Showing posts with label camels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camels. Show all posts

Sunday, March 5, 2017

THE CAMEL FAIR AT NAGUAR

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We arrived at Naguar in the afternoon. This is our tent, which is roomy, comfortable and has a flush toilet. Hot water is available at certain hours of the day so you can plan your showers.   There are no locked doors  but many privacy shades. Quite an amazing place.
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This couple sit at the entrance to the dining tent and play music while we eat. All tips are paid by OAT, but one day I handed over some rupees and she was very grateful to have them. She may have had a small drum one day.
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He showed me his instrument, but they don't speak English so I have no idea what it is called.
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The first thing we did when we arrived was eat lunch and then for Theo and I, it was to bed.
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He has a slight temperature and I gave him half of an Ibuprofen, this is the second time, and he hit the sack. I seem to have caught his cold and we both missed the show in the center of the tent hotel that night.
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A couple of times I peeked out and tried to get a decent picture of the dancers. There were women dancing with piles of plates or pillows on their heads swishing their beautiful skirts and shawls. The music was exciting and the entertainers numerous. A normal camera doesn't have a chance, but it was enjoyable even so. Theo slept through it all.
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In the morning, we both felt well enough to go for a camel ride. Our camel choices were right outside the tent complex.
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I was eyeing this pleasant fellow. He isn't tied up to anything. I talked to him and especially admired the way he sat, with his feet tucked under him. He was  friendly and used to people.
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This camel was acting up and giving his drover a hard time.
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The drovers control them with a set of double reins from behind. It may be this camel is not fully trained.
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Kathy, Sandy and Diane opted for a cart ride. They agreed to hold my purse for me.
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Ellen, Otto and Pam are ready to go, kind of surrounded by  a  group of the curious kids that always want to see tourists. The size of Otto's feet might be the attraction. (No offense, Otto.)
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Chuck, Kris and Trish are in a third cart. I love the carpet in this cart and wonder if it is made from camel hair.
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Theo is all smiles as he gets his ride. And, I got the camel I had my eye on, too.
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Once you get comfortable with the gait, it is a comfortable ride. I took this picture because the kid leading this camel on the left, appeared to be about six years old.
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It is quite a sight to see so many camels in one place. Most of them are for sale.
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This struck me as a cruel way to tether an animal. His haircut design is interesting and he has no painted brand yet. I hope he gets a new owner.
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This young boy was indicating that I should let go with both hands, and I did. These people have such pleasant personalities and a great sense of humor.  It would be difficult to fall off a camel. They are quite safe to ride.dsc09964-copy
Well, I may have to take that back. They aren't running, or on their own. And, Hugo's pack looks like it is slipping off the camel's back.
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It's about a 20 minute ride to the main part of the fair, and we all unload.
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Theo took my picture with my camel. I got to pet him and scratch him behind his ears. He was just a pleasant animal through the whole thing.
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A group of curious girls wanted to look at us. The girl on the left noticed I have gold fillings and she showed me hers, two front teeth with gold.  They want to ask questions, but communicating is kind of hit and miss. Nice. And they love having their pictures taken.
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Ronvir walked us around the fair and I attracted a boy friend.
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It is like our own fairs. You can see the animals, go to a horse race, get a hair cut,  find camp food, watch performances.
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This woman tends the fire while she nurses her child.
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With so many camels around, there is plenty of dung to be hauled away.
I'm having difficulty with pictures, so I'll finish this blog tomorrow.

Monday, June 9, 2014

PASABAG VALLEY, FAIRY CHIMNEYS,AND UNDERGROUND CITY.

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I've had no signal since Friday, and my Turkey experience is coming to a close. Unique topography called fairy chimneys decorates the Pasabag Valley.
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A photo to show you their size. How strange, that this formation stands almost alone.
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Mushrooms come more to mind. Some fairy chimneys were made into rooms, and houses, barns and stables, hundreds of years ago. Now this one serves as a modern office.
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As we hike the terrain changes. We find ourselves in the same valley we flew over in a balloon earlier in the day.

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We enter a natural cave.
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Usla demonstrates by climbing up a the steep back wall of the cave where some unknown hand has carved foot holes in the rock.
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Owen gives it a try and realizes it is easier to climb up then down. His butt turned white from sliding on the chalky surface of this kind of stone.
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We hike farther and now you can see the "rose garden" we were photographing from the balloon ride. The area looks less dramatic then it did from the balloon.
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Higher, we climb.
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It is a gentle climb, and fun, too.
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Owen tops a crest and behind him...DSC06438 (Copy)
...you can see the rim of the volcano that formed this valley. And, the obvious topography we flew over in our balloon. You can double-click, once, then again for a better view of the valley.
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We press on and find a series of houses, some with ordinary doors and windows. A gentleman drives his car near us and we watch as he makes the long hike to his doorway with an armload of what appeared to be groceries.
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It is difficult to reach this cave house, if anyone lives in it.
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It began to rain and we took shelter in this cafe and gift shop under the umbrellas.
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The shower lasted only a few minutes and we didn't stay for tea.
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Everyone noticed the ad mentioning viagra which lead us to ask Usla how Turkish men and women feel about birth control and family size. He told us the government is very interested in limiting population and encourages the use of condoms and other forms of birth control. The people are very responsive to that.
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A vendor offers camel rides.
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Even the camel wears a God's eye.
After lunch, we visited the underground city. During the Hittite era, armies swept cross Asia Minor and this underground city was built to be a very defensible community. Some "houses"  are eight stories high. I stayed above ground, drank a fresh squeezed orange juice and caught up on my journal. Owen visited but didn't bring his camera that day. The passageways are narrow, often sloping but the rooms are well ventilated by air shafts to the surface. Underground cities have cisterns and this one has  homes with enameled food storage places,  next to kitchens. Other areas serve as stables. The underground city is no longer occupied but at one time thousands of people lived in the place.
For a slide show of our balloon trip and hike, click the picture below:
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