To get there was an adventure as well. Once reaching the village of Lompoul, we had to contact the Lodge, where we staying, and request a guide to get us to the site. We were told to wait in a certain location in the town and while there were completely mobbed by little children climbing all over the car and trying the door handles. I was glad the doors were locked. After about five intense minutes, our guide arrived and we headed on our way down sandy paths that would fork again and again, making me very glad indeed that we held out for our guide.
Arnie really enjoys driving the 4x4 Land Cruiser and it definitely performed well in the bumpy, sandy paths to the Lompoul Lodge. The only glitch came when we were just in sight of the white tents at the top of the hill and the sand got quite a bit deeper. I was worried that we were going to have to leave the vehicle there and walk the rest of the way, when the guide jumped out and started to deflate the tires! Not knowing anything about off-roading, I looked at Arnie with concern and asked him if he was concerned at all that this man is taking the air out of our tires? Arnie then explained to me that it would make the tires more like a camel's hoof rather than a horse's hoof. Since I still looked confused, he continued to explain that a camel's hoof is wider and spreads more evenly on the sand rather than a horse's compact hoof which would just go right through. With that, the light bulb finally went on in my head. I also realized that by this guy doing this, he was also guaranteeing someone in the village our business in order to fill our tires back up again. Gotta love Africa.
After checking out the place, we took a break in the dining pavilion. The owner of the Lodge gave us complimentary drinks, something I've never had, jus de Baobab. Yep, that's right Baobab juice. I think it is the juice from the pod off the baobab tree but either way it is a milky white substance that reminded me, at least in color and texture, to coconut milk. Not in taste, however. It wasn't too bad and I finished my glass but I just couldn't get over the idea that I was drinking a tree and I kept feeling like I was drinking bark.
Me drinking le jus de baobab
Once done with our drinks, our camels arrived from the village, just in time for a sunset ride around the dunes. This was my first time on a camel and Arnie's first time on a camel using a saddle. He had ridden a camel in Qatar during his deployment and he described a harrowing experience of just jumping on behind the hump and just hanging on. I was grateful for the saddles although they are not very comfortable and they actually put you further from the camel's back than a horse's saddle does. This is very disconcerting since a camel is already taller than a horse to begin with, you end up even higher off the ground. I never did get used to the lumbering gate of the camel and was continually trying to keep the front piece of the saddle that was between my legs from gouging painfully into them, all the while trying to take pictures of the scenery and Arnie. I was very grateful for a fast shutter speed and a camera strap. After a while, I just gave up trying to protect my legs and just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be really sore for several days.
Our guide stopped several times and offered to take our picture. Although Arnie had his little point-and-shoot camera, the camel guy never went for his camera. I think he really liked my big fancy camera and would go at taking pictures of us with all the zeal of a Hollywood model photographer! Most of the pictures he took were not very good, sad to say, but he had a lot of fun taking them :) Thank goodness for digital cameras!!
Arnie and I up on camels about to head out on dunes of Lompoul
Our camel guide pulling my camel up a steep dune.
Our camel guide pulling my camel up a steep dune.
The one thing that I have to say about this adventure was that I have a new appreciation for bed nets!! Perhaps the mosquitos are just now coming back in season so the owners weren't aware or something. At any rate, our tent didn't have a bed net. We were putting bug spray on all night and had to sleep with the covers over our heads all night. It is no fun at all.
Aside from that however, I loved Lompoul. It was like living out of a Laurence of Arabia movie! It was absolutely fabulous!
Aside from that however, I loved Lompoul. It was like living out of a Laurence of Arabia movie! It was absolutely fabulous!
2 comments:
Another grand adventure! Deflating the tires is a good lesson to remember if we ever drive into deep sand.
Megan, I so admire your courage. I would never have been able to get up on that camel saddle. Way too far off solid ground. Love, Aunt Catherine
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