Khathari Tindzaba: Yebo, Ungakwenti IQatar Nge-$150 Ngelilanga—Nali Irisidi

Nangabe uhleti ndzaweni tsite emkhatsini weDubai neDoha utama kunquma kutsi nguliphi lidolobha longalikhetsa kusebenta kwendiza yakho yekuchumana, awusadzingi kufuna ngemuva kwekufunda loku. Loku akusilo lihubo lekuncoma ngekutsi iQatar live lelifanele emkhatsini weMphakatsi yeLwandle. Loku kuhlolwa kwangempela kwekutsi yini longayibona emahoreni langu-24 eDoha, kubiza malini, nekutsi ngempela kufanele yini. Isinqumo kucala: nangabe unemahora langetulu kwasiphohlongo ekuma futsi ukulungele kushiya sikhumulo setindiza, imphendvulo ngu — yebo, kufanele.

IQatar inhlonhlo lencane lefukamele ePersian Gulf, cishe emakhilomitha-skwele langu-11,500 — lincane kuneBeijing. Yaba ngulenye yemave lacwebile emhlabeni ngekubonga insimu lenkhulu kakhulu yegesi yemvelo emhlabeni futsi yabamba iNdzebe yeMhlaba lehlangene kakhulu emlandvweni nga-2022. Nga-2026, emaMaroons — licembu lesive laseQatar — asesiteji sekuhlunga kwakhe, futsi iHamad International Airport eDoha ihlala ingumgudu wekuchumana kubahambi labanyenti labahamba emkhatsini we-Asia, Yurophu, ne-Afrika. Umbuto lomkhulu: Lisenti leQatar kutsi 'ibabiza.' Kodvwa lelo senti licinisile? Asengiphendvule ngerisidi.

Lokuhle kwekucala ngenqubo yekungena: IQatar iniketa kungena kungena visa nobe kutfola i-visa lapho ufika khona etakhamutini lemave langetulu kwekhulu — hlola futsi ngeligama lepasi lakho ngaphambi kwekubhuka. Kuya kusuka eHamad International Airport kuya esikhatsini sedolobha kukhetsa emkhatsini wetindlela timbili: imetro (indlela yinye cishe $3, umugca Lobovu uholela ngqo esiteshini saseMsheireb, emaminithi langu-30) noma itekisi (cishe $15–25 kuya ngendzawo nesikhatsi). Nasi seluleko sami sekucala: nangabe unemahora langu-24 kuphela, tsenga lipasi lelitfolakala ngelilanga le-$3. Imetro yaseDoha ngenye yetinhlelo tekuhamba ngemphakatsi letihlobile kakhulu emhlabeni — angizange ngibone nome sinye situ setibi esitebelweni.

Hora lesine ekuseni eSouq Waqif. Bantfu labanyenti babhala ngeSouq Waqif ekushoneni kwelilanga nobe ntsambama. Ngitawubhala ngayo ngehora lesine ekuseni. Ngehora lesine ekuseni, iSouq Waqif iyavala. Umtsengisi wetinongo uhleti ngaphakatsi esitolo sakhe, abukele iPremier League iphindvwa elicingweni lwakhe — ligama Almoez Ali lifehla esikrinini. Likati livela esitfubeni semakhaphethi, linginika kubuka lokukhatsatekile, lichubeke nekulindza kwalo kwasebusuku. Bavakashi bekugcina bacutsana nemtsengisi ngemagnet netikhafu — 'Ematsatfu ngeshumi, intengo yekugcina, ngiyavala nyalo.' Umoya usaphethe tinsalela temvelo yenyama leyosiwe kanye netiye lesimnandzi lokungeke kuphele emahoreni lambalwa. ISouq ngehora lesine ekuseni inekuthembeka lokutsite — lihora langaphambi kwekwalala — lapho wonkhe umbala wayo nekumemeta sekugedvukile ngaphakatsi, kushiya umaluko lomncane wekukhathala kanye nekuthula lokungelomakhiwe lophelele.

Nayi irisidi lecinisako yekuhlola kweDoha emahoreni langu-24: Hamad Airport metro yekuhamba ngekubuyela emuva $6 / Museum of Islamic Art kungena $14 / Souq Waqif tinsuku tangaphambi kwelanga kanye nekarak chai $7 / Kudla kwasemini: imvu leyosiwe nelayisi lemachboos e-Al Terrace restaurant $18 / Luhambo lwehhafta yelisimi lwaseLugwadule neNingizimu yeLwandle (luholwa, kufaka ekhatsi i-4x4 dune bashing netinatselo) $55 / Emanti, emasnack, kanye nesikhumbuto lesincane sasesouq $12 / Silinganiso = $112. Yebo, angizange ngifike naku-$150. Nangabe weqa luhambo lwaseLugwadule — say unemahora lalishumi nakubili nje — ungakwenta ngekungaphasi kwa-$50. Nangabe ufuna kulala ebusuku ehhotela leline-tinkhanyeti letine, ngeze wenegeta $120–180. Kodvwa nangabe umane ubulala sikhatsi emkhatsini wetindiza timbili, emashawa emahhala asesikhumulweni setindiza kanye netindzawo tekuphumula kungcono kunalokucabangako — futsi mahhala.

