PHOTO ESSAY: RIDING A CAMEL IN MOROCCO
Hi. My name is Daniel. And these are some photos that I took when I went on a two-day camel riding excursion in Morocco. I was in a group of thirteen people, mostly Europeans with friendly tendencies. We took a windy road from Marrakech, through the crumbling Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains and a city called Ouarazazate, until we reached the Valley of Draa. At this point we got on some camels.
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The roads were very windy. If you are prone to barfing when in bumpy vehicles, maybe this trip is not for you. But if you like stunning peaks and desert skies, you might consider logging off the internet and coming to Morocco.
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If you look closely, you’ll see a Berber village. The Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa.They are known for their savagery in warfare, but luckily I did not get into any fights with them.
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We stopped at many cafes and roadside shacks. At one point I decided that it was time for me to take a number two. But when I saw the facilities, I decided to wait for a bit longer. I’m not whining. I just don’t trust my aim.
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I saw this puppy. And although he did not comprise a large portion of my excursion. I did think he was cute. And I thought I would share it with you. Because EVERYONE loves a cute puppy.
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In my bag, I like to keep a bottle of water, a book and my iPod. This guy had a couple of snakes that he kept in his burlap sacks. I suppose this is just an example of cultural differences.
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These are camels. They all had just one hump, so I suppose we could call them dromedaries. It turns out that everything I was taught in elementary school was wrong. Camels do not store water in their humps as is commonly believed. The humps are actually a reservoir of fatty tissue. Their humps minimizes heat-trapping insulation throughout the rest of their body.
Now you know.
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That’s me. You might mistake me for a wind-swept, desert-trekking, adventure guru. But I’m really just a privileged western man who is posing with some camels.
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This photo is quite artistic. Rather than showing you the camels themselves, I’ve shown their silhouettes, thus referencing the camels in an implicit but stylistic fashion.
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Stuff white people like: Riding camels.
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This was my view.
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I decided to name my camel “Petunia.” After a couple of hours of listening to me singing “My Humps,” she was probably quite fatigued. So I left her to watch the final moments of the sunset.
Oh yes, all those black dots are camel droppings. It was like a giant fucking kitty litter box out there.
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This is the tent-esque hut where we stayed the night. It had all the comforts of home, except for a floor or walls or a bathroom or a fridge or WiFi.
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The Dutch guys sit and relax in the tent after an arduous day of site-seeing and riding dromedaries.
I went in search of a magic lamp.
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I didn’t find a magic lamp. But a delicious typical Moroccan ‘tajine’ dinner was a very decent consolation prize.
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After dinner, the music began. There was drumming and screeching and crazy dancing. A Mexican man convulsed on the dance floor in a fashion that suggested he was releasing an inner demon. Get it out, I say.
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Rather than ending the photo essay with the dance party, I decided to show you the sunrise that came the next morning. It represents a new day, and the never ending cycle of life. Every good story ends with a new beginning.
I suppose this has been a good story.
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I really HAS been a good story.
This made me laugh very hard.
THANKS!
I’m with Mary Ann. Hearty laughter indeed.
I’m pretty sure you said in your “about” section that we would not find any pictures of cute puppies on your blog (not that you have anything against puppies)…what gives!!!!!!!!!!
Love the shots, love the camel, love the commentary – i guess you can keep the puppy
I’m glad you got your fergalious on!
YOU TOTALLY CALLED ME OUT ON THIS ONE!
It’s true. Forgive my inconsistencies. They’re part of my charm.
Daniel… You are a great tour guide. I laughed too. So glad you showed us the comforts of traveling, especially the WC. So, it’s mandatory to practice squatting prior to reserving your vacation in Morocco. Thanks for the heads up. The sunrise was sublime! Can’t wait to see what you will share with us next. Insha’allah!
I am just laughing my heart out enjoying your sense of it all
Your are brilliant
Hey Daniel–
So glad I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago — totally enjoy what you share on Twitter. I think this is the first time I’ve commented. I had to — your words here are quite amusing.
Morocco has been on my list for some time; I’m moving it to the top.
And I had no idea camel droppings were quite small — they look like rabbit droppings. For being bigger creatures, I gathered their droppings to be much larger. (Yet another new thing I’ve learned, in addition to the hump storage.)
Cheers from San Francisco,
Cheri
That was one good story, that one!
Ok, since I has been singled out in class, here’s me comment:
ld: LOL’d
me: knee slap/table slapp LOL
I shall ensure more frequent checking in as payoff in hoots was excellent for a Monday morn.
Great travels indeed!!
Camel on!
You are forgiven for your absence.
THIS PICTURES SAY A LOT IF YOU ARE HUMAN THEY MAKE YOU PAUSE FOR A MOMENT.I ALWAYS TOLD YOU I LIKE YOUR POINT OF VIEW .ITS SO SIMPLE BUT VERY EFFECTIVE.
More photo essays!