Travel Posts

Interested in travel posts? See below.

Abu Dhabi (UAE) is HERE.

Budapest, Hungary: at the Crossroads: HERE. 

Brunei is HERE. 

Calgary, Canada is HERE. I attended the Canada Cup (2019). 

Casablanca, Morocco, the NYC of Northern Africa, is HERE. (Rabat is included.) 

Cebu, Philippines is HERE. Bonus: Margarito B. Teves and Manila (2018). My favorite cities in the Philippines are Palawan, Dumaguete, and Cebu. (Bonus: interview with a Cebuana HERE, and Manila's Chinatown is HERE.) 

Doha, Qatar is HERE.

Edinburgh, Scotland is HERE. (2019)

Havana, Cuba (Part 1) is HERE. 

India, the "Golden Triangle" of Jaipur, New Delhi, and Agra, has a multi-part series. Part 1 starts HERE. Post-trip summary is HERE. 

Istanbul, Turkey is HERE.

Izmir/Ephesus/Kusadasi/Sirince, Turkey is HERE.

Jakarta, Indonesia is HERE (Asian Games of 2018). 

Kazakhstan is HERE (2019). 

Konya, Turkey, where Rumi and Shams are buried, is HERE.

Lisbon, Portugal is HERE.

London, England and Heathrow are HERE (Cambridge & Oxford also included).

Malatya, Turkey is HERE. 

Medan, Indonesia (North Sumatra) is HERE. (Bonus: Jepara, Indonesia is HERE and Madakaripura waterfall is HERE.) 

Mexico is referred to generally HERE and HERE. (Bonus: HERE) Queretaro and Morelia are HERE. 

Muscat, Oman is HERE. 

Padang, Indonesia: City of Waterfalls and Dragonflies is HERE. 

Palembang, Indonesia: interview with an Indonesian backpacker and archaeology/history buff is HERE. 

Prague, Czech Republic: Original Hipster Nation is HERE. 

Quebec, Canada: Avoid at all Costs is HERE. Quebec City's Winter Carnaval is HERE. (2019) 

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile is HERE. (Photos only.) 

Saigon, Vietnam is HERE. (Bonus: Hanoi is HERE and Hue, Vietnam is HERE.) 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is HERE (2018). A great city, but one that is sure to become increasingly "touristy" with time. 

Sharjah (UAE) is HERE.

Sverige aka Sweden is HERE (2021). 

Tbilisi, Georgia is HERE. 

Tirana, Albania: interview with Auron Tare is HERE. 

Tunis, Tunisia (and Sidi Bou Said) is HERE. 

Toronto, Canada is HERE. (Bonus: Toronto Museum, second-best Islamic Art museum I've seen after Doha's.) 

UNWTO's 2017 Conference is HERE.

USA: Iowa ("Once Fertile, Now Barren") is HERE (2018). Orlando, Florida (DisneyWorld) is HERE (2019). Seattle, Washington is HERE (2008). 

Vienna, Austria is HERE. I did not like the city. 

Yogyakarta, Indonesia and Prambanan are HERE. Are you interested in Buddhism? You've got to visit. 

My lengthy post about visiting 18 countries in 5 months is HERE. A shorter one is HERE ("Adventures in Travel"). 

You may also follow me on IG under matthewrafat or Twitter @matthewrafat to see more photos.

Bonus: What have I learned in my travels? More HERE (2018). 

Bonus: What to pack when traveling? More HERE (2018). What to do when returning? More HERE, at end of post (2019). 

Bonus: after seeing 50 countries I think I finally understand Western history. To that end, I've created two posts that presume to explain events from 1919 to 2019 in context. You can start HERE, then go HERE. 

Bonus: as a non-Muslim, will you be safe in Muslim countries? More HERE (2020). 

Bonus: a short article on mass tourism and the Flying Pigeon is HERE (2020). 

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat

Idiocracy

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” ― Winston S. Churchill 

Does peak stupidity exist, or will people find ways to accelerate idiocracy to ever-increasing heights? 

