Lalu and Babalu - Our Ships of the Desert

Do you hear strains of the
Lawrence of Arabia theme?

I’ve always had a bit of a fear of camels - their prehistoric looking bodies, rectangular-shaped heads with teeth like a set of dominoes.

The truth is you just have to meet the right camel.

We were about to embark on a ride out to the sand dunes to watch the setting sun.  Lalu and Babalu were waiting for us, sitting patiently on the ground, their large padded feet tucked out of sight with colourful blankets draped over their boney bodies.

Waiting patiently for the fare

The relatively easy part is climbing “on board” when the camel is sitting comfortably on the ground. The more challenging part is hanging on as one part of the camel rises, followed by the rest of him.  Leaning in the right direction in the saddle as this occurs tells the world you know what you’re doing.

Seat belt optional

Comfortably aloft, we set off along the dusty trail to the sweeping dunes - Pakistan a mere 40 miles away.

The sun was low in the sky and you could feel the heat draining from the desert.

Camels have such aristocratic faces - maybe it’s the way the reigns hold their heads in position but they just seem to look superior, holding their noses high in the air, their bright eyes focussed on what lies ahead.  

On the negative side, a camel’s bodily functions are loud and frequent. Lalu would occasionally froth at the mouth as he sensed a female camel in the distance. 

The professionals .... now how do we get off?

Sure footed and steady, Lalu and Babalu, our ships of the desert gently traversed the sand dunes.  We took in the last rays of the setting sun before returning to our hotel.

Some of the more adventurous spent the night in a tented area near the dunes - I kept thinking about the profusion of cobras in the desert and liked our choice better.