Saturday, January 27, 2018

Dubai Camel Races

I finally made it.



8 months ago when I got the job in Abu Dhabi I screamed because I had achieved the 1st of two goals. Working in international radio was first & foremost.


The 2nd was to see with my own eyes what I had previously only seen photos & videos of. The Dubai Camel Races. Dubai  melds the ancient tradition of racing camels with modern day technology by replacing human riders with remote control robots.


The owners ride along side the track controlling the robot and speaking to the camel thru a speaker in the robots chest. It was an enthralling and exciting eperience and not one that Dubai actively promotes. It took me several months to figure out how to get there and when. I hired a private guide who knew the owner of the track and would have inside info on when the races would take place. He told me the track is careful about their schedule because it is meant for locals not a spectacle for throngs of tourists. The guide was brilliant. If I had gone by myself I would have sat in the stands but with him I was able to get a deeper more meaningful experience. We went to the corral and I got to wander around the pit where the camels are dressed and prepared for the races ahead.



Every camel had two emotional support camels of its own. They help keep the racing camel cool calm and collected.



This camel belongs to the prince of Abu Dhabi



My guide knew the guy who designed the starting gate so I got to get super close there as well.




I also got to go on a cross walk above the track to get an aerial view of the race


But my guide went one step beyond what I dared to even secretly dream of and that was to be able to ride with an owner for the entire race.


It was an extraordinary day. Camels are beautiful, intelligent and exude a majesty that even at my best I could never replicate. If you ever make it to UAE find a guide and go to the races. It was the highlight of my time there.

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