It is impossible to write about politics today in a semi-normal way. It's true epithets and crassness have always existed in politics. Margaret Thatcher had to contend with chants of "Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher" when she cut welfare spending. Reagan was derided as nothing more than an actor. Yet, one still had to admit some level of intelligence behind the criticism. It takes wit to rhyme Thatcher with anything mellifluous, and it managed to impart essential information as well: this particular party was cutting welfare to prioritize other spending. 

Such criticism starts the hidden clock behind all political calculations. If Thatcher cut welfare but failed to lower unemployment, at some point, she would appear incompetent. Cutting or reforming welfare benefits without a net positive result in the overall economy is monstrous for obvious reasons. Liberals understood this and planned their attacks accordingly. Conservatives knew they had to produce results because they lacked the touchy-feely platform of the liberals, and stepped up or lost power. The accusatory dance never seemed to end, but it was an unappreciated form of checks and balances: sometimes sentiment is favorable, sometimes an economy needs a firm hand, and democracy assumes voters can be trusted to know which style should lead and when. 

Speaking of conservatives and results, Barry Goldwater--a sincere, intelligent politician--was seen as so radical, he repelled American voters, losing in a landslide.  Yet, he was savvy enough to attract none other than Hillary Clinton: "I was also an active Young Republican and, later, a Goldwater girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit and straw cowboy hat... I liked Senator Goldwater because he was a rugged individualist who swam against the political tide." 

Irony of all ironies, Hillary lost the presidential election to a rugged individualist who not only swam against the political mainstream, but bazookaed it on the way to the White House. 

Meanwhile, voters slowly began to realize--or should have realized--central banks, bondholders, and the military create more policy behind the scenes than anything they would ever see on a ballot. If a firm hand was needed on the dance card to create a soft landing from 2002 to 2008, voters had no options--they could do nothing to influence Alan Greenspan or the independent Federal Reserve. Ron Paul's arguments to abolish the Fed make more sense in this democratic context, but once any entity holds trillions of dollars in debt, everyone realizes the debt will never be paid off completely, and the entire game changes.  

So yes, something feels different today in politics, but every single commentator and philosopher predicts the end of civilization every twenty or so years, and the wheels keep churning, so writers find it imprudent to sound the alarms. 

And yet, something does feel different this time. Since the dawn of television, optics over substance has been with us. JFK was derided as a pretty face but beat Nixon in part because female voters found him handsome. Had he run for office when only the radio existed, his higher-pitched voice may not have bested the deeper, more measured Nixonian sound. (Canada's Justin Trudeau certainly continues the JFK dynamic.) 

When Hillary supporters argue misogyny caused her loss, they fail to account for their nominee's anti-JFK momentum: no charisma, no youth, no idealism, and--dare I say it--no sexuality. (Had Hillary's campaign "leaked" a few photos of her frolicking on the beach with a 30 year-old Cuban male model, she may have won. Think about it--which of her existing supporters would have switched their votes or stayed home post-disclosure?) 

If politics mirrors society, thereby shining a light into voters' minds, does the pessimist have evidence today's politics--and people--are more corrosive than ever before? When I watched the debates, I heard not one inspiring sentence from Hillary--or Trump. Even now, after Trump's many opportunities to speak, not a single memorable sentence comes to mind. I know Hillary would have been no different. (By the way, much of the gender pay gap can be attributed to the unequal pay and gender composition of CEOs and other high-ranking executives. Most CEOs are male and the gap between their compensation and average employees' pay has grown dramatically over time. The key to solving the gender pay gap is to pay CEOs less or figure out how to get more women promoted into the highest paying management jobs. You won't hear this common sense approach from any politician in office because it won't get as many votes as a more divisive policy. Besides, how could your supporters sell t-shirts with faddish slogans if politicians used common sense?) 

Americans don't tolerate idiots in office just because they're entertaining. It's because once in a while, they inspire us, and we suspect the chaos they deal with is a crucible that produces something other than sheer crass. Thus far, aside from Justin Trudeau's media ops with Syrian refugees, 2017's politics have produced no semblance of Vaclav Havel's wisdom or inspirational moments. Peace in the Middle East isn't nearer on the horizon. Space travel is being handled mainly by billionaires while NASA is reduced to begging for more government funding (its GPS-based maps are quite useful, though). Water management worldwide seems to lack any cohesive plan, and we are told every year that American aquifers continue to be in dismal shape. Anti-poverty efforts have benefited more from developed nations outsourcing manufacturing than anything government has done. 

