The Corniche Experience

Every weekend now I make it a point to wake up at 4:30 in the morning and take a run. A compatriot nurse who works for Hamad Medical Center told me that the most common ailments plaguing the OFW community in the Middle East are kidney problems, diabetes, and heart diseases. To avoid kidney problems, I drink a lot of fluids – water and fresh juice and I stay away from sodas and sweetened drinks. To avoid diabetes, I stay away from sweets and, ever since I came to Qatar, use pure honey to sweeten my tea or coffee and any other meal that may be more palatable when sweet. To combat heart disease, I have been trying to bring my weight down and jog on weekends.

But as I found out, I easily get bored if I run and see an uninteresting view around me. I tried to use a thread mill but running in front of a wall or a TV set blaring the day’s news or a movie gets boring after sometime. And running just around the neighbor proved hazardous to my health because of the pollution the passing vehicles emit and the danger of being hit by a speeding Landcruiser which in the Middle East is not uncommon occurrence.

I found a place that is frequented by many of the locals and expats as well. I see individuals, couples, families and friends either just taking a leisurely stroll or jogging down its paved, clean path or even just enjoying the view and the breeze along the stretch of break water. This is the Doha Corniche. It is 7.5km stretch of beautiful bay from the Sheraton Hotel to the Marriot Hotel. It is a horseshoe shaped bay with the Palm Tree Island just near the shore. Along the busy boulevard there are the famous buildings and landmarks in Doha. There are distance markers placed along the path so one can record the distance covered on each run.

All these things to see and enjoy along the Corniche, makes running or walking along its course a joyful experience.


Pictures from top left going down left and right alternately:
a. Sunrise with the new Museum in the panorama
b. Sunrise at the Sheraton in the West Bay area
c. View of the West Bay panorama
d. Traditional Dhow docked near the Corniche
e. Doha Asian Games catamaran anchored near the Corniche.