Camels in the Distance

Camels and More Camels

So I don't like riding camels but I've ridden them a lot. That's because I like them better than 4WD vehicles!


Kneeling Camel



Camel in Wadi Rum

Old photo of young white camel

My Camel Caveat

There’s one thing I didn’t mention about camels in my previous posts. And that is: I don’t like to ride ‎them! ‎

I got to ride my first camel on an island near the East African mainland. I don’t believe this island had ‎camels until recent history. The long trek up and down gravelly terrain with a camel whose hooves are made for ‎sand was unpleasant. Swaying with a camel that couldn’t easily find its footing through the rocky ‎areas was more than terrifying.

My first camel was a young male that audibly complained without stop all ‎day long. It was the only camel of the tour group of six of us that did this. When we took a mid-day lunch break, it ‎complained even more. I gave the camel to another member of the party and said I’d happily walk. ‎

I next was forced into riding a camel around the Pyramids at Giza. And it was forced. I don’t like the ‎swaying movement but I really wanted to see the Pyramids, not be taken around them like every ‎other tourist. The pyramid security insisted that we arrived too late to walk around even though we ‎saw other walkers and I could have walked faster than the camel who was made to stop by its ‎handlers every ten feet for another picture. We hadn’t requested this photographic service and didn't take any photos. I never got to go inside ‎the pyramids.

So no camel rides for me but I still like camels.

Camel Face Cool

More on Camels

I’ve also been asked why if I am culturally sensitive I use camels in my blog. Answer: Because I can.‎

Seriously while I have been reminded that I might be sharing the wrong image of the Arabian Peninsula, like ‎I’ve said before, I like camels. I like to take pictures of them. And I can take pictures of them.‎

And I was just reminded about how much I like camels after reading this brief Smithsonian article on an "old sport" known as camel jumping. ‎Hum, I’ve never heard of a famous Yemeni high jumper.‎

Stunning Photo

I just saw this photo on National Geographic MyShot. It's stunning--I need to convince Tweet to visit this wonder in Arabia!

Yes, I Like Camels!

Camel herd with (rare?) baby white camel

Someone recently asked me why I’ve included a photo of camels on my site. Simple answer, I am ‎fascinated by camels, and I always have been. ‎

As a young girl, I actually used to play with my Barbie and Ken dolls (I admit to having them), creating all kinds of adventures ‎for them as they traveled around distant places. I remember having a fairly elaborate script with them and some camels and Arabians traversing ‎the Western Sahara and even the Arabian Peninsula. These adventures must have been “created” after I ‎watched the film Lawrence of Arabia.‎

Looking back it’s really strange that I did that and now here I am in lands famous for their camels. Fortunately I like to take pictures of them!