In short, the number of wins assigned to the government's side of ledger over the past 5 to 15 years is nil. K-12 education is in worse shape, unless you live in a district with very expensive homes or win a charter school lottery. University tuition continues to increase much higher than the overall inflation rate, and parents are told to budget for 5 to 6 years because students may not get the classes they need in 4 years. Police brutality has always been with us, but the lack of accountability when unnecessary and excessive violence is captured on film, especially against teenagers and unarmed minorities, has shocked many Americans. Meanwhile my local "bullet" train was built in the 1980s and is slower than a car unless taken at a specific time. 

Even on smaller issues, the American government has proven untrustworthy with taxpayer funds: there are fewer blue P.O. boxes available, reducing convenience as well as required personnel time, but the USPS deficit continues unabated. Many liberals will argue the solution is to reward incompetence with more taxpayer funds, without realizing most voters' taxes have already increased year over year, and accountability and responsiveness haven't improved. To sum up, former politicians have made so many promises to existing interest groups, higher taxes simply sustain the status quo rather than assist new ideas or the general public. 

A government that fails to make education useful and affordable; fails to institute accountability in police departments; and fails to improve infrastructure while increasing taxes and reducing services is bound to be viewed with contempt. Welcome to America in 2017. 

Istanbul: Best in Class Tourism

I'm in Istanbul, Turkey, one of the most visited cities in the world. It's easy to see why tourists love Istanbul. It has an inexpensive subway and fast-moving bus system; wonderful cafes; incredible pastries and food; let's repeat this again--wonderful food, especially puddings and sweets; and a blend of religious sites not available elsewhere because few other cities have experienced so many conflicts while also having rulers who chose to preserve rather than destroy. 

Lots of different bread options. I call the one in the background "puffy naan." 

Have your pastries with a drink called "sahlep"
or some tea/çay, pronounced "chai."

Great-tasting chocolate, 
esp the bittersweet or pistachio-infused pieces. 

Sweet shoppes are everywhere. 
I can see why C.S. Lewis's nephews & nieces loved Turkish Delight so much. 

Istanbul is the kind of city where you'll see a nondescript, empty restaurant, walk in, eat something you've never had before, love it, and order three more. 

Was it carrot pie covered in syrup? No idea. It was awesome.
(Update: I think it was pumpkin.) 

Don't know what was in this spread, but I ordered three.  
It had a pleasing pepper kick. Only 3 TL each. 

Here's a basic rundown of how to approach Istanbul. Think of it as divided in two sides by a body of water called the Golden Horn, with one side called Europe and the other side called Asia. (Although I didn't hear anyone actually use those specific terms, apparently the European side is more developed than the Asian side.) 

Starting on the upper left of your visual map and working your way down, you'll see Chora Church, Suleiman Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum, and the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. On the right side, you'll start at the top again with Taksim Square, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, and Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Palace Museum is a must-see). You can see these sites in three to five days. 

Some tourist books include the Basilica Cistern and Maiden Tower (at the Bosphorus Strait) as major attractions, but I didn't like the Basilica Cistern--it's just a small underground cave with a few pillars where water used to be stored--and I didn't bother visiting the Maiden or Maiden's Tower. Some tourists may enjoy the Istanbul Archeological Museum, but I skipped that one, too. (Another site list is linked here, from Lonely Planet.) 

The quickly-expiring museum pass is in vogue. I hate it.
Why pressure guests by allowing only a few days to see your best sites rather than a more reasonable two weeks?
Also, stop charging for "special exhibitions." If I buy a ticket, I should be able to see your entire museum. Ok, rant over.

Let's straighten out some names first. Many sites use English and Turkish names that aren't intuitive, and like "Firenze Santa Maria," it's not always easy to realize you're looking at Florence.

Within the Sultanahmet area, which includes a Sultanahmet tram stop, is the Hagia Sophia, a former church, also known as Ayasofya Müzesi. 

