Qatar Izindaba: Yebo, Ungakwenza IQatar NgamaRandi angu-$150 Ngosuku—Nansi Irisidi

Uma uhlezi endaweni ethile phakathi kweDubai neDoha uzama ukunquma ukuthi yiliphi idolobha ozolikhetha ekuxhumeni kwendiza yakho, awusadingi ukusesha ngemuva kokufunda lokhu. Akusona isayensi ethandekayo ngeQatar njengezwe laseMpumalanga Ephakathi elinomlingo. Lona wuhlolo lwangempela lwalokho ongakubona emahoreni angamashumi amabili nane eDoha, kubiza malini, nokuthi kuwufanele ngempela. Isinqumo kuqala: uma unamahora angaphezu kwayisishiyagalombili okuhlala usahamba futhi uzimisele ukuphuma esikhumulweni sezindiza, impendulo ithi— yebo, kuwufanele.

IQatar iyipheninshuli encane ephuma ePersian Gulf, ecishe ibe amakhilomitha-skwele angu-11,500 — incane kuneBeijing. Yaba ngelinye lamazwe acebe kunawo wonke emhlabeni ngenxa yensimu yegesi yemvelo enkulu kunawo wonke futhi yasingatha iWorld Cup ehlangene kunazo zonke emlandweni ngo-2022. Ngo-2026, amaMaroons — iqembu lesizwe laseQatar — asebuyele esiteji sokufikelela, futhi iHamad International Airport eDoha isasala ingumgudu wabadluli bezindiza abangenakubalwa abahamba phakathi kwe-Asia, iYurophu, neAfrika. Umbuzo oyinhloko: ilebuli leQatar 'ithi liyabiza.' Kodwa ingabe leyo lebuli ilungile? Mangikuphendule ngerisidi.

Izindaba ezinhle zokuqala ngenqubomgomo yokungena: iQatar inikeza ukungena ngaphandle kwe-visa noma i-visa-lapho-ufika khona kuzakhamizi zamazwe angaphezu kwekhulu — hlola kabusha ngokobuzwe bephasipoti yakho ngaphambi kokubhukha. Ukusuka eHamad International Airport ukuya enkabeni yedolobha kuwukukhetha phakathi kwezindlela ezimbili: imetro (indlela eyodwa icishe ibe ngamaRandi angu-$3, iRed Line iqonde esiteshini saseMsheireb, imizuzu engamashumi amathathu) noma itekisi (cishe amaRandi angu-$15–25 kuya ngendawo nesikhathi). Nazi izeluleko zami zokuqala: uma unamahora angamashumi amabili nane kuphela, thenga iphasi losuku lemetro engamaRandi angu-$3. Imetro yaseDoha ingesinye sezistimu zokuthutha zomphakathi ezihlanzekile kunawo wonke emhlabeni — angibonanga necezu likadoti elilodwa endaweni yokulinda.

Ihora lesine ekuseni eSouq Waqif. Abantu abaningi babhala ngeSouq Waqif ntambama noma ngesikhathi sokuphithizela kusihlwa. Mina ngizobhala ngayo ngehora lesine ekuseni. Ngehora lesine ekuseni, iSouq Waqif iyavalwa. Umdayisi wezinongo uhlezi ngaphakathi kwesitolo sakhe, ebukele umdlalo wePremier League odlalwa kabusha efonini yakhe — igama lika-Almoez Ali licwayiza esikrinini. Ikati liphuma esitakini sikakhaphethi, linginika ukubheka okusolisayo, liqhubeke nokupatrola kwalo kwasebusuku. Izivakashi zokugcina zihwebelana nomdayisi mayelana nozibuthe nezikhefu — 'Ezintathu ngeshumi, inani lokugcina, sengiyavala manje.' Umoya usathwala izinsalela zenyama eyosiwe netiye elimnandi okungeke kushabalale ngokugcwele amanye amahora ambalwa. I-souq ngehora lesine ekuseni inobuqotho obuthile — ihora ngaphambi kokulala — lapho wonke umbala nokumemeza kwayo kuhlehlele phakathi, kushiya kuphela ungqimba oluncane lokukhathala nokuthula okungokwe-souq uqobo.

Nasi isamba sangempela sohlolo lwamahora angamashumi amabili nane eDoha: Imetro yokuhamba nokubuya eHamad Airport amaRandi angu-$6 / Ukungena eMuseum of Islamic Art amaRandi angu-$14 / Amadethi ngaphambi kokusa nekarak chai eSouq Waqif amaRandi angu-$7 / Isidlo sasemini: inyama yemvu eyosiwe nelayisi i-machboos endaweni yokudla i-Al Terrace amaRandi angu-$18 / Uhambo lwengxenye yosuku lwaseDesert nase-Inland Sea (oluholwayo, okuhlanganisa ukushayela izindunduma nge-4x4 neziphuzo) amaRandi angu-$55 / Amanzi, izidlo ezincane, nesikhumbuzo esincane se-souq amaRandi angu-$12 / Isamba = amaRandi angu-$112. Yebo, angifikanga naku-$150. Uma weqa uhambo lwasogwadule — ake sithi unamahora ayishumi nambili kuphela — ungakwenza ngaphansi kwamaRandi angu-$50. Uma ufuna ukuhlala ubusuku ehhotela elinezinkanyezi ezine, engeza amaRandi angu-$120–180. Kodwa uma umane nje ubulala isikhathi phakathi kwezindiza ezimbili, amashawa amahhala nespa nezindawo zokuphumula esikhumulweni sezindiza kungcono kunalokho okucabangayo — futhi kumahhala.

