Days 11 & 12 (March 19, 2023): Doha Onward!

With a few hours sleep behind us at the hotel, we set out just before 6AM via Uber to return to Hammed International Airport. The hotel had kindly prepared a huge bag of breakfast items for each of us, including a fruit tray each and a tray of four pastries each. We gave one of the trays of fruit and pastries to our Uber driver, who seemed very happy to accept them. 

Our packed flight left on time, just before 8AM, and landed right on time, at 3:15PM. At 14 hours, it really is a long haul. However, in typical Qatar Airways fashion, the in-flight service was constant and wonderful. We certainly didn’t arrive in Boston feeling hungry.

Boston Logan Airport was a beehive of activity, partially due to spring breakers returning home. Despite that, however, customs was a breeze, and we soon got a shuttle to the Comfort Inn Logan Airport, which is located in nearby Revere, a suburb within easy reach of Boston Logan. 

We crashed with exhaustion when we got to our room, as room arrival was 36 hours from the time we left Sun Island Resort in a speedboat. A few hours later, I mustered the energy to go pick up a pizza at the hotel’s restaurant. We hit the hay right after the pizza.

It’s a sunny March Monday morning here in Boston. We had a lovely breakfast at the hotel and then took the shuttle back to Logan for our 9:45AM flight to Halifax. 

It has been quite an amazing 11 days since we landed here in Boston on March 9.  Despite a 47-hour door-to-door trip there and a 55-hour door-to-door trip home, all hotels, logistics and flights (with the exception of minor delays on both our Air Canada Halifax-Boston and Boston-Halifax sectors, ironically) went like clockwork. And we can certainly say that our Maldivian experience exceeded expectations. I certainly hope that rising sea levels do not harm the nation too much because, having experienced the country, it is a gem for the entire world and a complete gift to humanity from the Almighty. 

Thank you so much for joining our tour and reading the blog.  And a special thanks to Pam for her wonderful photography along the way — and for being such a brave and tolerant travel partner! Sharing the experiences of this beautiful planet with her is what makes it all so truly enjoyable for me. 😊


A couple of pre-sunrise scenes from Mushaireb, the downtown core of Doha where our hotel was located. 


The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, where we stayed on our stopover. It’s the same hotel where we stayed on route to the Maldives, and the same hotel where we stayed last July. In all three cases, we were assigned room #906!  What a coincidence. 


Pre-sunrise in Doha. 


A sign for the FIFA World Cup event covers an overhead walkway on the Raw-Abu Abboud Expressway, which connects Central Doha to Hammed International Airport.


This is Stadium 974, which opened in November 2021. It was constructed using 974 recycled shipping containers.  One of seven stadiums constructed by Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, it is already being dismantled. Imagine, having the money as a country to throw up seven stadiums and then just ripping them down.


A row of palm trees against the sunrise, near Hammed International Airport.


The reflecting pool and mosque in front of the entrance to Hammed International Airport. 


This giant golden falcon greets visitors at the main entrance of the departures level at Hammed International Airport. 


The iconic “teddy bear and lamp” art installation in the main passenger holding area at Hammed international Airport.


Pam, about to board our 14 hour flight from Doha to Boston.


When we sat down on the plane,  this message greeted us. A little daunting, to think you are trapped in a metal tube for 14 hours and nine minutes.


Curry chicken for breakfast. Why not.


Beef and mashed potatoes for dinner. A little more appropriate!

Our actual flight path. Notice how, near the start of the flight, instead of a straight line, we circumvented Iraq and Syria. 


The Boeing 777–300 ER flight was completely sold out. Every one of the four Qatar Airways flights we took on this trip, were sold out.


A comfortable stay was had at the Comfort Inn Logan Airport in nearby Revere, MA. 


The world’s greatest hockey - and Boston Bruins especially - fan! (I apologize for the sarcasm.🤪)


Boston Logan International Airport is incredibly close to downtown Boston. This is the view from our gate at Terminal B. Downtown almost feels within reach. 



Love it or hate it, Air Canada is our ride home!  (A wee bit miffed at Air Canada, as they cancelled our original Halifax-Boston flight and our original Boston-Halifax flight, which resulted in two hotel stays in the Boston area, coming and going, and two days missed work for each of us. But there is never accountability on their part for the extra costs incurred by passengers.  Just had to vent!)


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