A recurring theme of this trip is taking our time. It’s wonderful to be able to travel and not rush from place to place, truly enjoying each stop along the way. Today is the third day and we have a solid morning routine. We woke up and made it to breakfast before they closed, ordered the same Arabic breakfast, and delighted in the fresh watermelon juice of the day.

At the time of writing, the US required a negative Covid test 24 hours prior to my flight departure time. With Lexi’s help, I made an appointment for March 15th at Sidra Medicine which is approved by the Qatar Ministry of Public Health.

While we were already booking something, Yoni and I decided that we’d book another trip while on our current trip! We bought tickets and reserved a hotel for fall when we would be in Israel with his family. By now, it was almost lunch and we bought tickets online to visit the National Museum of Qatar. It was HOT. Yoni had asked about walking but it was 104 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I was not down for that and we took an Uber instead.

National Museum of Qatar

The museum feels new and is built in the shape of a desert rose. We chose to eat at their on-site cafe, Desert Rose, before going in. At the cafe, we ordered a chapati and a quinoa salad. It was a nice respite from the heat. A cute robot delivered the food to our table. I hadn’t seen that before!

After lunch, we entered the museum. Unfortunately for us, exhibits 1-5 were closed. We only saw exhibits 6-11 which covered Qatar in the 1700s to now. Even though the exhibit access was limited, I still felt like I left with a greater understanding of Qatar and world history. The museum did a great job of chronicling the growth and development of Qatar, from pearl diving and farming to oil and the modernization of the population as well. Qatar was known for its pearls and in 1949 shifted to oil production. The dhow boats Yoni and I rode on earlier in the trip were used in pearl diving.

Something that really stood out to me during our time at the museum was that 70% of produce consumed in Qatar is grown nationally. As the country is a desert and surrounded by salt water, I wouldn’t think that this would be the case with many goods needing to be imported.

Another fact I found interesting is that the museum was built around Sheikh Abdulla bin Jassim Al-Thani’s palace. As you exit the museum, you walk across the property and can explore the palace grounds.

We were at the museum a little over two hours and that was with incomplete access to the exhibits. I would recommend spending 4-5 hours the museum. There is plenty of information to digest and the exhibits dive into each of the rulers and their legacies. As an American, these details fascinated me yet also confused me when trying to grasp the governmental structure. Honestly, I’m still a little confused as to how the government is set up and need to do more individual research.

After you leave the museum, there is an ice cream store named Gharissa on the property. There is no wrong time for ice cream! We walked over for a snack between Yoni’s surprise activity for me. We both ordered the mukasarat. It was mixed nuts with pistachio, hazelnut, and toasted almond. So refreshing! I’m unable to find a recipe online for it; if you find one let me know in the comments!

Our ice cream break left us ready to go for the surprise! We went back to the hotel to change. Yoni was vague on how I should dress and prepare. I could shower if I want, this would be a few hours but it’s somewhere in the souq, wear jeans, and bring a hair tie. Okay…???

Hammam Spa Night

It was a surprise hammam spa night! I loved it! The spa was located at another hotel property of the Souq Boutique Hotels, under a 10-minute walk from the Najd. What made it so special is that we did it together and I had recently begun the practice of “spa-bbat” where I embrace Shabbat with self-care (really just a chance to take a long shower, put on a face mask, and use fancy lotions).

This was my first hammam experience and hopefully not my last! It was a high-end spa and we were given robes, sandals, and disposable undergarments to change into from separated dressing rooms. Hammam is a bathing style that involves steam at various temperatures. It’s intended to rid the body of impurities, cleanse the skin and relax the mind, and boost your immune system.

The spa relaxation began with 15 minutes in the sauna and jacuzzi. The jacuzzi was SCALDING so we opted for the sauna. I had tried to get into the jacuzzi but felt like I was a cooking lobster. Following our warm-up in the sauna, we were each led into the hammam spa room, separated out of modesty. Penny was my spa attendant for this experience. She guided me to the back of the room and I laid on my back on a slab of heated marble. The walls were decorated in mosaic and there was a tiled tub and faucet nearby. Over the next 45 minutes, she dumped buckets of warm water on my body alternating with scrubbing a black Arabic soap on my skin. She then took an exfoliating glove, poured more warm water on me, and ended with a clay body mask. This is what the disposable undergarments were for! She was in a bathing suit herself. With each bucket of water and round of skin care, I kept thinking, “dayenu!” then finishing with an exfoliating glove. If she had dumped one bucket of water on me, it would be sufficient. If she had only scrubbed my body with soap and not the glove, it would be sufficient. I felt incredibly relaxed and was so appreciative of Yoni for planning this.

After the bath, we then were led to a couples massage room for 45 minutes of massage. Yoni and I both fell asleep lightly. The massage left us slathered in oil, but it rehydrated our skin and was absorbed quickly. It was about 9 p.m. now and we walked to have another meal at Al Terrace. We shared a delicious cheese boat (khachapuri) and I made friends with some souq cats. Yoni and I had cat treats with us on the trip and I used this time to feed the cats. I named one Georgia.

The hammam left me soothed and the short meal left me full. It was time for bed and to rest up for our culture tour tomorrow!