Thursday, January 15, 2015

Camel Races

Last Saturday some friends asked us to go to the camel races with them.  We thought sure, why not?  One thing I have learned living in a foreign country is that everything is an adventure.  Especially with children.  And this is not just Kuwait, this was the same in Russia also.

We must drive out to Kabd to go the camel races.  We are caravanning so we don't get lost.  Well as everything here the directions are in Arabic and of course they don't correspond to google maps or a garmin.  So of course we get lost.  We drive quite a bit out of the way, enough that Owen points out several times that we are in the desert.  Why yes Owen we are.  We live in the desert.  The further out you get the more trash you see and interesting sites.  We saw at least 2 burned up cars.  I guess if they wreck in the desert they BURN!!!

And their were many people stuck in the sand.  They didn't want to wait for the next U turn spot so they thought they could just drive through the sandy medium.  Well it is deeper than they thought.  And then of course lots of trash and some of who knows what is going on?  We followed the directions to a road that was newly paved for about 500 feet and then ended to desert.  Nice road to nowhere.


And then you find a bit of God's beauty in the midst of it all.  

So we head back in the other direction and take a different route.  We have a feeling we are headed in the right direction now because we started seeing camels, places you can ride camels, and random stuff for sale on the side of the road.




We finally arrive at the camel races.  Nothing like being greeted in the lobby by a stuffed baby camel.


We proceed upstairs to sit.  The first two sections are for the Arabic men.  There are no women there unless you are a foreigner.  We sat over far to the left.  The camels race around and have a robot on their back that will whip them.  A man came over and claimed this is a family sport since they only whip at the beginning and the end.  The owners drive around in their trucks with a remote to control the robot.  




You can also go outside and watch them cross the finish line.  David snapped this great shot of Eli and me.  Obviously someone has discovered their nose.


It was apparently a VIP day at the race tracks.  A member of the royal family showed up, so they did special things that day.  We lucked out.  They gave free drinks and rolled out red carpet.  And did some ceremonies that I don't understand.



This little boy was really getting down with the music.  It was only performers outside and then him over to the side dancing like I don't have a care in the world and I will do what I please.

 And here we are at the end.  Eli wanted to go outside and see the 'amels.'  He loves camels.

After all was done with the award ceremony everybody fled super fast.  I still had to take Owen to the bathroom and everybody was gone and picked up.  It is something that I will do again and I am glad I did it at least once.  Owen wants to go the camel races everyday.  I am not sure he actually watched the races.  He spent most of the time running around like a chicken with his head cut off.  Of course so did Eli and our friends kids.  It was great and I am surprised that I am able to write about seeing camel races.  I am pretty sure this Arkansan never thought she would be writing about most of the stuff she does.  

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