How to Judge a Camel Beauty Contest

Note to readers: This is the final blog of a three part series about our adventure to the Al Dhafra Camel Festival. Top 10 Tips for Enjoying the Al Dhafra Camel Festival, Camel Bling-Bling and How to Judge a Camel Beauty Contest

An Arabian Asayles Beauty Queen.

The first time I heard about a Camel Beauty Contest I laughed. I had no idea these goofy-looking beasts with the big hump had a lot in common with very valuable majestic thoroughbred horses. I learned at the camel festival that a camel’s value, performance and beauty, just like a thoroughbred’s, are determined by their skeletal structure, the sleekness of their coat and the all-important pedigree. Both can cost an absolute fortune.

There is a disparaging saying, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee” because its parts don’t go together. But, I tell you that after our forays into camel festival beauty contests, I believe that a camel is far more complex and has a beauty all-to-its own that can rival a thoroughbred any day. 

Now that Roger and I are semi-pros on the camel festival circuit, I think it is time to impart what we’ve learned about judging a camel’s beauty. I am certain that newly un-employed American Idol judge Simon Cowell is rolling his eyes and touting that little “I can’t believe I am hearing this” smirk. But just eat your heart out Simon, this is way out of your judging league. 

Dhafra Camel Festival - CAMEL BLING-BLING

Note to readers: This is part one of a three part series about our adventure to the Al Dhafra Camel Festival. Top 10 Tips for Enjoying the Al Dhafra Camel Festival, Camel Bling-Bling and How to Judge a Camel Beauty Contest. 

Prized camel beauty contestants showing off their bling-bling.

In all beauty pageants what one wears is most important. Beauty contestants usually get decked out in flowing evening gowns and skimpy swim suits. But camel beauty contestant dress in dazzling bling-bling called hatat. The hatat is artfully draped over the hump and around the neck and face like precious jewels. Actually, some are jewelry as they are made with real gold and semi-precious stones

Roger and I are at the Al Dhafra Camel Festival located just passed Madinat Zayed in the desert off Abu Dhabi Island. Among the many events at this two-week long celebration are camel beauty contests. It is astounding that more than 25,000 camels come from neighboring Gulf countries to compete. And it is even more astounding that in the offering is AED 66,000,000+ ($1,798,365) in prizes for the various contests held during the festival. All this is enticing, but I am most intrigued with the camel bling-bling – a huge business here.  

Top 10 Tips for Enjoying the Al Dhafra Camel Festival, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Note to readers: This is part one of a three part series about our adventure to the Al Dhafra Camel Festival. Coming soon are Camel Bling-Bling and How to Judge a Camel Beauty Contest. 

Stay tuned.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Al Dhafra Camel festival Million Street parade. See Tip#10

There is an art to enjoying a camel festival . . .

If you are looking for an authentic Arab experience, the Dahfra Camel Festival is a must see.

This celebrated festival occurs the last two weeks of December in a desert camp city that sprouts up just outside of Madinat Zayed about a 2 hour ride into the desert from Abu Dhabi. This is a serious festival. At the 2013 Festival, the winners of the various festival competitions took home 50 million dirhams ($13,623,978+) in prize money including 198 top-of-the-line SUVs.    

In 2012, Roger and I ranked this camel festival #2 in our 2012 Top Adventures In and Around Dubai; for 2013 it will retain its #2 slot. We just love getting down with the natives!

So here are my Top 10 Tips for enjoying the one-and-only Dhafra Camel Festival:

My First Omani Wedding . . . A Distinctive Arab Experience

The Bride’s Love Seat

The female security guard discretely slips me through a side door and gestures for me to sit at the table in the corner. The Arabic music is pulsating and the room is reverberating with the nervous energy of 400 women. Suddenly, the lights dim and everyone turns to watch. A bride, dressed in a Western-style long white wedding gown with matching trailing veil has a death grip on her bouquet of roses as she takes very slow measured steps down the center aisle towards the “Bride’s Love Seat.” Her unsmiling face is devoid of emotion.

Following the bride are several bejeweled “bridesmaids” moving en mass like a swarm of bees following their queen. Rising above the pounding music, warbling female tongues emit the zaghareet, the high-pitched ululation made by Arab women to congratulate the bride. The level of noise is deafening but I am not going to miss a moment of this.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - One of the most talked about attractions in the world!

Official image of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

It seems quite a lot of people agree with me that the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is one of the most wonderful places on this earth!

Just this week the UAE newspapers reported that users of TripAdvisor ranked it as number 16 on the list of the top most talked about attractions in the world. It joins the ranks of such iconic global sites as Sydney Harbor, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Central Park in New York City. 

What makes it so special?

2012 Top Adventures In and Around Dubai

Living in Dubai is a never ending adventure and Roger and I are keeping our promise to each other to spend as much time as we can exploring unique experiences in this region of the world. It takes a lot of hard work to keep this promise but someone has to do it!

