Trip to Umm Said

Trip Start Sep 30, 2007
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Trip End Oct 05, 2007


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Where I stayed
(Doha hotels)

Flag of Qatar  ,
Friday, October 5, 2007

The next day I went out to visit Umm-Said, a costal industrial area of Qatar. I was looking forward for this part as since my childhood I used to fantasize about this area. My father worked in Qatar Steel Company Limited (Qasco) since I was five and I used to grow up hearing and seeing picture of this area. I started from Doha after Launch and took the ride by Bus from the Doha bus terminal. The fare was cheap, only 4 Rials for a 70 KM journey that stands for around 80 cents. Also, I was trying to save some money, so I found this method of transportation quite good. The Buses are made by Mercedes. They are new but poorly maintained. The one I got has leaking AC on three areas which was pouring water on the seats. Almost half of the seats was unusable.
The trip took around an hour through a beautiful road.
In the bus there were some other people from the subcontinent. I guessed that they are workers from the nearby factories from their attire. Anyway, we arrived at the Umm-said Market and I got off the bus. I was looking for a Taxi to go to Qasco. To my astonishment, I found that the road is almost deserted. There is no motorized vehicle visible after the bus has left. I went to a nearby shop and asked for direction. One of the fellow recognized Qasco and told me the way. When I asked him about taxis, he informed that there is no taxi in Umm-Said. He also told me that the gate of the industrial area is around 3 Km from the market. Finding no alternative, I started to walk to the area. Luckily it was winter and the weather was below 40 degree C. on the way I have seen the residential quarters of the staff, the grand mosque, Fire depot. I saw some trucks and cars moving on the roads, but the frequency was very low for an industrial area.
Like all other places in Qatar, the roads of Umm-said are also newly rebuilt. I walked for almost one hour and finally reached the gate of industrial area #1. There I met the guards. The security is tight here. The guards told me that the Qasco is at Industrial area #2, which is another five KM from the place. By the time the sun is going down. The bus staff told me that the last bus will leave for Doha at 5.00 PM so if I have to catch that I must return and I did so. I had my handicam on and have captured the landscape for my dad. Then I noticed that the Karwa bus is approaching from a intersection which is about 1KM from the gate. I was happy to know that I do not walk back the whole way to Umm-Said town to get it. I finally got the bus and returned to Doha.
 
 
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