IKhor Al Adaid, iNingizimu yeLwandle, kuhluka kwendzawo — tindvundvuma tesihlabatsi tetiwela ngekumsulwa emantini laluhlata emagadze ePersian Gulf. Njengoba iToyota Land Cruiser idzabule tindvundvuma nge-engeli yemashumi lamatsatfu, umculo lowawuphuma kusipika saHassan bekungasiwo 'umoya waseMphakatsi yeLwandle' longawulindzela — bekukuhlatiya kwePremier League kweBrentford kanye neCrystal Palace. 'EmaQatar ayayibukela inhlangano yasekhaya?' ngabuta. 'Cha,' utsite, akhombe lugwadule esibukweni. 'EmaQatar abuka iPremier League kuphela — ngaphandle kwekutsi tsine sifinyelele eNdzebeni yeMhlaba.' Lifa langa-2022 alikho nje ekwakhiweni kwenkundla yaseDoha — likufutsi nendlela bantfu labajwayelekile kulomhlaba labacabanga kwatsi ngebudlelvwane babo nebhola letinyawo.

Ngehora lesitfupha ntsambama, bengimi phambi kwakufasitela lokusukela phansi kuye esilinganisweni seMuseum of Islamic Art. Imigca yejometri ya-I.M. Pei beyikhiphe umkhathi waseDoha ekwakhekeni lokuphelele — ngesandla sencesele, ema-dhow wendzabuko adonsa echwebeni; ngesandla sekudla, emafesisi engilazi aseWest Bay CBD abonisa kushona kwelilanga laseLugwadule. Umakhi wasePakistan wema eceleni kwami — abesagcoke timvama tekubuyisa ekugcokeni kwakhe kwemsebenti — abuke umkhathi lofananako. Wangitshela kutsi abesesese Qatar iminyaka lelishumi nakubili futsi asebente okungenani emabhulokhini lasihlanu emibhoshongo yaseWest Bay. 'Umndeni wakho wake waba seDoha?' Wahungula inhloko wakhomba emabhodleleni lasetulu ngaphandle: 'Babonile titfombe. Kute lokufana nalokwangempela.' Lesikhathi asihlali kunoma nguyiphi inkhombandlela yekuhamba, kodvwa bubuso lobucotfo kakhulu bekuhamba eQatar — lelinye luhlangotsi lwengcebo bantfu labakha ingcebo.

Emuva eHamad Airport ngemahora lamabili ngaphambi kwendiza letako. Sitolo lesingenamshenti besikhangisa tikhafu tecembu lesive laseQatar — li-maroon lelijulile, ligama lemaMaroons liphotjwe ekhoneni linye. Ngatsenga sinye. Hhayi ngoba ngingumlandzeli wabo — kodvwa ngoba ngichite emahora langu-24 nje kuloku live futsi sengibone lokungaphezu kwaloko labakubonako bavakashi labendlulako: likati eSouq yangaphambi kwelanga, kuhlatiya kwePremier League kumshayeli waseLugwadule, umkhathi wemakhi, irisidi ye-$112.

Ngako-ke, iQatar ilungele? Kuncike ekutseni uyicatsanisa nani. Nangabe undiza usuka e-Asia ngenhloso yekuvakasha — ngaphandle kwekutsi unentsandvo letsite (umsebenti wemaSulumane, kukhempa elugwadule, iFormula 1), emalanga lamatsatfu eDoha angavakala abiza futsi amafishane. Kodvwa nangabe udlula emkhatsini we-Asia, Yurophu, ne-Afrika ngefasitela lemahora lasiphohongo kuya kumashumi lamabili nakune — imphendvulo itsi: shiya sikhumulo setindiza. IQatar akusiyo ndzawo leyodvwa ekuphileni. Kodvwa ingaba yindzawo yakho yekudlula ekuphileni. Futsi kuchita $112 kute wente kutsi ukhumbule kudlula kuncono kakhulu kunokulala esihlalweni sesikhumulo setindiza emahoreni lasiphohlongo.