The Camel Festival

The next day one of the Saudis took me to the camel beauty competition. I was provided with a VIP pass and guided into the VIP lounge, the only woman again in between all the men. After being served a sumptuous breakfast I watched the most beautiful camels of Saudi stroll past the window. But what constitutes a beautiful camel?
Signs of beauty are a big head, a big hump and a long lip. I am sure there were some more criteria, but those I forgot.
At one of the last year’s beauty competition one camel breeder thought he could trick the judges by enlarging his camels’ by injecting botox. But he was found out and all of his herd was disqualified from the competition.
After the camel competition we go on to the camel wrestling competition. I can judge with my own eyes the difficulty of Steffen's win. I am sitting opposite a large TV screen broadcasting the event, looking around I suddenly realise the camera zooming in, oh no, that's me, zooming in closer and closer, suddenly getting stuck on me. The men around me start whooping and cajoling, I smile into the camera, wave my hand... I mean, what does one do in a situation like this??!! I don't know what's happening, until my Saudi friend, as not to confuse him with others, his name is Mohammed, tells me, that I have just won the newest Apple Iphone. This came in quite handy, as my old phone is on the way out. Of course, this event has to be broadcast as well. By following the instructions given I express my gratitude for this win to the King and the Sheikh XY who has donated my IPhone and sponsored this event.
From now on, when we were walking through the village, we are all congratulated for our wins and invited for dinners and teas.
Ahh! This camel festival! Definitely one highlight of so many of my time in Saudi. So exotic, so exciting, so overwhelming... the atmosphere at the auctions, the smells, the sounds. Impressions of “Arabic Nights”! For hours I strolled across the festival, taking in these impressions. Drinking a cup of coffee or tea here and there, I felt like glimpsing into another world. Absolutely unforgettable.En savoir plus