Ramadan and Sohur

Between Sept 12 and Oct 13 every year signifies the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan. Basically between sunrise and sunset Muslims observe a fast. However after sunset its business as usual. What it meant during my pass in a Muslim country some of the day excursions, called venues were cancelled or moved around some. What it did was open an opportunity for a small group of us to experience what it called Sohur. After Sunset and fast is broken for the day there are parties and feasts. The public relations folks at Camp As Sayliyah (pronounced Asalayah) in Qatar got a small number of reservations at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha to attend the Sohur for the evening. The Four Seasons in Doha is a 5 star resort, so it was absolutely gorgeous. Let me back up a little on the City of Doha. Within the last 5 years a beautiful city has emerged from the desert, complete with beautiful malls, high rise buildings, and modern roads. There is still a lot of construction everywhere but manageable. It reminded me a lot of Honolulu. Doha has become a resort destination for Europe. Ok back to the Sohur. We started out the evening in the coffee room where we got to relax and visit and get to know everybody in our small group. I had Turkish coffee, its a strong capuccino with a hell of a kick. We were then given a small tour by one of the managers and invited into the "tent". You enter the tent with some Arab coffee and a formal invitation. The "tent" was actually a huge banquet room with a tent like entrance. The first room we came to was the food. It was huge, is the only way to describe it. Food from every corner of the world, deserts galore, chocolate fountains, you name it it was available. We then were taken to our table. We were given VIP treatment, center front , in true Arab fashion we had pillows and comfortable couches to sit on. As we ate there were various Arab dances, music and entertainment. Due to Ramadan the Belly Dances were somewhat tamed and no Mid drifts showing. It was a great evening, lots of culture, entertainment, and food. Here are some of the photos, I'll post more.