24 hrs in DOHA, Qatar

One thing that strikes me during my short stay in Doha was that there were  hardly any interaction with any Qatari locals. From flying in, our controllers were expats, our ground handling crews were either Pakistani or Filipinos. Taxi driver were African and receptionists and hotel workers were all foreign workers too. We stayed at the Wyndham Grand Regency, halfway between downtown and airport. We were upgraded to a suite but with a window view of some back alley. Afterall it's like middle of nowhere and the nearest mall is a 15 minutes walk. at 40+ deg celcius is a long hot and dusty walk. Our hotel is a dry hotel and although it's the middle east there are some hotels that have pubs and clubs. The problem is that most of these places either only let in house guests or you need to show your passport. We gave up after a few tries.
At the mall, all the service staff are also foreign workers! The only local I interacted was the money changer, the rates were good but don't forget your passport.
In the evening we went for a stroll near the bay, you can have a boat tour but with choppy waters and warm breeze blowing it would not be a good idea. The CBD has a spectacular skyline with modern buildings and the places just felt it's flushed with money. Workers were toiling through the night building even grander buildings. I wish we have more time to explore Doha and it's not fair to judge a city in mere 24 hours. Hope to be back and see more of Doha.

Still building at night.

Hotel Lobby

City in the background

 Doha Airport

When in Shanghai!

Pearl Tower

When visiting Shanghai, usually the 1st pace to visit is the Bund. The vista on the other side of the river is spectacular with the iconic Pearl Tower some of the tallest buildings in the world here. Therefore 2nd off the list would be a visit to the Pearl Tower. It looks like a rocket and have fantastic 360 deg viewing galleries. Ticket is RMB 120 per person. Try not to visit on a public holidays for even on non, the glaring loudhailers used by the tour group leader is really annoying. The best view would be the outdoor platform with see through glass floor. Warning: Acrophobic are not welcome!!

Standing on Air!

Hold on tight!

Fantastic Views

Within walking distance is the 101 floor Shanghai World Financial Center, the 2nd tallest building in the world and also the Jin Mao Tower, the 5th tallest in the world. The SWFC has an observatory and both housed the Hyatt hotel starting from the 56th Floor up. The bar at the 87th Floor Park Hyatt offers a spectacular view. The Grand Hyatt lobby restaurant has a fantastic atrium, you'll get dizzy just staring up.

SWFC and Jin Mao Tower.

Bar with a view!

  Grand Hyatt Atrium