A Camel Named Sungura

September 4, 2005

While in Morocco, I had the chance to ride a camel but the moment passed.

Now, here in Tanzania, at a place where they hold a well-known annual camel race, I was not going to let the opportunity slip by again. What can I say? I like camels.

It might be a very touristy thing to do, but I'd rather ride a camel out to the village at Meserani than walk. I think it cost me and Jeff about three dollars.

I chose the camel with the number two spray-painted on the side of his long neck because he had a nice-looking face (for a camel) and didn't seem to object to me scratching his ears. Some of the other camels were already groaning and snorting with abandon as they sat in their line waitng for us to mount, but not Sungura.

Sungura means "rabbit" in Kiswahili and one of the men handling the camels told me that it meant he was quick like a rabbit.

I didn't notice Sungura being particularly fast, but he was a very independent-minded animal. During our twenty-minute trek to the village, our camel broke his rope that tethered him to the rest of the caravan and danced nimbly out of line.

For a minute or two, the camel handler tried in vain to get Sungura to put his head down for a rope. He was very reluctant. I leaned forward in the saddle and tried to help by pushing his neck, but camel necks are strong. It was pretty funny. I couldn't help laughing.

I liked riding a camel. The saddle was broad and soft and comfortable with large, flat wooden planks at the sides to rest your feet on. There is an easy back-and-forth motion that is much more enjoyable than being on horseback to me.

Jeff didn't like it as much as me, but it was probably because he was sitting behind me and had to lean far forward to hold the metal saddle handles which jutted at the saddle's front in a V-shape. It was better for him after he learned to lean back a little and just hold my waist.

The part of the ride which was a little less relaxing was the sharp lurch down as the camel kneels to let you off. One sharp lurch forward and then one back. Actually, being on top of a camel as it gathers its knobbly knees under itself and stands up is also rather breath-taking. You don't really realize how tall camels are until you're up on one looking down.