They call camels the “Ships of the Desert” as they are the most resilient and efficient form of travel. I actually hadn’t planned on riding a camel. I had been warned, “They spit! They bite!” And other travel bloggers noted that the gate of a camel is awkward and will make you walk funny for days after. But I got caught up in the mystique of the pyramids, and so happily joined my friend on a camel trek in the desert around the Great Pyramids of Giza. Plus it cost so little! Just 120 EGP (plus 10 EGP tip at the end). Thats less than 20 bucks! I had ridden horses before, no problem. After swinging my legs over the saddle, I fortunately remembered you were supposed to lean back as the camel stood up, first with its back legs, and then with its front. But…what no one had warned me was that camels were tall, like really really tall. It must have been another 5 feet taller than a horse up there. My fear of heights took hold, and as we swayed along, I felt like I was going to slide off. I desperately grabbed onto the little knob in front of me with both hands, but it wasn’t big enough for two hands. I gripped for dear life as we went up and down sand dunes. My camel also was walking funny, as it would lift up a leg to try to itch itself while walking, which tilted my saddle at weird angles. It certainly didn’t help my fear. And then my friends, much taller camel kept trying to beat the line, and so its head was right next to my head, its eyes looking into my frighten soul. As I watched the group that went before us, I… Continue Reading
Source: Travel Missteps: Terror on the High Seas – Lili on the Loose
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