Right across from the Hagia Sophia (not Haga Sophia, as it's often misspelled) is the Blue Mosque aka Sultan Ahmed Mosque, built by Muslim Ottomans after conquering Constantinople and re-naming it Istanbul. The reason it's called the Blue Mosque is because of its blue tiles, but don't look around for a brightly-colored blue dome, because you won't see it (though I thought I saw a subtle blue light around the mosque at night). 

Depending on whom you ask, the Blue Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul, but others say the Süleymaniye Mosque aka the Suleiman Mosque (named after Suleiman the Magnificent) deserves the honor. 

Suleiman Mosque

Around the Suleymaniye Mosque are also two tombs with beautiful wall tiles. Personally, I thought the Suleymaniye Mosque was the most interesting mosque. I was able to see all three Abrahamic religions represented within it, though I still have unanswered questions about the specific items in the dome itself, which appear to be amber, flowers, and a plump version of the fleur-de-lis, which may be Turkey's native tulip. (By the way, if you see an aerial photo of a mosque, cover the minarets with your hands. What do you see? I see a Byzantine church design, indicating the Ottomans preserved most existing religious sites.)

Other than the mosques (aka camii) mentioned above, I particularly enjoyed seeing Mihrimah Sultan Mosque; Kalenderhane Mosque; and especially the Emniyet Evler Mosque 1970 (Emniyetevleri Mahallesi, Akarsu Cd., 34413); Laleli Mosque (located at Kemal Pasa Mahallesi, Ordu Cd., 34134); and the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque. 

Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque

Chora Church is also known as Kariye Muzesi. As of October 2017, it's under major reconstruction, so if you are a devout or Orthodox Christian (am I being redundant?), check its status before visiting Istanbul. For now, you'll be able to see only a few interesting and unique mosaics and frescoes. You'll notice several depictions of people holding three fingers, apparently to represent the Trinity; however, I saw some artistic renditions with just two fingers, not just in this church but other places, and no one could explain why only two fingers are being shown. One person suggested the two fingers represent Jesus's mother and father, but other Orthodox artwork highlights only Mary and John the Baptist, with "papa" Joseph nowhere to be found. 

Giving you the fingers?

Before you visit, download the app Trafi, which lists subway and other public transportation times and stops. Its GPS programming is a work in progress--a near but incorrect metro stop was chosen as closest to me--but it's still useful for orientating yourself with various metro names. I could not clearly understand the labyrinth ways to get around--there are trams, transfer tunnels, buses, and subways--but luckily, Istanbul is eminently walkable, taxis are everywhere, and Uber, BiTaksi (an app that calls a taxi to your location), and Careem are allowed. 

Definitely get a subway or Metro card, which can also be used on buses (but not the short ones, which look like shuttles and accept only cash). When first using the old and confusing metro card machines, choose the third/last option on the menu, which represents a new Istanbul card. When re-loading, you just have to hold up the card to the card scanner/slot, deposit money, and confirm your selection on the screen after the machine accepts your bills. I put in 20 TL (Turkish lira) to start, but I should have put 50 TL to ease my mind about catching a subway or bus over a five day period. 

Metro Pass

Where should you stay? I like the Taksim, Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, and Karaköy areas. Karaköy is the most touristy of the four, but some people might appreciate its convenient location. If you want to be around lots of good cafes and restaurants, definitely stay in Beşiktaş near Türkali Mahallesi. I would stay in either Taksim (touristy, but well-done and enjoyable) or Beşiktaş near Türkali Mahallesi (I'm writing this post there now, in a cafe called Baracca Coffee). No matter where you are, you'll probably be around 20 to 30 minutes away from wherever you want to go, assuming you're near a metro stop and don't mind walking. 

What to do, besides see the beautiful mosques and other popular sites? A uniquely Turkish experience is a hammam, where you pay to enter a central room and wash yourself with a bucket of water and soap bar, or pay a little more to have someone of the same gender wash and scrub you as you lie down. The traditional hammam experience begins when you go to a nondescript room, strip down to your underwear, wrap yourself in a towel, exit the small room, lock the door, take the key with you, and find your way to a large room. Inside the room, several faucets dispense warm water. You'll lie face down on a centrally-located marble-like slab, your forehead resting on a rectangular piece of plastic wrapped around a small towel.

