Ah, the camels. Surprisingly comfortable to ride. The method is to sit on the camel when it is on the ground, then hang on and lean back as they lunge forward to get to standing position.
Camels are still used for transportation, interspersed with the cars in the more local/rural areas. Their hump is made not of water, but of fatty tissue. They withstand heat with their hump as well as their thick fur acting as insulation. They can lose up to 25% of their body weight in long treks across the desert without a problem.
The last photo shows camels (in a residential hallway!) with marking pen all over them, ready for slaughter. We’ve eaten camel tenderloin in Australia, and it was pretty good.
What I haven’t figured out is why the ancient Egyptians didn’t include any pictures of camels in all their temple and tomb chiseling. They showed lots of other animals, but no camels. Does anyone know why?
Way cool! Hey Mike, i received your awesome Christmas card. Thank you very much!! I lost a hard drive so i do have your emial address – please send it. Dan danturlington@msn.com