Day 10 (March 20, 2022): “Canada, here we come!”

We were so glad to have gotten a hotel for the night.  Even the five hours of sleep we got was better than we’d have gotten, had we stayed at the airport.  At 6AM, we headed to the hotel lobby and ordered an Uber to go back to Hamad International Airport.  We have enjoyed chatting with those who have driven us to/from the airport, last week when we passed through Doha and again on our return.  All drivers have come to Doha from places like Uganda, Pakistan and India, seeking a better life and a means of making decent money to send home to their families.  

The airport was buzzing this morning — I think it buzzes 24/7, to be honest.  We made it to our gate after walking what seemed like forever.  All Qatar Airways flights to North America require passengers to undergo a second security screening gateside, so the process for boarding was arduous. We were supposed to board at 7:30 for an 8:30 departure, but they announced a two-hour delay, to accommodate connecting passengers.  After awhile, Qatar Airways handed out bottled water and croissants in the boarding lounge.  (In an airport where a single croissant will set you back $8, that was appreciated.)

We ended up boarding 9:30 and left at 10:15.  Fortunately, we had arranged a seven-hour stopover in Montreal, in case of such a delay.  

The flight is packed, but we are cozily settled away in a group of two seats in row 48 —the very back row of the Boeing 777-300ER.  There are only two sets of two seats in the entire Economy class on the 777;  not having to worry about someone by the window needing to get out to use the loo multiple times on a 13-hour flight — or not having to bother someone sitting on the aisle for us to do likewise — makes things so much easier.

Below are a few final pics from Doha, this time under daylight, as well as a few interesting shots from the air.

Assuming all goes well, we will have plenty of time to make our Air Canada connection from Montreal to Halifax at 9PM and should be home just after midnight.  The work week starts a few hours after that.

Thank you so much for tuning in to our blog!  And a special thanks to the photographer - Pam - for all her creativity and patience with the picture-taking on yet another adventure.

In a sprawling city with no end of elaborate, creative architectural designs, this interesting hotel hardly garners a second glance.  Yet, its design is quite brilliant.

Another large mosque, near the start of the Corniche.

Ocean-side palms in the early morning sun.

The Departures drop-off area at Hamad International reveals just how massive the Departures Hall is.  The golden falcon perched next to the ramp is several storeys high.  No expense was spared in this $17 billion project!

Our Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER waiting for us to board for Montreal.  In a sea of Qatar Airways aircraft, it was nice to see an Air Canada fin (to the right in the photo).  Air Canada now flies the Dreamliner on the Toronto-Doha route. 

A view of Central Doha.  The football stadium in the foreground is just one of several that will host the FIFA World Cup this November.  Another FIFA venue is in the distance in the top left of the photo. 

The dense and spectacular towers of West Bay.

Dubai has “The Palms” as its high-end man-made island.  Not to be outdone, Doha has “The Pearl-Qatar” and “Viva Centrale”, two circular high-end developments.

More man-made islands are being developed, just off The Pearl-Qatar and Viva Centrale.

Spring officially begins tomorrow, but the snow in the mountains of eastern Turkey, near the Armenian border, still reflect winter.

Breakfast was served just after take-off.  A hot dinner (I chose the beef stew) was served two hours before landing.

As impressive as the snow-covered peaks of eastern Turkey were (see above), as we approached the coast of Labrador, the amount of pack ice from 35,000 feet was equally magnificent. 

A 13-hour nonstop flight is quite the journey!