Your masseur will fill a bucket with water, soap you up, and intermittently splash warm and increasingly warmer water on you to wash away the soapy film and bubbles. Then he'll use a scrubbing pad to get you really clean. At some point, you'll turn over, and he'll prop your leg on his knee and massage your leg muscles. More soap and water will be used, and when you're done, you'll get your towel and go outside, where another towel will be wrapped around your head while you wait to dry before going inside a small sauna room or your locked room or locker. (Don't forget your key!) Some people swear they've found religion during this experience, but I had a thinly-built masseur and might not have gotten the soapy thrashing others received. (I continue to prefer Chinese-style reflexology.) 

On my way to the main bathhouse room.
The dome in this one was exquisite and allowed sunlight in.

Istanbul's other unique features are 1) its youthful population, which seems to be out en masse every night, cigarettes and beer in hand, at the lively restaurant and cafe districts in Beşiktaş or Taksim; and 2) its rug-making exhibits, which tell stories of a once-popular trade that flourished in many cities outside of Istanbul, especially Konya. Many of Turkey's best rugs are featured in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Turkve Islam Eserleri Muzesi), a must-visit. 

I haven't seen all the popular sites. The Jewish museum near Galata Tower was closed when I showed up, and I didn't make it in time to go inside the baroquely-designed Dolmabahce Palace, but I'll end with this: Istanbul is a city for the young, but it manages to tolerate the old. If you ask me, 'tis a fitting description for a city incorporating each century's madness and creativity into one splendid domed, cobblestoned, and tiled package. The most beautiful mosaic isn't on the walls of the Chora Church, not really--it's everywhere you look in Istanbul.

Bonus: I'd avoid Blue Istanbul Hotel Taksim (in Beyoglu). Worst hotel experience I've had so far in Turkey. Please do not confuse this hotel with the similarly-named but totally different Blue Istanbul Hotel in Sultanahmet.

Bonus: Use a VPN connected to a European server for your best bet in accessing websites that may be blocked in Turkey. 

Bonus: I visited the Jewish museum on another day. It was very informative and definitely worth a visit. 

Reporting from 2017's UNWTO Conference

Doha, Qatar is 2017’s host for the annual U.N. World Tourism Organization’s event. This year’s theme is “sustainable tourism.” Qatar seeks to attract tourists through its impressive pearl diving, oil drilling, and falcon raising heritage. 

Is that Wayne or Garth with his backstage pass? 

I’ve never attended a UNWTO event. The format is similar to most conferences—a keynote speaker, several other speakers, different panels, then dinner. The host country has an opportunity to advertise itself and demonstrate its capacity to entertain other countries and large organizations.

Main hall in Sheraton Grand Doha

Think of it as Middle Eastern hospitality on a large scale—one country invites a guest and proudly shows off its home, and the next year, it accepts a reciprocal invitation. The events work smoothly because each guest knows it will be a host one day, and each host wants to take advantage of its time to impress other guests.

Taleb Rifai, the current UNWTO Secretary General, was this year's keynote speaker. He’s an impressive orator, peppering his speech with the phrase, “My friends,” and speaking in such a way that you sincerely believe he is speaking directly to you, his dear friend.

The one and only Taleb Rifai

He praised Qatar for being the “most open country in the [Middle Eastern] region”—Qatar recently waived visas for many countries—and lauded tourism’s many economic benefits. Rifai’s most interesting comment related to “tourism phobia” in European cities like Barcelona and Venice. Despite local complaints about tourism, according to Rifai, just one hour outside these cities exist wineries and scenery more impressive than the city centers themselves, but no one visits and so they remain undiscovered. Thus, the future of sustainable tourism appears to involve greater diversity of locations and better marketing for undiscovered gems. All countries now recognize that only developing beachfront property isn’t a sustainable approach to attract tourism and investment long-term. Consequently, the UNWTO’s members plan to use tourism to develop smaller cities and to spread tourist dollars more equitably. The really difficult question, especially if you're wary of government interference in private markets, is this: if you're a developer or hotel management company, how does a country convince you to build in a smaller location, where the number of expected tourists are much smaller than in a city center? 

