Doha. Qatar

Exhilaration and excitement was overflowing as the Captain and his troupe descended.  Packed like eggs in the budget Airlines they landed in the capital of Qatar. They had arrived at Doha, the host city for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Recalling the buzz from the last World Cup in Russia, The Captain had managed to befriend a Dubai national who was travelling with his nephew on the flight and ended up chatting to him the entire way. Meanwhile the Admiral and Cadet had managed to get a bit of shuteye. He worked for the Mars chocolate company and had won raffle tickets to Qatar for the games, and the only personon the flight who was more excited than the Captain would have been that guy’s 12 year old nephew. 

The disembarking procedure was taking far longer than they had anticipated, this however did not dampen the Captain’s spirits as his social game was like the insides of an active volcano… on fire. He managed to chat to several more people including three Dubai nationals, a Canadian couple (who he once again made the mistake of assuming were American) and a Mexican man who was friends with the F1 Racer Sergio Perez’ dad.

Hayyaa cards proved to be efficient through all the checks as they picked  up their bags, and finally walked through the sliding doors into the country. Despite it being late in the evening they were greeted by the World cup vibe straight away, treated to sweets, arabic coffee and a free SIM Card. The friendly staff at the World Cup counter provided them with all the information they needed to be on their way. Since they had the little Cadet with them, they were escorted by a porter to a taxi who offered to drive them to the hotel. The efficiency, and hospitality shown was already sitting on full points. 

Weaving through traffic, the newly constructed city was very visibly evident to the Captain, who was comparing his short stay 8 years ago with the Admiral, noticing all the new buildings and infrastructure that now surrounded them. It was not more than 20 minutes as they arrived at a housing complex, consisting of multiple buildings. The up till now friendly taxi driver turning sour, asking for 150 when the metre said 41 rials and requesting cash, alarm bells started to go off. As the hotel staff helped take the bags out, the Captain asked the Manager who had come out about the adjustment the taxi driver had made, the Manager walked over and called several other staff members who yelled at him, and all of a sudden an EFTPOS machine came out and the price was reduced back to 41 rials. 

The Taxi driver apologised and the hotel staff felt bad that this was the first introduction into the country. The Captain was not going to let this impact his mood and the vibe.

After this minor incident the staff were welcoming and very accommodating, explaining if they ever needed anything they were there to help, additionally offering guidance on where things were and the best places to eat and how to commute. They also told them that the apartment they are to be staying in had never been stayed in before, it was newly constructed and that they would be the first residents in the home.

Upon entering the apartment they were instantly impressed, letting out sighs and wails of “Wow” – this was a whole home, fully equipped with a lounge room, kitchen, two bedrooms both with ensuites and another toilet, the cherry on the cake was that one of the rooms had a Cot set up already for the Cadet.  They were instantly impressed, they had everything they needed for their stay. The already late evening had crept away from them, they scrambled to feed the  Cadet and the Captain went on an exploration and supplies mission to get the missing rations. Feeling comfortable and safe despite the time, he ventured out, only to find the street behind the apartment littered with restaurants, shops and floods of people. 

What was even more impressive was that the building two buildings away from them was the Doha Souk mall, which featured a large grocery store.  

Spending a bit too much time there he was able to pick up all the missing items and return 45 minutes later with all the essentials. 

The Cadet was busy exploring, playing a game that looked like hide and seek with himself, mumbling (what we assume to be gratuities) as he explored his new surroundings. He had a great dinner and was treated to a fruit platter that the Captain had gathered during his mission. To end a day of travelling the Admiral put the Cadet down, and was able to go on a solo mission to check out the area. At first worried due to the late nature of her expedition she too was ecstatic to find the area they were staying at so central and convenient. 

Once the Admiral returned the Captain had one last mission and that was to go and pick up dinner. Spoilt for choice, and craving some spice, he decided to pick up some Indian kebabs and rice, returning 30 minutes later with enough food to feed an army.  Making a dent in the over-catered stock they procured, they watched Argentina beat Mexico, finally feeling exhausted and hitting the sack, knowing they had a big day ahead of them as they geared up to visit the sporting holy grounds of a Fifa World Cup game. 