IKhor Al Adaid, i-Inland Sea, iyisimanga sendawo — izindunduma zesihlabathi ezicwila ngqo emanzini aluhlaza okungenalukho ePersian Gulf. Ngenkathi iToyota Land Cruiser idabula izindunduma nge-engeli yamadigriji angamashumi amathathu, umculo owawuphuma kuzipikha zomshayeli uHassan kwakungesiyo 'imizwa yaseMpumalanga Ephakathi' ongayilindela — kwakuwukuphelezelwa kwePremier League kweBrentford bebhekene neCrystal Palace. 'Ngabe abantu baseQatar bayayibuka iligi yendawo?' Ngabuza. 'Cha,' washo, ekhomba ugwadule esibukweni esingemuva. 'Abantu baseQatar babuka iPremier League kuphela — ngaphandle uma thina uqobo senza iWorld Cup.' Ifa lika-2022 alikho nje esakhiweni sezinkundla zaseDoha — likho futhi nasekutheni abantu abajwayelekile kuleli zwe bacabanga kabusha ngobudlelwano babo nebhola.

Ngehora lesithupha kusihlwa, ngangimi phambi kwamawindi aphansi-kuya-ophahleni eMuseum of Islamic Art. Imigqa yobuchwepheshe ka-I.M. Pei yayihlakaze isibhakabhaka saseDoha saba yisakhiwo esiphelele — ngakwesokunxele, ama-dhow endabuko ayentanta echwebeni; ngakwesokudla, izindonga zengilazi zeWest Bay CBD zazikhombisa ukushona kwelanga kwasogwadule. Isisebenzi sokwakha sasePakistan sasimi eceleni kwami — sasigqoke izintambo zokukhanya ozisweni lwaso lomsebenzi — sibuka isibhakabhaka esifana ncamashi. Sangitshela ukuthi sesineminyaka eyishumi nambili siseQatar futhi sasebenze okungenani ezakhiweni ezinhlanu zaseWest Bay. 'Ingabe umndeni wakho wake weza eDoha?' Sasikina ikhanda sakhomba izakhiwo eziphakeme ngaphandle: 'Babone izithombe. Akufani nento yangempela.' Lo mzuzu awungena kunoma iyiphi incwadi yokuhamba, kodwa uwubuso obuqotho kakhulu bokuhamba eQatar — olunye uhlangothi lwengcebo ngabantu abakha ingcebo.

Ngibuyele eHamad Airport kusasele amahora amabili ngaphambi kwendiza elandelayo. Isitolo se-duty-free sasikhangisa ngezikhafu zeqembu lesizwe laseQatar — umbala obomvu onsundu, uphawu lweMaroons lufakwe ekhoneni elilodwa. Ngathenga esisodwa. Hhayi ngoba ngingumlandeli wabo — kodwa ngoba ngangichithe amahora angamashumi amabili nane kuphela kuleli zwe futhi ngangisengibone okuningi ukudlula iningi labadlulayo abake bakubona: ikati e-souq yangaphambi kokusa, ukuphelezelwa kwePremier League komshayeli wasogwadule, isibhakabhaka sesisebenzi sokwakha, irisidi yamaRandi angu-$112.

Ngakho, ingabe iQatar iwufanele? Kuya ngokuthi uyiqhathanisa nani. Uma undiza usuka e-Asia ngokukhethekile ngeholide — ngaphandle uma unesithakazelo esikhethekile (ubuciko bamaSulumane, ukukhempa ogwadule, iFormula 1), izinsuku ezintathu eDoha zingazwakala zibiza kakhulu futhi zimfushane. Kodwa uma udlula phakathi kwe-Asia, iYurophu, neAfrika ngewindi lamahora ayisishiyagalombili kuya kwamashumi amabili nane — impendulo ithi: phuma esikhumulweni sezindiza. IQatar akuyona indawo yempilo yakho yonke. Kodwa ingaba indawo yakho yokuhlala ngesikhathi sokudlula. Futhi ukuchitha amaRandi angu-$112 ukuze uzenze uzikhumbule ukudlula kuyisivumelwano esingcono kakhulu kunokulala esihlalweni sesikhumulo sezindiza amahora ayisishiyagalombili.