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November 2005 Newsletter
Howdy folks! Sorry if some of y'all are receiving this twice- my computer hiccupped while sending.
October and November have really been busy...
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October 27, 28 and 29 I had the distinct pleasure of trekking with John H. of Houston in the Big Bend region of Texas.
John had first contacted me regarding a Sinai trip and thought that a few days in Texas working and riding camels would be good preparation. The weather was beautiful and John and I had a great time. His interests include languages, geography and so many other things; conversation was never hard to come by.
We covered camel handling, from hobbling to saddling and loading gear. John got the opportunity to ride both Richard, my nine-year old Arabian camel and Gobi, my 13-year old Bactrian camel. John quickly became familiar with camels’ dietary preferences among native plants. Tops on this trip’s list were catclaw and hackberry. Mule deer and javelina were sighted, but the true animal story of note was the visit to our camp by two donkeys on the afternoon of day one.
Initially filled with trepidation, the two burros kept their distance, but by 5 a.m. hunger and cunning overtook them. Sadly, sleep had overtaken John and me and neither of us heard the two thieves rifling through our food stores. Leaving food out in the open is a basic camping no-no and breaking this cardinal rule should have been enough egg on my face, but alas, the donkeys felt the need to add salt to the wound and eat all of our bread products. Discerning donkeys, these two, leaving no tortillas, no pita bread, no Mexican bolillo rolls and no snack chips for lunches. This infraction earned them the moniker "Frito Banditos". I also addressed them as a couple of...now that would just be too easy of a joke, wouldn’t it?
An interesting side note: at the spot we camped, which was a new area to me and the camels, Gobi and Richard were bitten incessantly around the prepuce (the sheath of skin that protects the penis) by some sort of bug. I reckon ants. The skin around the area became inflamed and the port through which the camel passes urine was really swollen and red. Ever dutiful, I examined both camels and determined to move them to different areas and rubbed the affected regions with Benadryl cream. Throughout the evening, John and I took great care to note when either camel urinated. First thing the next morning, I checked the ground in the vicinity they’d been tied and was able to discern through keen olfactory investigation that they had indeed voided overnight as well. John and I must have been quite a sight that next day, trekking with our pack animals upward to around 5,000 feet elevation, stopping periodically on the trail to celebrate each time the camels peed!
Visiting the area’s mining ruins from the early 20th century and trekking to a high waterfall were another couple of highlights, but I think John would agree the daily foot soak in Cibolo creek might rank as the top memory! The donkey debacle and perturbed penises notwithstanding, the trip was exactly the reason I continue to do what I do. Thanks, John.
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The first four days of November took camels Richard, Cinco, Virgie and Ibrahim to El Paso, Texas for a film shoot. Towers Productions, Inc. of Chicago (www.towersproductions.com) hired the camels and me for an original History Channel production called "Secrets of the Qur’an" about the beginnings of Islam. When I first got the call, I told the production assistant they’d found the right guy! There might be other folks who could provide camels for film, but I felt certain that they’d find no other who would have the cultural insight, not to mention authentic saddles and accoutrements to make the shoot as real as possible. All of this, I said, in my humble opinion.
This was actually the fourth time a production company had contacted me for camels for various programs on THC and each time the deal had fallen through, each time for a different reason, from lack of budget to show cancellation. This being the case, I was really eager, but cautiously optimistic about the chances of seeing this one through, but in the end the project came to fruition.
The four working days were long, beginning at 5 a.m. and not ending until our return to the hotel around 8 each evening, but time on the set was generally pretty relaxed and laid back. The production folks were totally sensitive to the camels, my need to keep the camels happy on set and they made the entire process very enjoyable. The location was east of El Paso, north of Interstate 10 at a spot out in the desert that has also doubled for Iraq in the movie "Courage Under Fire". A beautiful landscape indeed, this time filling in for western Arabia, specifically Medina and Mecca.
The majority of the shots called for the camels to cross the frame in the foreground or the background- easy stuff more or less. Others required the camels to stand tied somewhere in the scene while having goods loaded or unloaded, again easy, but the camel can get bored, so you end up dropping a little hay in front of the camel to keep him/her occupied. Oh, Hollywood magic.
Probably the most aggressive scene required some riding down a creek bed past some fighting soldiers. We made sure to pass well to the right of the mayhem and the two camels, Richard and Cinco did well. Surprisingly, a soldier on horseback quickly spinning around spooked my mount, Cinco, and she bucked a bit, but yours truly, faithful to the cause remained in the saddle.