2012 was an eclectic mix of adventures and here are our 2012 Top Adventures In and Around Dubai.  Even after 2.5  years we are still on the "hunt" for great cultural experiences. With the abundance of things to see and do in this area of the world, we do not lack for opportunities. We are happy to share our top adventures with you and hope you might enjoy them too.

Istanbul Travel . . . St. Savior’s Chora Church - A Treasure among the Sultans’ Jewels.

St. Savior's Church Chora

Istanbul is a city of never ending experiences. Here Roger and I find a few real jewels among the Sultan’s treasures. 

The Seven Hills Hotel with its delicious roof top seafood restaurant overlooking the Bosporus, a horse-drawn phaetom ride through Bayukada in the Princes’ Islands just a short breezy ferry trip from the city and what I consider the highlight of our visit - a small 1300^th century church containing some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes – St. Savior’s Church Chora, in Turkish  - Kariye Műzesi. 

The church is simply the most beautiful I have ever seen.

The Chedi Muscat . . . A Weekend Excursion to Oman

Chedi Muscat

There is something about the lure of a new road that sets Roger’s motor humming! The recently opened highway from Dubai to Fujairah #102 is calling his name.

“Up for little road trip this weekend?” Roger asks.  

I am thinking, why go for just a "little" ride when you can go for a "real" ride and enjoy an entire weekend away?

Responding with a wry grin I offer, “Good Idea. How about a run to Muscat, Oman? I hear the Chedi Muscat hotel is very nice.” 

36 HOURS in DUBAI . . . Top 10 Things to Do and See in Dubai!

Jon & Elaine & the Burj Al Arab

Expats living in Dubai are delighted to have friends and family visit their adopted city. The lucky ones get to stay for an extended period but in many cases it is simply a pass through on the way to/from other travels.  So in a limited amount of time, what are the “must do/see” places in Dubai?

I had to make this decision recently when good friends Jon and Elaine Krupnick stopped by on their way home from an extensive trip to Sri Lanka and India, immediately followed by my sister Paty Barr and her friend Kathryn Brandt who were stopping by to pick up me and Jani Diedam on their way to our excursion to India (more on that later).

Paty & Kathryn's first trip to the desert

MUSANDAM – the Fjords of Arabia . . . A Weekend Excursion from Dubai

The drive from Dubai to Musandam, called the Fjords of Arabia, is described in tour books as being one of raw rustic beauty but otherwise uneventful.

Not so for our intrepid two car caravan.

Diane discovers that camels love her apples.

As we cut across the UAE desert, traveling from the Dubai to the coastline in Ras Al Khaimah, we encounter a small caravan of camels sauntering along the side of the paved desert road.

They appear to be out for a leisurely morning stroll and are totally unfazed by the two SUVs that stop suddenly ejecting eight gleeful expats.

Travel to Turkey - Blue Mosque, Istanbul Turkey . . . An Architectural Treasure Worth every Painful Step

The gradual crescendo of the alarm is a rising torture. Even the beauty of the first morning’s light through the kitschy curtains doesn't help the pain. I can’t believe it is time to start again. Every muscle and bone in my body is screaming for mercy.

I roll over and Roger is already awake. He is just sitting on the side of the bed, hands bracing him up and head hanging low. He slowly turns to look at me and we both just start laughing. The entire situation is so ludicrous that laughter is the only way to relieve the tension.

Katie & Roger at Ephesus

We are on Day 8 of our 10 day tour of Turkey. 

We survived the first five days in Ephesus with minor complaints but Istanbul has been a different situation all together.

DUBAI- ABU DHABI VACATION . . . Russell Foster’s Excellent Adventure

Why is it whenever I suggest to family members that they should come visit us in Dubai I get dead silence and a painful looks? Where are the adventurous genes in our kids? I know it is long 12 hour trip from the east coast of USA and the ticket is a bit steep, but still, we are offering them a once in a lifetime opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and experience a different culture; a culture that is at the forefront of the history being made today.

And, the seven grandchildren have been gifted a ticket by Roger and I. Such a deal!

Ah! At last! One brave soul has picked up the gauntlet. Our oldest son Russell who lives in Denver, Colorado, announces in October that his ticket is bought and he is coming for 10 days in mid November to catch the Formula 1 races. Leave it to the oldest to be the boldest.

PAUL MCCARTNEY. . .ROCK STAR – A Knight On the Run Rocks the Boomers

Sometimes you get lucky! 

Roger’s love of fast cars has us headed to the Third Annual Etihad Airways Formula 1 Race in Abu Dhabi.

Yas Marina Formula1 circuit under the Abu Dhabi moon.

While I will do anything for my darling, three days of ear-splitting revving and screaming of F1 engines speeding endlessly around the track is the ultimate sacrifice of self.

That is, unless you get lucky.

And boy did I!

