With the rapid transformation of the UAE, we tend to forget that, until quite recently, many people lived a nomadic life and relied entirely on camels – "the ships of the desert" – for transport. A 13-member group of Emiratis and expatriates plans to relive that experience by taking a week-long trek through the desert from the Nakhra area of Dubai to Global Village, riding camels for up to 50 kilometres a day, navigating by traditional methods and setting up their tents before sunset.
But why would anyone want to travel a long distance on a camel in an age of trains, trams, planes and automobiles? Perhaps it’s a sense of nostalgia, an urge to get closer to their roots, or a desire to embrace the mysteries of the desert. Or simply a matter of taking the time to smell the desert roses.
But how many of us would actually have the patience for it? And, from a purely practical viewpoint, where in a big city do you hitch your camel when the journey is over?