I asked how Qatar planned to attract tourists from all income levels, given its relatively expensive food and accommodation prices. My answer would have involved something about Doha’s world-class service and its excellent value for money when considering the level of accommodation and quality of sites, especially its museums. The gentleman answering my question referred to airline partnerships and making the cost of travel cheaper. (WOW airline, for example, offers cheap flights from major California cities to Iceland and is expanding its U.S. presence.)

I wasn't impressed with his unimaginative response. Countries in more expensive developed countries ought to subsidize accommodation for tourists younger than 27 years old as well as city-wide bus tours to encourage a wide variety of tourists. For example, Abu Dhabi’s bus tour was about 70 USD, so I skipped it, perhaps missing an attraction or two I could have recommended to my friends and readers—other potential tourists. The subsidies could be as simple as tax credits for hostels with the subsidy/credit required to go towards upgrading or maintaining specific items such as security, lockers, and/or beds. The hostel would be required to charge a lower rate in exchange for the subsidy but would still have to make a profit to stay in business, thereby encouraging excellent customer service. Who knows? Maybe a few young tourists will enjoy a destination so much, they will apply to local grad schools and pay non-resident tuition rates. My point? The benefits from exchanging ideas spontaneously and freely amongst curious people, especially young people, cannot be measured in dollars and cents, especially not short term. If free markets are concentrating CAPEX in ways that guarantee unwelcome saturation, it's time for everyone to sit down and think outside the box. 

In any case, other than Taleb Rifai, the highlights were listening to Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker, on one of the panels (he’s very, very direct and has a wicked sense of humor); hearing a string quartet at the sponsored dinner; and holding a falcon carefully on my arm. I also enjoyed meeting Croatia’s State Secretary of Tourism, Frano Matusic. (Did you know Croatia derives 20% of its entire GDP from tourism?) 

CEO Akbar Al Baker

Much to my lament, I didn’t hear any cutting-edge ideas at the conference, perhaps due to the current Saudi-led and American-instigated blockade against Qatar. Dubai may be one of the world’s most traveled destinations, but to prevent tourism from becoming a “winner-take-all” game, the GCC should cooperate and market a multi-country tour. Individually, between Abu Dhabi, Oman, Brunei, and Qatar, only Oman currently has enough unique items to warrant an extended visit, and the battle to outdo each other in architectural wonders can only go so far.

Even Dubai has reason to be concerned. Most people will visit Dubai only once, and if its future requires unlimited funding for the latest new gadget or building design, its tourism strategy is not sustainable. Thus, a sustainable tourism future for all neighboring countries, not just GCC ones, will involve much greater cooperation on all levels—security, planning, trade, and visas. Such cooperation, if done properly, should lead to more individual freedom across borders, as local countries temporarily swap visiting police, academic, and military workers to increase cultural understanding and share more information, lowering overall security costs and preventing a divide-and-conquer strategy.

Indeed, as far as I know, no one wants to imitate Chinese-style “tourism,” where visitors are herded into buses like cattle, given strict time limits at each destination (which inevitably leads to accusations of bad behavior—you’d take all the shrimp at the buffet, too, if you were hungry and afraid the bus would leave without you), and shown the kind of tour only North Korean travel agencies would appreciate. The Chinese travel this way to maximize their safety, especially because of the language barrier outside China. Sadly, if this “controlled tourism” approach continues, China may not produce another Jack Ma (aka Ma Yun), who gained his English-speaking skills and maverick style by seeing the world, especially Australia, on his own. 

In its final evaluation, if tourism cooperation is done properly, the costs of technological innovations—such as biometric passports and eye-scanning airport machines—will be shared across neighboring governments and less money will eventually be spent on security, especially weapons purchases. As more discretionary rials are freed for other purposes, governments, citizens, and private companies will feel more comfortable opening long-term visas and cross-border investments directly to ordinary individuals--not just through corporations, universities, and institutions. 

