When I moved to Qatar I was a wide eyed fresh expat enthralled by the bright lights of Doha. Nothing seemed further away from my life in London than the wild mean streets of a country developing so fast it can’t even keep up with itself.
No where is this more prevalent than on the open road, there is a style developed solely in the Middle East for driving and its frankly insane. No one, I mean no one has a single care for rules or regulations, you go about your journey not just as if it’s your last but as if you are already late for your appointment at the Pearly Gates.
It’s awesome.
Driving whilst looking at your mobile phone, with one foot on the dashboard, smoking a fag, slapping your children while they roam free around the cab is all quite normal and wouldn’t raise a single eye brow. The driving is mainly done in 4 tonne vehicles with soft squidgy Sand tyres powered by a super charged 4 litre V8. Control of your own vehicle is optional and often considered bad form, looking in a mirror or even out of a window is also considered a bit wet. You take your life in everyone else’s hands every single day.
It was an instantaneous decision that I wasn’t going to feel relaxed in a saloon car, as neither an uber driver or a takeaway driver I am nowhere near brave enough for a saloon car on these roads. So it was time for me to enter the world of 4×4 driving, and I had no idea what a transformation it would make to my life.
Drum roll please…..I drive a……
Mitsubishi Pajero
To be more precise the Mitsubishi Pajero GLS 3.2l V6
Oh Yes, the Mighty Pajero. The Expat wagon of choice. The Soccer Mum wagon. The utilitarian uncool ultimate desert warrior entered my life and I bloody love it.
Shameless, unrequited love. This car is honestly fabulous. There is nothing it can’t do, no sand dune it can’t climb and no limit to its plucky little characters ability. Despite what the legendary Andrew St Pierre White has to say about it, the car is brilliant. We pack everything for days in the desert, beach trips, bikes, BBQ’s the car never seems to mind. 3 rows of seats, proper 4 Wheel drive, Loads of room and seats that wipe clean. Tick, Tick, Tick.
Sure I don’t plan on driving it forever, but right now it’s perfect for us, so good in fact We bought 2 of them. Matching. In white.
In fact I love my Pajero so much I made a video about it, and then I made you read a blog post all about it. Who’s the winner now?!
#iwishihadadefender
Love the tribute, TLO!! When is our next trip?! 😉
Gotta love a duo of Mitsubishi Pajero’s!
Your use of big words is amazing…
Can you read them all? Ask Margot for help if you get confused.