The last day we shot was just after the end of Ramadan and the narrow, crescent moon that hung low in the sky seemed like an appropriate blessing as our part of the production ended. Visually, the entire production really looked fabulous and I hope the final cut looks as awesome as some of the dailies we were fortunate enough to see. Look for the program to air in February, 2006 and images from the shoot to appear on my web site’s TV/Film Production page soon. Big thanks to Michael Charske, location manager and TPI for hiring us. Biggest of thanks to Jim Hale of the American Camel Company for riding and wrangling camels, keeping my blood pressure low and my laugh meter high.
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Also in early November, I received a thank you letter from the folks at Textile Fabric Consultants, Inc. (www.textilefabric.com) for my donation of a box of camel hair. These folks use various fibers for teaching textile students and instructors and I was pleased to share with them. I frequently am asked for camel hair by local spinning guilds or simply fiber hobbyists. Sometimes I receive small things made from my own camels’ hair. Among the items are wall hangings, rope and even a pair of socks! Spring to early summer is the time of year the camels naturally shed and I spend the greater part of that time brushing it out. If you folks know of anyone who hobbies, please let them know I’m happy to "share the hair".
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My November trip to Arizona, working for VisionQuest (www.vq.com) was really rewarding. Four of the youth in that program and I attended the annual American Heritage Weekend in Phoenix over Veteran’s Day weekend, portraying the 19th century US Army Camel Corps. For images, go to www.wemakehistory.com. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno had a correspondent out and about and I'm told that the footage they shot of the camels made it on air the following week. I’d been instructing this group of boys for the last three months, teaching them not only camel handling, but also the history of camels in America. They exceeded all expectations and handled the 6,000-plus people like consummate professionals. Their language and behavior were exemplary and Dean, Joe, Eric and Matthew really made an impact on the event’s visitors. The trip was particularly meaningful for me, because one of the young men, Joe K. of Tucson, was set to discharge from the court-appointed program on a Tuesday, two days before the event, but elected to stay in the program an additional four days to participate in the reenactment. On our way back through Tucson, I had the honor of personally turning Joe back over to his family. The relationships I create through this program mean so much to me and I wish each of the boys the best as they return to their families.
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On November 17/18, I guided probably the most unique camel trek I’ve ever been acquainted with. It was for a group of 5 gentlemen from New York who were participating in a "training mission" with a former US Armed Forces Special Operations (specops) member who puts together these types of events. It also afforded me the opportunity to pack two live chickens on my camels (more on this below)!
My part was simply to transport their equipment through the dunes of Monahans Sandhills State Park in West Texas. The real challenge was that we were to move overnight, beginning around 9 p.m. and I’d never done any night trekking with the camels. Fortunately, we were just on the backside of the full moon and the dunes were lit up and glowing. It was beautiful.
Each team member was given a code name. I was Mr. D. and my good friend Steven Evans was Mr. S., but the others were given the names Mr. Blue, Mr. Big, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blonde, Mr. White. The specops fella, Myke, was Mr. H.
We made about 60 minutes north into the dunes when I selected a campsite. Steven and I began to set up camp and build a fire while the guests undertook a 3 on 3 paint ball exercise by moonlight. Another individual, hired by Myke, came in and rifled through the fellas’ baggage to make them think their stuff had been messed with by illegals or an "aggressor". When they returned from their war games, they settled in for some drinks and stories around the fire.
When morning came, Steven and I were up before the group and had the fire going, but I realized I’d forgotten coffee! It wasn’t long before Myke was awake and as a military man does, adapted and overcame. The breakfast I’d planned would be discreetly packed away and the group would be told that during the night, illegals came through (not an altogether unlikely scenario in these parts) and took all our foodstuffs. Enter the chickens. Purchased ahead of time by Steven and transported most carefully and unknowingly by my Bactrian camel Gobi, the two hens were rendered by Myke and one of the gents from New York then promptly grilled for breakfast. I did say unique in the first line, right?
The rest of the morning was spent trekking through the dunes, returning the "soldiers" to their awaiting SUV’s for more adventures south. While saying goodbye, it was my duty to pass to Mr. Big a briefcase that had been hauled on one of the camels, warning of imminent danger if it didn’t make it down to the border of Texas/Mexico. He was to pass it along to the next contact and say the code word "cloud", expecting the reply "Cinco". I thought this was too funny as one of the camels on the trip was named Cinco! Mr. Big took the briefcase with a most serious look on his face and the group headed for the border. If by the time you read this you’ve heard of a group of New Yorkers detained, arrested or otherwise entangled with the law in those parts, this message will self destruct and its author will completely disavow knowledge of any goings-on. I will, however, happily give Steven’s address and phone number.
