely people, great flight, but it was all a bit too much for Ursel and she started with a 2-hour migraine to Doha), immigration in Doha: top (there's actually a separate immigration terminal for business class passengers...), hotel: top (stylish rooms on the top floor, construction sites as far as the eye can see...), evening in the Souq: top (we're in the land of hummus - I'm indulging...)