RAMADAN REFLECTIONS

VIMTO - POPULAR BEVERAGE DURING RAMADAN

CRESCENT MOON - RAMADAN MALL DECOR

MALL RAMADAN DISPLAY

RAMADAN LAMPS OUTSIDE THE MALL

RAMADAN DECOR INSIDE THE MALL

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LINKING TO - WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

VARIED TERRAIN OF SAUDI ARABIA

DESERT - HOME TO THE CAMEL

MOUNTAINS & STREAMS IN THE SOUTH

FERTILE FARM OUTSIDE OF JEDDAH

LAGOONS ON THE RED SEA, WEST COAST OF KSA

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LINKING TO - CITY DAILY PHOTO

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

 

WEEKEND ROUNDUP - LETTER "Q"

STARTS WITH "Q" - "QUADRUPED" IS AN ANIMAL WITH 4 FEET

A FAVORITE - "QUILT" OF A SAUDI DOOR (SAW IT AT A BAZAAR)

"QUALITY" - SAUDI GOLD IS PRIZED FOR ITS HIGH QUALITY

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FRIDAY BLISS

 

WEEKEND REFLECTION & ROUNDUP - LETTER "K"

STARTS WITH "K" - "KIOSK" IN THE MALL

SOME MIGHT THINK A CAMEL RESTAURANT IS A LITTLE "KOOKY"

A FAVORITE AMONG THE SAUDI PEOPLE - THE "KING"

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THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP

 

WEEKEND ROUNDUP VARIETY PACK

"UMBRELLA" - STARTS WITH "U" - MISWAK VENDOR IN AL BALAD

A FAVORITE - CAMELS ARE "UNGULATES" 

"UNDER THE UMBRELLA" - WAITING FOR CEMENT WORK 

LINKING TO - THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP

Saudi Arabia Camels in the Desert

I think this is one of the most beautiful camel photos I've ever seen.  White camels are the rarest and they really stand out amidst the lavender colored wildflowers and the reddish soil.  

The silhouette camel photo below is also very special.  It was a matter of taking it at just the right time being in the right place.

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely photos of the desert camels of Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

THIS POST LINKS TO - 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 

THROUGH MY LENS 

Camel Humps and Scars

Like other animals, camels develop a thick warm winter coat for the colder months. When the weather warms up, they shed the excess fur, oftentimes in chunky clumps.  The last to go is usually atop its hump. 

Many camels have scars on their bodies and legs from running into barbed wire, which is used to corral the animals. 

Camel Profiles and Brand

This post shows the wide variation of colors that camels in Saudi Arabia come in. One humped dromedary camels are native to the kindgom.  Camels are brilliantly designed to live in hot desert climates like Saudi Arabia. Thick padding on their knees and chests allows camels to rest comfortably on the hot sand.  They have the capability of completely closing their nostrils during sandstorms, plus they have 3 sets of eyelids and an extra row of eyelashes to keep blowing sand out of their eyes.  Their thick but pliable lips give them access to thorny desert plants for nourishment, which are inaccessible to other creatures. 

Contrary to popular belief, camel humps do not store water - the humps store fat which enable them to go for months without other nourishment. Camels can run as fast as 40 miles an hour! The gestation period is 14 months. Branding with a hot iron is common, but spray paint branding is also done. The Arabic word for camel that I am familiar with is "jamel," but there are more than 160 different terms for camel in Arabic! 

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

White Camel

I still get a thrill when I see camels here in Saudi Arabia.  White camels are much more rare than camels that come in every shade of brown imaginable.  My husband likes to get fresh camel milk which is reputedly healthier for humans than cow's milk. It's great in coffee and for making things like flan. 

Our World - Saudi Arabia - Camel Sighting!

Even though I've been living in Saudi Arabia for over eleven years now, I still get all excited when I see camels in the desert.  These photos were taken in the unique landscape of sand and sandstone mountains in the Al Ula area, which is more than 500 kilometers from Jeddah, where I live.

This herd of camels is much darker in color than the ones I usually see closer to Jeddah.  Arabian camels can range in color from black to almost white, and every shade of brown in between, and they only have one hump, which means they are dromedary camels. 

I'm sure my friend Laura got much better camel photos than I did with my camera phone!  Laura writes the blog Blue Abaya.  She has explored more places in Saudi Arabia than anyone else I know.  Her videos and photos of this kingdom are truly spectacular.  You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @BlueAbaya

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Saudi Arabia - No Camel No Run

So camels won't run off from the herd, often their front legs will be tied together with rope, as you see here in this photo.  I've also seen camels with one of their front legs bent and tied up for other purposes like training and managing them, as I explained in this previous post.  

Saudi Arabia's Dromedary Camel

This camel was resting in the shade of a bush in the desert.  Yes, that's camel poop in the lower left corner of the top photo - pretty small for such a large animal, don't ya think?  That scar on the camel's hip is actually a branding mark indicating its owner.

Camels are well suited for desert survival.  Its long legs keep its body farther from the hot desert sand, keeping it cooler.  The soles of the camel's feet have a thick built in pad like the sole of a shoe which allows the camel to walk on the hot desert sand and rocks without feeling the heat at all.  Camel's eyes have lustrously long thick eyelashes which give protection from the sun and blowing sand.

Even the camel's nostrils and ears are designed to keep sand out while at the same time allowing for optimum function.  Its tough hide is covered with hair and tufts of hair in some places, providing protection from the hot sun and sandstorms.  And of course everyone knows that the dromedary camel's hump is made up of fat, which can be converted into energy for the animal when needed.  This unique capability allows the camel to survive in the desert for several days at a time without food or water.

SkyWatch: Saudi Arabia Camel Sighting

We saw so many camels recently during our four hour drive from Jeddah to Yanbu for the 2018 Flower Festival.  One camel herd we saw consisted almost entirely of white camels shown in this post.  Camels can range in color from black to brown to gold to white, with white being the most rare.  Saudi Arabia is home to the dromedary camel which has only one hump.

Interestingly enough, a camel scandal in January of this year occurred during the big annual Camel Beauty Contest here in Saudi Arabia when twelve contestants were disqualified from the competition - for using botox to make their lips more full and attractive.  The hefty prize money of 20 million riyals apparently was too much temptation for some desperate camel owners who just couldn't help themselves by trying to cheat. Very rules strict are enforced in the no-nonsense contest which include no plastic surgery allowed on the camels, no drugs injected into the lips, and no shaved or clipped body parts.

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

SkyWatch: Jeddah Camel Sculpture at Sunset

A far off sunset shot of the Camel Roundabout in Obhur, the northern beach area of Jeddah.  Made of concrete, the two camels are pretty far apart within the traffic circle and each camel is comprised of three separated pieces which are not connected.  Artist: Rabi Al Akhras

To see photos of this camel sculpture in more detail:

Camel Sculpture of Obhur 

Camel Sculptures

Camel Sculpture


To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Saudi Arabia Holiday Decor

There are not outward signs of the Christmas season here in Saudi Arabia. but in the privacy of their own homes, Christians can decorate and celebrate.  This cute golden camel decorated with shiny ornaments was on display at a friend's home.  I thought it was really cute.