The next day started off slow, they had a rough night with the Cadet who was clearly still suspicious of his new surroundings, wanting to sleep with one eye open and opting to act guard. He was able to  get relief from protecting the cot and reallocating himself to the Captains bed. His efforts had paid off, he ensured that the Captain and Admiral slept lightly making sure there were no enemies nearby.  As a result the day started off slow, all members of the platoon felt the lingering side effects of travelling paired with the lack of sleep. 

They ventured outside in search for the magical elixir of life.. Coffee. Walking through the Doha Souk mall which was predominantly closed (an insight into the gulf culture was that due to the heat of the days, things opened later than 9am) They were able to walk through the mall only to discover on the other end, across the road there was another much larger mall. 

A giant dome appeared and as they got closer to it the signage read Mirqab Mall. 

They entered the structure which was already showing signs of success for their mission, as what appeared to be the outside area of a cafe with people consuming the much desired elixir became visible. 

They walked inside to be greeted by a security officer and needed air conditioning, all they had done was leave one mall and cross the road, and already droplets of sweat had formed on their brows.  Instantly they saw signs of life in the form of a Carrefour grocery store which was filled with locals and tourists gathering supplies. They continued to explore more, walking down to find a pharmacy, a Daiso and then Paul’s Patisserie and multiple cafes! Indulging the Cadet in a cheese croissant the Captain and Admiral were able to enjoy a much needed caffeine hit. Exploring more of the Mall before heading back to get ready for their upcoming pilgrimage.

Following the advice of the hotel staff and other travellers, they geared up to head out the stadium 2 hours earlier to ensure they had enough commute time. The first match they were going to see was going to be Belgium and Morocco at Al Thumama stadium which was only 15 minutes away from their temporary abode. An uber came within minutes and they were on their way, zig zagging through traffic and some closed roads, arriving at the stadium carpark at which they were dropped off.  From here they joined hundreds of people walking across the large overpass which took them over a freeway towards the giant structure that lay in the distance.  Instantly as they left the vessel in which they had arrived goosebumps plagued the Captain’s body, the energy of football fans unexplainable. 

They had already started profusely sweating as they stopped along the way to get photographs, descending to the mega structure, immediately impressed by the beauty and the size of the stadium. 

Finding the Gate was no issue as it was the first one that they had arrived at. Recognising they had a smaller unit with them, friendly ushers guided them to the VIP queues in which the Captain and Cadet were able to get in without any issues. It was here that trouble struck once again. The Admiral was unable to log into the Fifa app in which her tickets resided. This world cup did not use physical tickets and entry was only granted with the scan of the ticket QR code and the Haaya card.  Distraught, overheating panic was starting to set in, the Captain and Cadet retreated from their position, going back to the Admiral. After some support from the staff it was divulged that the Captain had to go to the ticketing office to request them to print a ticket and resolve the issue. Finding a shady spot the ushers guided the Admiral and Cadet, providing them with a bottle of water, as the Captain headed towards the office. Plagued with bad memories of prior experiences of these ticketing centres he was worried that he would be separated for hours as he tried to sort this out. The gulf hospitality, organisation and efficiency shone through once again. First greeted by a triage officer, they discussed his issue and sent him inside, he was instantly seen by an attendant who assisted him in printing the ticket. He could not contain his smile. He returned 10 minutes later to the troupe, ecstatic that he had been successful in the mission he had set out for. 

Tickets, apps and Haaya cards in hand, they once again attempted entry into the sporting coliseum. This time entering without any issues, going through security checks and bag checks felt like a calm stroll in the park, calm, organised and collected, it was a fantastically smooth experience. They deposited the Stroller and set forth to enter the grounds

Plenty of signage and staff to help, they joined the chants of fans as they explored the inner sanctums of the stadium, much like most things they had experienced in the city, everything was newly constructed, clean and maintained. The  stadium was impressive, well air conditioned (not over the top) and logically organised. Plenty of toilets, change rooms and facilities were evident. They found their seats and took in the beauty of what lay in front of them. The manicured pitch radiating a freshness highlighted by the glowing green grass. It was magnificent. 

