We arrived in Alice Springs this afternoon with just enough time to change clothes for our camel tour. It was cooler than we thought it would be - perhaps low 60s, maybe cooler. We were picked up and driven to the camel farm just outside of town. We were given basic instructions, a helmet and a piece of sheepskin for our tender tushies. Maneuvering on and off the animal wasn't too bad but the greater adventure was when the camel stood up and knelt down. Michael and I were the last ones saddled up on the last camel. But where are the camels you're riding I asked one of the handlers. "Oh, we're not crazy enough to ride camels," she says. The ride was an hour along the Todd River - first along the banks and then in the dry river bed itself. By the end of an hour I had become reacquainted with my tailbone (ouch!). On the way back our camel who was the lead and a male signaled to the other male camel at the farm that he was king. This signal had something to do with what we thought was the biggest tongue we had ever seen come out of his mouth...turns out it was something else (which I'm sure we will have to google).
Part of the adventure was a very good meal of steak or fish with appetizers of camel (tasted much like corned beef) and kangaroo sausages (tasted much like salami). We also had beer bread and sticky date pudding,
Pictures: Michael & Lois on a Camel. Really. Also, some of the landscape along the river, and some birds in a tree along the river. I forgot to ask what kind of birds they are but they are possibly some kind of cockatoo. Will let you know.
1 comment:
Hi Lois,
The birds are Galahs (pron. "ga- LAH", emph. on 2nd syllable) and they are widespread, particularly numerous in cropping areas as they feed on the grain on the ground. On the wing they are spectacular in their large flocks because they alternate silver grey and pink as they wheel. Lovely birds.
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