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The September/October Saudi Aramco World magazine just arrived and I’m proud as can be. There are two articles to which I have a connection. The first is about Oman’s presence on the National Mall this summer as part of the Smithsonian’s annual Folklife Festival. You may recall I provided two Arabian camels and presented programs as part of the exhibit. Texas Camel Corps receives a mention and I’m quoted in the article a couple of times in relation to camels and Omani camel culture.
The other article is about the new Arab-American museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It was my distinct honor, earlier this year, to have donated photos and an original, 19th-century, US Army camel bell for the museum to replicate and use as permanent display items in their exhibit on Hadji Ali. "Hi Jolly", as he was called by the Americans, was hired by the military to instruct US soldiers in camel handling for crossing the desert Southwest.
Check out their online version, with archives, at: www.saudiaramcoworld.com. This world-class publication is available by FREE subscription, simply by writing to: Saudi Aramco World, Box 469008, Escondido, CA 92046-9008
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Now, it looks as though the 2006 Sinai trip dates are set. January 25 is the date for our group’s first get together in Cairo and February 3 will be the date of our last activity. The itinerary is as follows:
January 25: group dinner in Cairo this evening
January 26: transfer to Nuweiba, on east coast of Sinai
January 27: taxi/jeep to Jezirat Faroun (Crusader-era castle on island just off Sinai coast in Gulf of Aqaba) and Colored Canyon hike
January 28: jeep trip out to Wadi Samghi to meet Bedouin and camels; camel trek begins this afternoon
January 29: camel trek
January 30: camel trek
January 31: camel trek and afternoon transfer to town of St. Katherine’s at base of Mt. Sinai.
February 1: early morning hike up Mt. Sinai in time for sunrise, then back down to visit monastery; mid-day transfer back to Cairo
February 2: sightseeing in Cairo (Pyramids of Giza and Egyptian Museum)
February 3: sightseeing in Cairo (Camel market of Birqash and Khan el Khalili market/Al Azhar mosque)
The camel trek will take us to Closed Canyon, the oasis of Ein Khudra, dunes of Hududa and tombs of Nawamis,. We’ll pass through the village of Wadi Samghi where my good friends Mileyha and Musa live and we’ll spend one night with Salem and wife Emira and their kids in their tents at Wadi Arwaybayya. We’ll sleep under tents, thatched huts or out in the open desert. From my Bedouin family, Saleh bin Suleiman and his son Suleiman along with members of their extended family, will be our guides.
In Cairo, we’ll stay in 4-star hotels and will be accompanied by my friend Adel Hamza, of the Awlad Ali tribe. He is an urbanized bedu and makes his living as a camel man at the Pyramids. He knows Cairo well and will be sure to show us parts of the city that most travelers don’t experience.
Transportation to the Sinai and back to Cairo will be provided by a private company and won’t be shared with any other folks. It’ll be a bit bigger than a mini-van, but definitely not a bus. Transfers in the desert will be provided by my friend Ibrahim, who has a jeep, or by a member of his family who has a taxi.
In Nuweiba, we’ll stay at the quaint Habiba resort on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. In St. Katherine, we’ll stay at the Monastery Guest House, in the walls of the 1,600-year old Monastery of St. Katherine at the base of Mt. Sinai.
The price per person (not including air) is $1700. This includes all accommodations beginning January 25 up through the last night, February 3. All transfers are included. All meals are included except lunch and dinner on January 26/27, dinner on January 31 and lunch and dinner on February 1, 2 and 3. Tips to guides, drivers and hotel staff are not included. I've been in touch with a couple of single female travelers- if you gals would like I can put you in touch with one another. Also, if you’d like to come early or stay longer for other activities, I can put you in touch with the right folks. Call or email for more details.
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Finally, the Christmas season is upon us here at the Texas Camel Corps and live Nativity work is the order of the day. This year, we’ll be providing camels, donkeys and sheep for 13 different productions over 17 nights in such Texas locales as Hallettsville, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Odessa, Austin and Waco. Most of it requires a couple of extra hands and as always, my good friends Paul Arellano, Manda Butler, Rob Denkhaus and Tonja Light are called upon. Without these folks, this work could not get done and I truly appreciate them. My beautiful wife, Trish, also makes an appearance at a 3-night job at Waco’s First Church of the Nazarene where she’s now semi-legendary for chasing sheep down Cobbs Drive. They weren’t our sheep...
To quote Merle Haggard, "If we make it through December" I’ll send out an update on Christmas highlights and the year in review. 'Til then, Happy Holidays from the Baum family to each of you.
Doug
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