The roars of the crowd deafening as the bright red coloured Morccans fan cheered the commencement of the festivities. There was not a moment in which the Captain’s hairs stood down. The goosebumps returned this time plaguing his body. The lights turned down, flames appeared on the field, a giant inflatable world cup dragged onto the grounds followed by a group of people carrying flags of the competing teams. Sounds filled the stadium electrifying it, fireworks accompanied the deafening roars of the crowd. Pyrotechnics provide a visual feast for the onlookers. Unbelievable scenes unfolding right before their eyes, the feelings are impossible to put into words, even pictures and videos not doing justice to the sights that lay before them.

Surprisingly cheering for the favourites seemed like an uphill battle as they were clearly outnumbered by the Moroccans that had come to support their team, right in front of them were two hardcore Moroccan fans who cheered with an unrelenting passion, over exaggerating every run, miss and pass.  Meanwhile the Cadet who had been gifted a Belgium flag was violently shaking it, and nearly hitting the impassioned Morrocan fans several times, if it wasn’t for the quick reactions and interventions of the Admiral and Captain, which left the Cadet’s unknowing victims none the wiser. 

The game commenced and the cheers only got louder as the stadium filled up, chants of “Seer” rousing the crowds every time a Moroccan player touched a ball. The pace of the game was hypnotising, as they could not glance away from the action only pausing to provide more snacks for the Cadet, who remarkably was as excited as the crowds around him cheering, yelling and waving his flag. 

At half time the game was a tie, with no goals scored, they decided to let the Cadet free and give him some space, he walked up to a man eating a hotdog and started staring at it, the young man was nice and offered some to him, he was a happy chappy. 

When they returned to their seats, they continued to watch and as the clock hit 70 minutes reluctantly with their hearts wanting more but logic telling them otherwise, decided to leave to avoid the rush. Just as they rose up to leave, GOAL! The Moroccan troupe scored, the stadium lit up, yelling, dancing fans uncontainable. The atmosphere lifted, as did the paranoia in terms of what would happen when these fans were let loose. The Captain and Admiral scurried leaving the stadium, leaving behind a backdrop of cheers and celebrations.

They were a bit too late and as they picked up the Cadet’s vessel from the stroller storage, they saw many others that had the same idea. Joining the thousands of people heading to the taxi/ uber rank they marched on for what seemed like hours, passing people dancing on the street and little stages with singers and performers. Despite the stress of how they would get  home, their mood was ecstatic. Finally reaching the taxi stand and confronted instantly with what they had feared, a long queue had formed with people waiting for a commute home. As they stood in line a marshal walked over to them, upon Seeing that they had a little Cadet with them and ushered them towards the front of the queue,  in the next few seconds they didn’t know what happened but they were already in a taxi heading home. It was unbelievable but the hospitality and empathy towards young families shone through once again. 

At home, the Admiral organised a quick bath for the very exhausted Cadet and Captain headed out for supplements, additionally as it was the Admiral’s birthday the following day, the Captain went on an extended mission looking for a last minute gift for her, he managed to find a gold seller in the area and was able to pick something up. – returning with some of the best Afghan food they had ever had, all from a place called Afghan Brothers, The captain managed to surprise the Admiral with her gift. She had not expected it and was overjoyed by the precious metal bracelet he had bought for her.  Struggling to stay awake, they processed how epic their mission had been and called it a night. 

The next day started slow, today thankfully was going to be a rest day, with no intention to attend any game. After their expeditions the day before they felt like locals now and had their bearings aligned to their new surroundings. Heading straight for their overdue caffeine hit, they headed to the Mirqab Mall, this time trying coffee from another cafe. To thank the Cadet on his valiant efforts at the game, the Captain and Admiral were able to treat him by visiting the Funderdome – a play centre located on the top floor of the Mall. Another observation by the Captain which was unlike home, was the fact that all the Malls and busy areas had large play centres to entertain the small people. It had paid off greatly during this adventure for the Captain and Admiral – and no doubt the Cadet. Here he was able to jump around and use all his energy before heading home for his much needed afternoon nap.

 Cadet rest time meant that the Captain and Admiral could plan the forthcoming activities for the day. The Captain had just discovered that there was an Angry BIrds world located in Doha, and with the discovery went into a spiral of excitement. Counting down minutes till they could get the Cadet up, they prepared his lunch and planned their adventure in the land of the pigs and disgruntled birds. 

Setting off as soon as they could, the band arrived at yet another massive mall, and without distraction from the shiny lights and pretty brands commenced walking towards the theme park. They walked past yet another snow hill (they were beginning to think this is a must for malls in the region) with sledding and tubing. Inquiring if the Cadet qualified to enter the establishment (he did not) they continued on their quest forward. 

Just as they were arriving, a parade featuring Red (you guessed it – the Red angry bird) and Stella (the white pretty female bird) were passing through. A quick chat with a local later they found themselves entering the park, instantly impressed by the size and the amount of detail it contained. This level of awe grew as they walked outside and saw the giant slingshot ride that launched people into the air, it was magnificent. Handicapped by what they could participate in, they walked around exploring in a mission to find something that the Cadet could enjoy. They found a boat ride in which they had to shoot pigs and other enemies as they passed them on the vessel. They boarded as soldiers and commenced shooting straight away hoping to save their new found bird friends. Feeling satisfied, they continued to explore heading on as many rides as height restrictions would allow. Ultimately finding one that the Cadet could ride on his own, a car ride which he had to be pried off at the end by the Admiral, not wanting to leave, sharing similar feelings with the Captain who was itching to head to the arcade. 

They continued on, exploring the different floors of the park until the Cadet saw his unconquerable enemy, the ball pit. He jumped right in, thrashing his body once again for hours against his formidable foe, almost an hour later, exhausted but not yet satisfied, they had to pry the Cadet out of the pit of doom. Hearing about the Angry Birds theatrical performance that was to take place they headed to the gathering area, trying to subdue the agitated Cadet until the show started. When it did, nobody was disappointed. The Cadet putting on his dancing shoes and followed along to the best of his ability as Chuck and Stella performed a clucky dance routine. 

The last exhibit to visit was the trampoline level, where the Cadet who was already completely exhausted attempted to jump around on newly discovered terraforma. It was once again a valiant effort but in vain. In the last few minutes The Captain was given free reign and headed to the much awaited Arcade, spending as much of the remaining credit on his angry birds card as fast as he could on as many games as he could play. Winning a caterpillar toy for the Cadet, they had to say goodbye to the Arcade and the magical theme park. 

A cheeky stop at Nandos to feed the starving and exhausted Cadet, they headed home to end the long but extremely fun day out at Angry Birds World Doha. 

Game day – England vs Wales, this one was going to be challenging as the game was to start at 10pm at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. Not only would they need to trek across town to the stadium, they would need to keep the Cadet game ready until the late start. Some planning and coordinating was to be required. They needed their own game plan. Starting off with their daily pilgrimage to the closest set of Cafes they headed to the Mall, grabbing some breakfast and usual suspects beverages. Next to the Funderdome which they had visited the day before was “Jump” a kids’ trampoline park. Having been a tad bit exhausted at Angry Birds world they thought the Cadet would be able to revitalise and enjoy the trampoline park after his night’s rest. This time he delivered, jumping around the area until he found a sibling to his enemy, the ball pit – the foam square pit. A pool of 10 cm by 10 cm squares that went down 1 metre. With his newly acquired skill to jump, the rest of the morning consisted of the Captain and Admiral looking for him and then fishing him out of the depths of the sea of foam. Once again hitting a wall of exhaustion, the Captain and Admiral braved the heat outside and escorted the Cadet back to the safety of their bunker. As he drifted off the Admiral and Captain went into planning mode, what were they going to do, and how would they tackle the late night game with the Cadet. 

WIth the help of google maps they were able to discover that next to the stadium there was the Mall of Qatar, yet another giant shopping centre with play centres and food courts. The plan they had established was that they would head to the mall around 4 pm and remain there until the game was to start, at which point they would walk down to the stadium for the showdown between the two nations. 

As the Cadet awoke from his daytime slumber they got ready and put the plan into action, heading directly to the Qatar Mall. They all pottered around, once again awed by the size of this establishment, once again the blinding lights, colors and sounds giving them all a sensory overload. As they walked, the Cadet decided to run up some escalators, and as the Captain chased behind him he discovered a casual Day care centre.  Much to their amazement and disbelief, they discovered that they could leave the little guy here for an hour and walk around the mall. They were assured that it was a 1 to 1 ratio inside and that a staff member would be allocated to the Cadet during his stay. Without a second to consider as the Cadet had already marched on in – they filled up the forms and left him with the crew.

Still in disbelief of their newfound independence, the Captain And Admiral headed to grab a coffee and discussed how they would spend the next 58 minutes. They decided to walk around and explore the mall, teeing up what the Cadet would eat for dinner. Time seemed to get the better of them and 50 minutes later they received a distress signal from the centre asking them to come and rescue the Cadet, who at that point had realised that he was on his own separate mission without the Captain and Admiral nearby.  Taking back to their leadership positions they were able to reconvene and pick up the handicapped Cadet from his playpen deluge. They still had a few hours to kill before heading off to the stadium for the game, and they made use of that time by visiting a playcentre, having dinner and just plodding around the mall, hoping for time to go faster. To their surprise the Cadet kept up, although exhausted he was trooping on. They believe the Cold stone Ice Cream that he had consumed may have had a lot to do with it. 

It was finally time to escape the confines of the Mall and head to the game, it was evident throughout the place that others had the same idea, with hundreds of fans flocking towards the exit that was closest to the Stadium. Like they had done many times in the past, they joined the hordes of people and headed towards the stadium bracing themselves for the heat that waited for them outside, coincidentally it had cooled down from when they had entered and the temperature was a balmy 25 degrees as they walked towards the sporting arena. 

Much like the last match the feeling was surreal, walking amongst the many who had gone to extreme lengths to be present to support their teams. The English crowd chants reverberating through the surrounding areas. After a 10 minute walk, in which they had almost witnessed a brawl amongst fans, they reached the gates of the arena. This time the Admiral had her app working and getting past the first checkpoint came with no issues. 

The second checkpoint however, someone had pulled the Admiral aside and as she was wearing a Ferrari F1 Racing jersey, security inspected the logos to ensure there was nothing that spoke for the rainbow flag. It was pretty eye opening. Aside from that slight hiccup they continued to find their seats and awaited the start of play. 

Once again there was a sense of unreality as the hairs stood up when the pregame entertainment started. There is nothing to compare this to, it was just spectacular and overwhelming to describe. They watched the teams come onto the ground and the roars and chants of the English and Welsh crowd lit up the stadium. As the game began, despite the late hour, the Captain was ready to launch into a flurry of cheering. 

The excitement however fell flat, like the game. It felt one-sided, and the pace of the game was extremely slow, almost to the point that the Admiral said to the Captain “this is boring”.

Hoping the energy of the crowd would lift the spirits, it once again fell flat, this was very much unlike the last game in which the Moroccan fans ignited passion and a fever in everyone at the stadium. This just felt dull, the most exciting part being the opening sequence, since then it had just gone downhill. The time getting late, and thoughts of the brawl they had witnessed earlier they decided to leave at half time. It had been a long day and the game was not as exciting as they had hoped, so they headed off. This time as they had left they noticed a lot less people exiting, and with a shorter walk to the taxi rank, they were instantly able to jump into a Careem and head back home. 

Despite the late night, they awoke early on their final day in Doha, riddled with excitement of the final match and getting in some sightseeing the Admiral and Captain headed to theSouq Waqif area – The Souq Waqif is a marketplace. The souq sells traditional garments, spices, handicrafts, and souvenirs. It is also home to restaurants and shisha lounges. This was the central hub of the World Cup, and it was astonishing that it was not until the last day that they had decided to venture to the iconic location.

Skipping the morning routine of coffee and breakfast at the local mall, they braved the morning sun and took an uber to the souq. Arriving to a baron desert scape land laden by traditional buildings, they weaved through the streets until coming to a Falcon market (yes you read that right, yes the birds) here they asked someone where the souq was and were directed in the opposite direction they had come from. It was evident that the heat was already getting to the Admiral, she started getting pretty annoyed at the Captain, that paired with the lack of caffeine she had consumed, we had to find a place to eat and drink ASTAT. 

They came across an information desk where the person told them about a Coffee bean and tea leaf cafe that was ahead, the Admiral did not hear this and was getting more agitated as they walked forward. Ultimately snapping at the Captain, who then went to the closest cafe and looked for a seat. They were full. They then tried next door which was a Zaatar W Zeit, a fastfood chain selling the famous Zaatar breads. With the fear of God in him from the temper that was brewing in the Admiral, and despite the place being completely packed, the Captain asked an elderly man if he could join him. He was very welcoming and insisted that we sat with him in the packed restaurant. At this point the Cadet had started to get cranky and just like his Mother, started to show signs of rage paired with hunger. The man sitting with them was friendly, and helped defuse the situation much to the Captain’s relief. Plus he would be a valuable witness if The Admiral and Cadet’s hanger would lead to his untimely demise. Their friendly companion was originally from Jordan, he had come to visit his son who lived in Qatar and was an ex Iromman. He was also there to enjoy the world cup. Chatting to him they found out his interesting past, including being married to a Russian, spending half his time in Russia, as well as living a life of a nomad as he worked his life as a Civil engineer, spending time all over the world. The conversation was enlightening and very enjoyable, and despite the food taking a while to arrive, they all shared stories and ignited a friendship. When the food did come, they all shared and indulged together. At the end the Captain went secretly to pay for the table, bidding farewell to the man, who they had shared a lovely meal with.  They left and were reunited with the heat and the crowds. 

As a landmark the Souq contains a Giant Golden thumb, this was on the list for the Captain to check out, as he had been making comments to the Admiral about the thumb since the morning, even when she was angry. It was as impressive as it sounded, a giant golden thumb in the middle of the souq. The Captain would definitely give it a thumbs up but the Admiral suggested he shove it elsewhere. They took some photos and headed inside the laneways to escape the heat. They let the Cadet loose and he ran around the packed maze-like market with his crew  following him around. The crowd had grown now and the narrow rows of stalls filled with spices, and ornaments had become difficult to navigate, let alone chase the Cadet around. The Cadet however was having the true market experience, filled with smells and textures he was going to every stall and touching/ feeling all the goods. It was a stimulation overload for the little man and he was taking it in his stride. As they explored they came across a Bird market, a shop filled with exotic birds as well as chickens. This had the Cadet’s curiosity peaking, he was excited and fascinated. The up close and personal encounters with the various species had him going in circles admiring and often speaking to the avian wildlife. They seemed to have an adequate understanding of each other. 

As they left, it was evident that the Admiral’s patience was wearing thin, once again the exhaustion of the previous few days and the heat had started to get the better of her. She has started to puff up like a puffer fish, her stance changing to a battle toad stance. 

To a degree unaware of the build up of tension around him the Captain continued to walk around, loving the vibe. He had not realised that he had finally pushed it over the edge, the Admiral finally breaking and asking to stop. Having seen this situation before he knew exactly where to go. V-lining to the Turkish Ice-cream man he had seen earlier, the Captain knew that the ice cold treat was the only way to pacify a raging volcano that was about to blow. Surely it had worked. The antics of the turkish man and the reactions of the Cadet had been enough to diffuse the situation. Putting an icy end to the ice cold daggers that were being shot. Without wanting to rock the boat, and with the limited ice cream remaining, they walked over to the taxi stand, the ice cream melting down, and the Admiral on the verge once again of melting down. They headed home to get ready for the final FIFA world cup match they were going to see Tunisia vs France. 

They arrived back at the accommodation and, both the Cadet and Admiral opted in for a cooldown and a rest. They had to gain their spent energy back for the game in the evening. The Captain decided to head to the barber for a sick haircut. He had always admired the fine nature of the Arabic hair and beard treatments, so he ventured out to get grooming whilst the others rested. He returned and the mood had finally turned, it was astonishing to see the power of Ice-cream and a nap. Much like the landmark they had visited there was now thumbs up everywhere. 

The time had come and they got ready for their final venture to a Fifa world cup game in Doha.  Feeling a tad emotional and reminiscing on the ride over, they were amazed at how fast time had flown and the fact that they were on their way to the last match. Months of planning had just vanished so quickly, and how the amazing time they had, and the events that they had witnessed over the past few days had flown past. 