The key is to balance security and privacy. Thus far, the pendulum has shifted so far towards security, there is no doubt Eisenhower’s famous warning has come true. The true test of sustainable tourism will be whether it reverses global spending trends post-9/11 and creates, as much as possible, a world where the Chinese feel safe traveling as individuals. After all, who wants a world without another Jack Ma?

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (2017)

Qatar: It's Getting Hot in Here

Doha, Qatar is hot. Really hot, even in September. Prepare to use Uber and Careem apps a lot. Careem is better--use the Go option if you want a cheaper fare but an older car, and Go+ if you want to pay a little more and get a newer car model. Regular taxis require a 10 Qatari Rial minimum. 

Despite the heat, Doha's creativity attracts numerous visitors and workers. Its Museum of Islamic Art is incredible. I've never seen so many different and unique items in one place. Guns, pottery, bowls, rugs--you name it, it's here. 

Even the building itself is a work of art, and the view on Friday evening is nice. Not as nice as Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, but a pleasing replica nonetheless. 

Dhows on the water

Before you visit Doha, remember: it's a Muslim country, so hours will vary on Fridays, the start of the weekend. Thursday afternoons are the worst for traffic--most government employees seem to get off work around 2:30pm, and they all want to head back to their homes at the same time.

Regarding the airport experience, Doha is average in service but its security is hi-tech and requires eye scans to enter. It recently waived visas for most developed countries and is now "the most open country in the [Middle Eastern] region," according to the UNWTO's Secretary General. If you fly Qatar Airways, you are eligible for a complimentary city bus tour, but it's first come, first served, and you must go to a specific counter before passing immigration. 

When booking a hotel, try to stay near or in the Souq Waqif, a faux Middle Eastern bazaar. You'll be near most attractions and a lively nighttime experience. I stayed at the Saraya Corniche hotel after seeing a good deal on the Agoda app and liked it. 

Doha's mosques are understated, so you can skip those. In case you want to visit one, the largest mosque is the State Mosque aka Imam Abdul Wahhab Mosque. 

Nearby the Souq Waqif is the Al Shouyoukh Mosque, a small mosque.

Another building near the Souq Waqif is the Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Center aka Abdullah Bin Zid Almahmud Cultural and Islamic Center (IG: @binzaidqatar). Its displayed literature is too heavy-handed on religion, but it has a mosque (understated, of course) upstairs and a few unique items. I'll post two of them below, both sermons. (Click to enlarge.) 

Other than the MIA (Museum of Islamic Art), the other must-see is Msheireb Museums. It's a collection of four separate houses, with the most interesting one, Bin Jelmood, showcasing a fascinating slavery exhibit. 

Each time a mosque leader calls his community together
for prayer, he follows in the footsteps of a freed black slave.

If you come to Doha, you should see the Museum of Islamic Art, preferably at night, and the Bin Jelmood Museum. The third must-see is Katara Cultural Village. 

Nothing in here now but birds and bird poop.
I checked. My nose hates me.

Katara Village demonstrates the Qatari leadership's vision. Unlike Dubai, which seems to believe architecture is an extended pissing contest, Qatar has not built its sites primarily as tourist destinations. (Remember its understated mosques?) Ideally, if a place attracts local residents and has interesting exhibitions as well as cafes and restaurants, it will become a tourist destination by default. As such, Katara Village includes a music academy, an arts center, a film institute, and even an engineering society. (By the way, if governments built unique places for their most creative residents, they might actually attract the avant-garde, not just prep school wannabes.) Perhaps Katara Village should be judged on whether its 2020 graduates can compete with Julliard and the Royal College of Art, but as a tourist, you will want to visit in the evening, when the restaurants are open and the weather suitable for outdoor seating and a stroll. 

I managed to inveigle my way into the National Library of Qatar, part of the Qatar Foundation's complex. Not to be confused with the forgettable and prosaic Dar Al-Kutub Al-Qatariyya, once the National Library opens to the general public, it will be worth a visit.

