Camel Trek
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 15 Oct 2008 20:15
CAMEL
TREK
After our late night Jamming. Ali our
guide was very surprised to see us perky at 07:30 for al fresco breakfast. The map shows M'Hamid ( bottom right ) we are not far from
the border with Algeria here. The wall picture shows a fantastic likeness to our
host, co-director and owner of 30 camels, Habib.
Al fresco
breakfast of bread, soft cheese triangles, not Dairy lea but just as
tasty, jam, fresh orange juice and coffee. Time for a quick
Shi-Shi. View of the garden.
Quicker Shi-Shi
for Bear as we had to be off to meet the camels at
08:00 for our trek. My favourite picture, looking between Locheel's ears.
Off we went to the local inhabited
for over 400 years ( Kasbah ). The men have mostly
gone off to work in the city leaving the women to gather
water, tend the children and animals, mend any leaks with home made
plaster ( with water from the well ), the drinking water comes from the village
tap. The Government have helped by adding basic electricity. The newer Mosque, but the hand made original still exists.
Camels parked, they are tethered by tying their rein
to their front leg. This year saw the loss of the date harvest due to the heavy
rains, the last harvest to be lost was the wheat in 1995. Rain may be a nuisance
but with the irregularity no-one complains when they see it.
How a camel tucks
his legs under him. Make sure your camel feels
loved. Big Bear with the two
Ali's
Off into the more barren landscape. We saw a camel
caravan in the centre of the photo. Ali x
2 taking in the view of Timbuktu.
Family snap
time, had to do a Noel Coward photo with a
brolly 'mad dogs and Englishmen'. Lawrence of Arabia
lives on.
After a time of taking in the
extraordinary views over the low dunes, it was back to the
village of M'Hamid, via the M5. Camels seen happily walking with their
women owners walking behind carrying their food supplies. ( we were not
permitted to take photos of the humans ). Shame about the rubbish. Plastic carrier bags are a sad sight, often seen flying
around on the breeze.
The amazing ungulate foot, the folding flap of the
nose and for those who know what I mean, the Camel
Toe. During our trek I got a fit of the giggles, my
camel shut one nose hole against the wind and sand, the other flapped like a
saggy sock. Camels NEVER spooked once against flying rubbish, quad bikes, donkey
and cart, push bike, people shouting in the wind, things a horse would have
freaked at. Their feet just walk over any terrain, stone, sand, sharp stalks and
rubbish. Their gait is a slightly slower roll than a large horse, but faster
than an elephant.
All in all a fantastic experience NOT
to be missed.
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