Sand, Stars and The Camel from Hell! National Day 2017

From the Oasis to the campsite was a collection of lucky breaks.

The first being that the campsite organizers emailed me directions to get picked up and I actually got it! If I had missed that one I would have been stuffed.

After that one, they called me. My Chinese not being great I grabbed a bored looking ticket lady and begged her to talk to them for me. Not only did she talk to them  but she threw me on the back of her and drove me down the road to where they were based. I am not entirely sure how she managed to just disappear from work without getting in trouble but either she did or she really didn't care.

At the reception, we were bundled into a minivan and driver about 25 minutes into the middle of nowhere.

We drove to a hole in a fence where an angry looking man was waiting with 30 camels. On we jumped and (I can speak for the rest of the group) sat nervously waiting for our camels to freak out. They were all tied in a long line, mine being somewhere in the middle, so when the angry man pulled the first one to his/her feet they all followed. Standing up was a little nerve racking but it soon settled into a slow relaxing plod pace. That was until we had been going about 15 minutes and mine decided he was bored of following the one in from and started walking perpendicular to the line of travel. In front and behind of me was a nice calm line of well behaved camels, all just minding their own

Cunningly disguised bathroom

business and taking in the scenery. Then there was mine who wanted to do just about anything but as he was told. The angry man was not impressed but as long as we continued to crab side step in the vague direction of the camp, he didn't interfere with us or tell us off.

The camp turned out to be one big tent with about ten smaller ones and a seating area in the middle. We were left to do as we pleased until sunset, when dinner was available. There was nothing there except miles and miles of sand. I took about a million pictures wandered about until I got worried I wouldn't get home before dark. I was the only foreigner and so, as always, an attraction in itself. Most people were very patient with my Chinese and all fussed over me unnecessarily. I was very well looked after, to the point of getting irritated with it.

Sunset was around 6.30 and dinner was endless kebab and potato sticks. The food was amazing, which just goes to show that I value flavour far more than spice and oil. We ate out fill and then the beer appeared.

To my horror, someone pulled out a KTV machine and set it up. I was in the desert miles away from anyone and anything and STILL KTV followed me and haunted my every waking hour. As is alway the case, one woman somewhere will take this as her opportunity to take over and sing every God awful sappy love ballad ever written.

I sat outside with the staff of the campsite (4 guys whose entire job was babysitting a bunch of tourists) and drank until well after midnight. About 3 am they came and woke me up so that i could see the stars. Unbelievable!