A Story of California

by Gynene Sullivan

Everything about California was warm, from his chocolate brown eyes, to his golden fur. He smelled of heat, sand, hot leather and sandalwood. He knew I was a first timer. He could tell by the way I climbed gingerly aboard his saddle. Before he stood up, I swear he turned around and winked at me, letting me know I was in good hands for my ride to the Pyramids.

There were many tourists out that day being guided by Egyptian boys along the route to the Pyramids, much more than I though would be out that day. Groups of two and three were riding to the Pyramids on camel and on horseback. We opted for the camels after we heard the "Yee-Hah!" exclamations of other Western tourists on horseback. We sat astride the camel, while the locals sat bedouin-style, with one leg hooked around the saddle horn. The locals looked infinitely more at ease, and would frequently race each other across the open expanse. When I tried to adjust, however, I almost fell off! There is an art to riding comfortably, one that takes weeks or months or years to master.

There is something lyric about seeing a camel in full rollicking gallop. Standing still, he is a gangly tangle of legs with a blocky body and a whip of a tail. At a walking pace, he is jerking along with a rocking and rolling motion that would make Elvis feel comfortable. The camel canter compresses enough force on the rider's back to send him to the chiropractor for weeks. But the gallop is a symphony of motion with the front legs kicking and the back legs pushing, again and again. The rocking motion takes on a rolling, hopping quality. When the camel finally reaches its ground-eating speed of 8-9 miles per hour, all you can do is lean forward, wrap a scarf around your face to keep the sand out of your teeth and hang on. It is a true exercise in letting go all control. Once you get used to the motion, slowing and finally stopping is very disappointing.

I was very sorry to climb down from California - he had been a good ambassador to my first camel experience. My husband, however, did not share my enchantment. He is a strict, two-feet-on-the-ground kind of guy. But he also happens to be very indulgent. I have to start working him to indulge me with camels again....this time in Morocco.