R&R

This past week I was able to take some much needed R&R in Qatar. It was extremely nice to: 1) not be in Iraq; 2) wear civilian clothes; 3) not wear a weapon; 4) have some beer (limited, of course, by the military); 5) go on some excursions; and 6) see some familiar faces--I met up with Mark & Martha, Kel's uncle and aunt. Although getting there involved some not-so-fun times on military aircraft, it was well worth the trip. Here are some highlights from my trip:

Downtown Doha in the background

Driving through Doha--very futuristic looking city (the architecture reminded me a bit of Hong Kong)

In the Souqs (specialized stores)

Not my flight, but an example of what it looks like inside a military aircraft. This one, actually, is the more comfortable plane.

Walking and talking with Mark in one of the malls in Doha. Qatar is a very wealthy country (lots of oil money), so the stores were way out of my price range!)