WHO HAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE GARAGE IN THE WORLD? The "Rainbow" Sheikh

1950 Dodge Power Wagon . .
 64 times bigger than original model

What rises above the dunes of the Arabian Desert outside of Abu Dubai, UAE and contains a vehicle listed in Guinness Book of Records, a 16-foot high Dodge pickup truck and 200+ cars and trucks of various vintages, hues, customizations, and sizes?

The answer: The “most expensive   garage in the world” and site of The Emirates National Car Museum.

Throughout history, and indeed today, a man is judged by the quality of his “steed.”  Arab sheikhs are known for their fondness of exotic and lavish cars and I think this is symbiotic with their ancestors’ attachment to their gloriously sure-footed graceful camels.

Travel to Turkey . . . TŰRKIYE ODYSSEY – PART 2 – Ìstanbul, the Alpha City

Our Türkiye odyssey continues as we travel from the tranquil rustic landscape of the mountains along the Aegean coast to the majestic but jarring urban bustle that is the alpha city of Ìstanbul.

Ìstanbul welcomes us with an overload of sensory experiences; glorious cool weather, obscene traffic jams, lots of hills, more obscene traffic jams, old men sitting at sidewalk cafes, still more obscene traffic jams, lots of bright young people, still more obscene traffic jams and the national drink of Turkey, “lion’s milk” also known as Raki, which relieves all the pain of the traffic jams.

A Raki toast to traffic jams!

We still find Ìstanbul bedazzling with its kinetic, frenzied atmosphere that is contagious from the moment you reach the city.

As the third largest metropolitan city in Europe, after London and Moscow, it is immense. It is the only city in the world that occupies two continents – Europe and Asia.  


Straddling the Bosphorus, a strait that divides Europe and Asia, this alpha city climbs up the hills that ring the city for as far as you can see. We are enthralled by it all. Well, except for the traffic!

Travel to Turkey - TÜRKIYE ODYSSEY . . . A Glimpse of the Land of Emperors, Sultans and one idyllic mountain-top inn

It was a dark and stormy night ... Just kidding!!!! It was a sun-shiny day in Dubai as we boarded our flydubai flight to Istanbul. We are holding true to our promise to travel the surrounding region while living in Dubai. Roger's long standing appreciation of The Crusades and the rise of the Ottoman Empire sends us on a 10-day trek through Tűrkiye.  

         

Katie & Roger with the Blue Mosque at sunset

Our trip begins in a charming, actually drop dead, breath-taking, boutique inn located above a small village in the mountains along the Aegean coast. 

For four days we explore the ancient sites in and around Ephesus. And while the sites are astounding, we often wish we booked a day to just stay and enjoy this little jewel of a hotel perched on the side of a hill.

From there we travel to the “alpha city,” Istanbul, whose grandeur and sheer size completely takes us by surprise. This is a city of never-ending grand palaces, eerie underground cisterns, luxurious harems, jaw-dropping churches and mosques and ancient history on every corner. Our only regret is we leave before even making a dent in visiting all its wonders. Just means we have a great excuse to return! 

   

Weekend Excursion from Dubai . . . BULL-BUTTING IN FUJAIRAH, UAE - This is a lot of bull!

On our third road trip to the Emirate of Fujairah, Roger and I  still marvel at the dramatic twists of landscape as we drive from the humid coastal areas of Dubai, through the unencumbered desert, climbing over the weathered red Hajar Mountains, and quickly descending to the beautiful blue Gulf of Oman shoreline. This time we join the Corvette Arabia club that is hosting a gathering at the Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa. (Be sure to watch the YouTube video of the rally in the postscripts)

As we motor, I am diligently flipping through my Lonely Planet UAE guide in search of something of interest we might have missed on our earlier trips. Eureka!! We are just in time for  . . . bull butting!!

Weekend Excursion from Dubai . . . FALCONS AND OTHER ARABIAN BIRDS OF PREY - The Banyan Tree Al Wadi Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

The sun has not yet peaked over the desert dune outside our villa.  A soft, cool breeze is the only thing interrupting the quiet, predawn calm. Roger is still asleep, but I am up determined to photograph the elusive animals that are said to roam the nature preserve that is our private villa’s “back yard.” 

After almost an hour, my only sightings are small birds that appear just as light begins to crest the ridge.  As the early morning sun lifts higher, the sounds of the desert softly rise and larger birds present themselves.  We have been promised sightings of gazelles and the arabian oryx. I wonder if they will appear.

Travel to Jordan . . . Jordan Journey 2010 -The whole story!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Travel to Jordan . . . JORDAN JOURNEY – BETHANY-BEYOND-THE-JORDAN – The Baptismal Site

One of the best things about traveling with your own tour guide is changing the itinerary if you find something interesting along the way. After the first day of our 8-day odyessy through Jordan, we realize that we are close by a very sacred site and change our itinerary to include a visit to Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan (BYB). This is the site much revered by Christians and Jews. How we missed putting this on our itinerary from the beginning is a mystery. It proves to be the most inspirational place we visit.

“This took place in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptized.” (John 1:28)