Camel Safari, Day Two

The next morning we were treated to a sunrise of flaming pink, purple, and yellows. Not as magical as the sunrise in Nombouri, Mali, but quite stunning. Birds landed on the hump of a camel, silhouetted against the emerging light. The call of peacocks defied the silence. Sheep & goat bells were once again heard. Our kind camel drivers gave us some fresh chai, enabling us to sip the hot drink as we enjoyed the sunrise. Breakfast consumed and gear packed up, we once again were on the move. On the way we stopped by several small villages, including one that was Hindu and another that was Muslim. Still another was occupied by people from the “untouchable” caste. Children ran out to meet us, asking for pens, money, or photos. Most of the homes were constructed out of mud and smoothed with cow dung. Some were circular and had thatched roofs and wooden windows - a picture that could have easily been from Africa. A rickety twig fence held in a small goat. Surrounding the house compound was a wall also made out of mud. Some walls had geometric designs painted in contrasting neutral mud colors. Others were painted white and had turquoise and terra-cotta colored decorations. Near a circular hut with a linear “tree of life” design painted on the outside sat an older woman. Around her upper arms were bangles made from tapering sizes of white plastic bands. From a metal pot she poured out some fresh yogurt for us to taste. A younger woman was busy milking a cow. Inside a rather spartan hut some stick-like pictographs were spotted. One boy had fun taking photos with my friend’s camera and actually composed some good pictures. Would he ever had the opportunity to develop his compositional talent, we wondered? How fortunate we are, that the situation and place we were born into as afforded us with many opportunities and experiences. With limited education, meager finances, and isolated dwelling, his are far more limited….

See more photos of our camel safari on Flickr

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