National Library of Qatar

A place you ought to skip, at least for a few years, until it is completed and better organized, is the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum. I could only handle being there for ten minutes, and I felt like washing my eyes out afterwards. If the MIA is an example of world-class design and organization, the current state of the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum--basically a house that looks like it threw up its eccentric millionaire's belongings--is an example of how not to run a museum. I won't bore you with details, but the security guard takes the key after you deposit your bag in the designated locker, increasing the risk of theft and confusion the locker was installed to prevent, and the museum charges 15 rial to enter but a whopping 50 rial if you want to take pictures. (I foresee the guards following tourists around if the museum maintains its idiotic photo policy.)

I didn't personally see any of the following locations, but I'll list them in case you want to do more research. Qatar's unofficial mascot is the falcon, and its Falcon Souq is probably worth a visit--I didn't go, but I can't imagine Qatar would screw up an important part of its claimed heritage. 

NOT at the Falcon Souq. At a conference.
The bird was eyeing me the entire time,
even blindfolded. Freaky.

The only major cities in Qatar are Doha and Al Rayyan, about 30 minutes from each other by car. The government is trying to promote sites outside of those two places, but I can't find reliable information about them. Al Khor is allegedly a coastal village known for fishing. Al Shamal and Al Zubara--apparently located in Madinat ash Shamal, though I'm not certain--are supposed to have interesting forts and archaeological sites. In development: Al Wakrah Park, part of Luna Park, and the National Museum of Qatar. 

Construction is everywhere in Qatar.

Qatar's "foodie" highlights are its desserts and sweet drinks. I especially enjoyed the Um Ali dessert and the sahlab drink (cinnamon and cardamom with hot milk). Saffron-based desserts are everywhere and usually delicious.

Given widespread construction and renovation happening now, I wouldn't visit Qatar until after December 2017, unless you are already going to Oman or the UAE. You'd need about 5 nights to see everything properly, and the MIA alone will take 5 or more hours. (If you just want to see the museums and Souq Waqif, two nights is sufficient, and traveling now won't be an issue.)

Additionally, Doha's heat--much hotter than Abu Dhabi and Oman, which are near large bodies of water--demands more innovation. If I were in charge, I'd use drones to drop cold water packets from the sky every 30 minutes and install more portable air conditioning units. I'm surprised Qatar isn't collaborating more actively with Singapore to improve its adaptability to heat. Singapore had a similar problem regarding the weather, leading its founder to remark, "Air conditioning was a most important invention for us, perhaps one of the signal inventions of history. It changed the nature of civilization by making development possible in the tropics."

In Doha, it's difficult to walk outside or even be outside between 1pm and 5pm, even in September. Use Careem or Uber and check opening and closing times so you can maximize your sightseeing. To truly be open to outsiders, the time has come for tropical and desert countries to move beyond air conditioning and try more innovative ways to encourage outdoor activity. For now, Doha's museums are world-class. It remains to be seen whether Qatar can take the lead in other areas. Its corporate CEOs, including from Qatar Airways, recognize the next four years are a wonderful opportunity to take market share from overpriced and overhyped American and European destinations. Qatar certainly has the vision. The next three years will answer whether it also has the ability to execute its ambitious plans. 

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (2017) 

Bonus: "In Qatar, where it’s estimated that Qatari nationals make up less than 10 percent of the population, citizenship is inherited solely through the father. According to a new residency law passed last month, foreign-born residents who have lived in Qatar for at least 20 years will be permitted to apply for permanent residency." --Yasmeen Serhan, The Atlantic (October 31, 2018)

2008 Financial Crisis Was NOT Caused Because of Leverage Changes

I'm reading Andrew Lo's Adaptive Markets (2017). It could have used a better editor, but Lo makes several unique observations. 

Financial leverage helped cause the 2008 financial crisis, but it wasn't because banks suddenly received special permission to increase leverage to the oft-cited 40 to 1 ratio, as Barry Ritholtz wrote in Bailout Nation (2009). The crisis seems to have resulted due to a combination of excessive leverage plus illiquidity (housing is not a liquid asset) plus Wall Street firms using the same or similar strategies plus lax government oversight over the mortgage business (CDOs, etc.). Here are several passages I found useful--you may find them interesting as well: