Purple Island

Our visit to Purple Island was a way to experience a little of the geographic diversity of the country. It was perhaps the only place that was naturally green that I saw during my trip. It isn't purple. That was a little disappointing. I had to look it up to figure out its name--the island was named after an ancient dye industry. Reportedly, the maroon color of Qatar's flag came from the purple dye that was made on this island. I have no legitimate source for that claim, just an online post from a visitor--so don't hold me responsible if I'm wrong. It also doesn't really feel like an island. The water that separates the mainland from the island doesn't look more than a foot deep. In fact, I had to go back and check it out on a map to confirm that it is, in fact, an island.

There are three big draws to Purple Island: the mangroves, the wildlife, and kayaking. First, the mangroves. I have to admit that I fell into the trap of overgeneralized expectations. I thought that we would see trees like we have in the coastal areas of the Southeast, that the mangroves would be large and gnarly and create a canopy under which to walk or paddle. Not in Qatar. Instead, we saw bushes. I guess that mangroves can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Even though it did not look like I thought it would, it was still an interesting area to visit. It reminded me of trails through coastal wetlands around the aquariums in North Carolina. 

Second, the wildlife was at small scale. We saw a few egrets in the distance and some other birds. There were tiny fish swimming about. We also saw crabs in the shallow water, most of which were smaller than the size of a sand dollar. There was a fun moment where I watched a tiny crab try to catch a tiny fish. The biggest draws of the area, however, are the flamingos that use these wetlands as a stop in their yearly migration between Europe and Africa. I had no idea that we might see one of these animals. Earlier in the week, I found it curious that there was a display of flamingo stuffed animals in the gift shop at the National Museum. Now, I understood. I have only seen flamingos in zoos, so it was an exciting opportunity to see them in the wild. I'm not sure when the best time of year is to see their migration, but it definitely wasn't early March. No flamingos.

But the kayaking--that sounded really fun. And it also isn't available in March. The water wasn't deep enough that time of year. 

So, we walked down a boardwalk between the parking lot and the "island." I wouldn't call the area crowded, but the island was clearly a popular location. Like us, many of the visitors appeared there just to walk out to the water and check out the sites. But others were there with picnics. One group had even brought out a portable karaoke machine, and they looked ready to crank it up for the evening. We approached the waterline just before dusk. The water was clear, small flowers dotted the green bushes, and the sky began to paint a sunset. 

What I liked most about Purple Island is that it felt local, and it felt like we were doing something very normal for a Friday evening. Those authentic slices of life make you feel like you've finally arrived in your travels, like you're getting to experience life through another's eyes.