Qatar's deserts burst into flower
Qatar has seen an unusual period of sustained rainfall in the last week or so. Some say they haven't experienced rain like it for 20 years. It wasn't particularly heavy but it rained on and off for an entire week, causing flooding and standing water across the country and turning areas of desert into lakes and swamps. Having heard about the potential for a treasure chest of blooms locked beneath the sand, to burst through after heavy or prolonged rainfall, we decided to go on a desert flower hunt. In the pouring rain, we set off west towards Umm Bab - which means "mother gateway", referring to two small hills either side of an opening giving the appearance of a gateway. Its a small coastal town built to accommodate the workers of Qatar Petroleum in 1948. When we arrived at Umm Bab beach, a beautiful oasis of palm trees and low lying shrubs, the sun mysteriously came out and the rain stopped! The guys playing football there were pretty happy about th