Camel Riding: a Mixed Report

We just got back from a four day stint in the Sahara, including six hours of camel riding. Actually, they were dromedaries, but in order to continue the Moroccan 'camel riding' charade, I'll call them camels. Fortunately, this did not involve six straight hours of pain, but only four lots of one and a half hours worth of pain (plus the many hours of associated muscle soreness). This picture represents our first introduction to camels, and it pretty much set the tone for the rest of the trip!

Nevertheless we hopped on board, wearing the latest in Berber fashions, only to experience a one and a half hour ride involving bumping, chafing and motion sickness - in the dark! We then got up at sunrise to repeat the whole experience, except on muscles that were already incredibly tender and sore.

Luckily, our next camel experience was much better, making the whole trip worthwhile. This one occured in the proper Sahara desert, with thicker saddles and soft sand, which absorbed much of the impact. Even if the pain had been as bad, this was offset by the stunning beauty of the Saharan desert. Seeing as 'by camel' is the only way to appreciate this, I would definitely recommend it!