{"id":1368,"date":"2018-05-21T09:30:15","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T09:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.camelvoyages.com\/?p=1368"},"modified":"2020-11-22T15:15:24","modified_gmt":"2020-11-22T15:15:24","slug":"a-crescent-moon-caterpillars-and-a-new-camel-saddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.camelvoyages.com\/?p=1368","title":{"rendered":"A Crescent Moon, Caterpillars and a new Camel Saddle!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ever-changing skies – light fluffy clouds. And below, making camp under a threatening sky!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Twenty four hours out in the open air under the <\/strong>ever-changing<\/strong> skies is my idea of bliss, even though it can mean adjusting to four seasons in one day.\u00a0It happened to be the time of the new moon, Hilal in Arabic, and in one month from now, this same heavenly crescent will herald the start of Ramadan.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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We travelled at a leisurely pace, allowing the dromedaries to graze as we went.\u00a0 It was important for them to benefit from the nourishing wild herbs before bracing themselves for the ups and downs of the precariously steep dunes, fetlock deep in sinking sand.\u00a0 The frequent stretches of vegetation we encountered along the way were home to giant green caterpillars, appropriately camouflaged on their made to match homes of bright green stalks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Zeydoun<\/strong> has a smart new saddle, woven by Adel\u2019s sister-in-law.\u00a0Thanks to my Pilates classes which I began last January, I was able to do it justice by getting on and off my camel without requiring any assistance from Ali whose knee used to be the best possible substitute for a mounting block.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the fourth morning of our <\/strong>five-day<\/strong> voyage, we awoke to blue sky and warm sunshine.\u00a0 We set off after breakfast in perfect conditions \u2013 not too hot, the odd fluffy cloud, and the gentlest of breezes.\u00a0 After a hearty lunch of thick, spicy vegetable soup cooked over the <\/strong>campfire<\/strong>, accompanied by Ali\u2019s legendary freshly baked unleavened bread \u2013 ideal for dunking \u2013 the weather did an about turn.
\n<\/strong>Within minutes, we were exposed to the full force of a fierce <\/strong>sandstorm<\/strong>.\u00a0 Adel was anxious to reach a sheltered spot for our overnight camp, so there was nothing for it but to battle through la temp\u00eate, heads bowed and tightly scarved against the relentless cascades of stinging sand.\u00a0\u00a0 After a two and a half hour ride of non-existent visibility, I was mightily relieved to see my tent being pitched in a shallow valley of established broom bushes.\u00a0 There was only one drawback \u2013 the network of roots supporting these shrubs, so I was told, are a haven for scorpions, but thankfully, because it was a chilly night, these <\/strong>land-loving<\/strong> crustaceans were not tempted to venture beyond the comfort of their own burrows.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A rather more enlightening morsel of information I gleaned from Adel and Ali was that 2018 has been the best season in years for the desert truffle, known as Terfes, which are highly valued for their culinary and medicinal qualities.\u00a0Adel\u2019s Bedouin mother seeks them out in the Sahara, usually in March, but I gather these delicacies are much in demand from chefs across the globe.\u00a0 Tataouine is one of the main regions for this lucrative trade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Detail of Zeydoun’s new saddle.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Our final day was as calm and still as the previous one had been stormy and turbulent.\u00a0 We enjoyed our elevenses under the tamarisk trees, within sight of Sabria, where a warm welcome from Adel\u2019s and Ali\u2019s families awaited our safe return.\u00a0 It was lovely to have an hour or so to play with the children, whose latest game is to take it in turns to blow a feather high into the air, and see who\u2019s the cleverest at stopping its downward spiral\u2026\u2026..endless fun to be had by all, and a fairytale ending to my April camel voyage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I got back to the Hotel Sahara Douz, Geoffrey too had a happy tale to tell. Belgacem, our entrepreneurial driver and very dear friend, had introduced him to Khalifa, a former maths teacher originally from Gabes.\u00a0Khalifa now runs his own newly constructed school in nearby El Goula, a flourishing town built on high ground, the Tunisian equivalent of Hampstead! Here, around one hundred boys and girls, aged between eight and fourteen, attend English and French Language evening classes.\u00a0 Khalifa asked Geoffrey if he would agree to come and speak to his students in English.\u00a0 To receive such a unique and unexpected request was an honour.\u00a0 The two evenings Geoffrey spent engaging these enthusiastic young people in English conversation was a rewarding <\/strong>experience<\/strong> and one that he will unhesitatingly repeat during our next visit to Douz.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A peaceful sunset with Zeydoun!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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And finally, a Waxing Crescent Moon!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty four hours out in the open air under the ever-changing skies is my idea of bliss, even though it …<\/p>\n

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