Riding a Camel

                                      Not the same as riding a horse

     When we were in Alice Springs in the Australian Outback, to break up the long ride, we stopped at a camel farm where I learned Australia is the largest producer of camels in the world, and they are exported all over the globe.

    My travel  buddy and I are always ready to try anything new, so we decided to take a camel ride. Even if either of was an equestrian, this would be a different experience. The animal handler gave us advice on what to expect when the camel got up or down.

    For easy mounting the camel was lying down. We each took a seat on a double saddle. A camel stands on his hind legs first giving one a slight thrust forward, but nothing to get excited or shout about.

    One does not bounce in the saddle like on a horse. The ride was a rather bumpy one and we agreed that an all-day ride on a camel would seem very long.

    Back in the corral the camel went down on command, The fore-legs go down first creating a sizable jolt that produced a spontaneous, simultaneous whoop from both of us. However, we did manage to survive that forward thrust and stayed in the saddle. The hind legs going down was tame in comparison.

    As  I wandered into the museum I remarked  that it  had been a different kind of ride but a fun experience.

    A couple years later I rode a camel at a local ranch, but that time boarded the camel from a platform which was easier and the camel was a single hump one. That ride reconfirmed that I would not want to ride a camel all day long. They make wonderful pack animals and I’m willing to leave it at that!

HOT AIR BALOON EXPERIENCES

                                     Fun Exciting  Rides

      The hot air balloon ride in Kenya over the Masai Mara was not my first balloon ride but it was certainly an exciting one. We were awakened in what I call the middle of the night for the early morning flight.

     The balloon rose up into the sky just as the sun peeked over the horizon. Floating over the Mara the only noise breaking the incredible silence was the occasional swoosh of the helium being pumped up into the balloon. The swooshing noise did not seem to bother the animals below. We floated right over their heads so the animals were not dwarfed by height. One gets an entirely different perspective in the air than on the ground.  It was wonderful just watching the wild animals doing their thing in the wild.  

     With no roads, the support van could follow the balloon to the landing site shortly after the balloon descended into an open field. In record time the galley appeared and a delightful champagne  brunch, including eggs to order, was enjoyed. What a delightful morning!

     In the Australian Outback the wake up call came at 3:15 AM—again  the middle of the night for most people. We rolled out of bed, dressed quickly and loaded the van for the short ride to the field where our balloon waited  for us, deflated on the ground. This time we all pitched in to pull out and arrange the balloon so it was ready to be inflated. Once it was upright we stepped up into the basket ready for an early morning take off.

     At daybreak we floated over browsing cattle and wild horses running on the plain below, Mobs of kangaroos were hopping everywhere. We were considerably higher on this flight. We floated under a cloudless sky.  Away from civilization the silence is incredible.

     I tried to capture a spectacular sunrise on film but was not successful. As the day lightened we spotted several other balloons in the air.

     All too soon it was time to desend. After a safe landing everyone helped to fold the  big balloon and pack it away in its compact holding case. Instead of a field brunch we headed back to town to a tavern that had opened early just for us. We all enjoyed the traditional champagne brunch  in a nice atmosphere.  We drank and ate as lively conversation flowed. The comfortable patio chairs were conducive to relaxing on the that clear warm morning. What a fun way to start a day!