The adventure was not over yet – They came to a police checkpoint and had to be dropped off in the middle of a construction site, the Admiral and Captain now having to carry the Cadet in his pram through the rugged terrain. Once they had reached walkable land again, they once again were joined by thousands of fans, this time skewed by Tunisian fans rather than the French.  

Marvelling as they walked by the beauty of the stadium they could hear chants, and songs being sung by the fans, the mood very positive and despite it being a must win game for both teams, the atmosphere felt safe, welcoming and positive. A sheer contrast to the fans  they had witnessed the night prior. Once again finding their seats, The Captain and Admiral, felt comfortable, they felt like they had understood the system and could predict how the Cadet would behave, for the first time at the stadiums they felt like ‘We got this”.

The stadium erupting with cheers once again, the crew felt the hairs stand up for the last time, the fans cheering and songs echoing through the amphitheatre. The vibe already felt much livelier than the game before, reminding them of the Moroccan fans they had seen on their first game.  They watched an explosive first half with the Tunisians giving it all they had, so much so that the French proceeded to make 3 changes bringing on their top players including the legendary Mbappe. The fire was not contained for long before the Tunisian players scored their first goal against the reigning champions. The place lit up, witnessing the first goal of the world up the Admiral and Captain cheered as hard as they could, even  the cadet got involved, it was clear he was having the time of his life alongside his troupe. 

The Tunisian fans made the ground shake, everything was feeling so energised, the celebrations started to pour out of the stadium and the Captain, Admiral and cadet joined them and exited the sporting ring for one final time. Walking out without regrets and fulfilled to have been part of the magic over the past few days. A spectacular end to the campaign, and a fantastic game to watch. 

The celebrations were felt the whole way home, with the city celebrating the historic win against France. When the captain asked someone they explained that the victory was even extra sweet as the French and Tunisians had a history of turmoil and oppression in the past. The city was singing, and so were the souls of the Captain and Admiral who had been there to witness such a historic moment in football history. It was a beautiful moment. Exhausted and hearts full they returned for one last time back to their fantastic home, packing and then resting for their last night before heading off. 

Checking out the next day was a much more emotional affair than the Captain had envisioned. All the staff had come to know and become friends with the Captain, Admiral and most of all Cadet. All packed they dropped off the bags at the reception and went to the local mall for one final time grabbing a coffee and some doughnuts for the staff. One last visit to the place that had already held so many good memories for the Cadet, the Funderdome. Spending the last few hours playing they went back to the hotel for one last time as the little cadet had his final sleep in Doha. 

Since they had time left over before their flight they wanted to visit one final place, the Villaggio Mall. Once again known for its interior which was constructed like Venice with fake skies, shop facades like those in Italy and gondola rides, this mega mall once again impressed them. VIsually stunning, and loaded with impressive brands, the Captain and the crew walked around in amazement and wonder. Having a quick snack at their favourite – shake shack, they spent the last few hours in the arcade/ kids area – which even had a rollercoaster, before heading back to grab their bags and head off to the Airport. 

It had been early to head off but paranoia got the better of them and rightfully so, as they accidentally found themselves at the wrong airport! It was the baggage handler at the airport who alerted them to their error! They rushed, luckily they had extra time and were able to get redirected by the staff to the right airport, which was a good 18 minutes away. They arrived to find massive lines to check in, as they stood in line yet again an attendant noticed that they had been with a child and ushered them to the business class queue, where once again they had been served instantly. 

Just as they thought the Airport adventure was over, they finally got to the gate and as they got to the final waiting area (after passport and ticket checks) the Cadet started repeatedly yelling “Water” or as he pronounced it “boahtaaaahh”. At first the Admiral went, asking to go out to grab some liquids for him, the attendant refused. At this point the Captain went up, and the attendant agreed, keeping his passport and telling him he has 5 minutes to go get some water. He ran as fast as he could, filling up the bottle and rushing back, all in 8 minutes. They had just started boarding. Stressed, with fight or flight hormones plaguing him, he rejoined the Admiral and delivered the precious goods, to which the Cadet said “nah”… In the next few moments his sweat dried and the Captain was able to catch his breath, they boarded their next flight to Delhi. India.