The trip started on Saturday in Colorado Springs (departed the Olympic Training Center at 8:00 am) and ended on Sunday in Doha, Qatar about 5:30 pm. It was a LONG trip but all endured it well. Qatar time is 7 hours ahead of Central Time in my home state of Iowa.
Bus Ride to Denver airport - 1 1/2 hours
Leg One – Denver to Washington DC 3 hours
Leg Two – DC to Dubai 13 hours
Leg Three – Dubai to Doha, Qatar 45 minutes
Bus Ride – from airport to The Torch 45 minutes
From start to finish the trip took 26 hours for the flights, bus, wait, and lay over time. The DC to Dubai flight took off at 6:30 pm and most managed to sleep through the over-night flight.
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| Packed and boarding the bus at the Olympic Training Center |
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| First stop was the Denver airport |
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| The checking in process |
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| 25 traveling in our party so many, many bags! |
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The flight from Denver to Washington DC
and the DC to Dubai. |
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The flight from Dubai to Qatar
The pilot allowed all of us to move into business class! |
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Too bad the flight was only about 45 minutes because
we all loved business class! |
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Doha, Qatar
Photo with two of the flight attendants |
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| The Doha airport |
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Bus trip from the airport to our hotel
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We checked into The Torch Dora Hotel and after settling in quickly the players were off The Aspire, the hotel's huge sports complex.
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The Torch Doha Hotel!
They lit it in red, white and blue to welcome us! |
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| Checking in with a small reception |
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| Welcome sign in the lobby |
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Practicing at The Aspire
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After going through a light practice we walked back to the hotel for a buffet at the Flying Carpet Restaurant. It was international night and the food was plentiful and delicious.
