Camel Market

There is an organisation in Maadi called the Community Services Association (CSA) which offers services to ex-pts. There is a gym, library, coffee shop, language lessons. They also offer things during the week like manicure Monday and cook's day off where people cook lasgne (and other dishes from round the world) and you buy it rather than cooking yourself and trips out.

LEAVING ON TRUCKS

This was the first weekend (Friday) trip we had seen that was a bit different, so we signed up at 300 LE each and left for the market at 7:45 am this morning. The market was only 35 km away but it took us an hour to get there following the side of a canal in an air conditioned minibus .

CHATTING

When we got there it was very busy with hundreds of camels all around. Before we could take pictures there was an extra 10LE fee for cameras.

BOUGHT

The proccess seems to be camels arrive, they are bargined over and bought, then spray painted to show the new owner. After that they are loaded into the back of trucks and driven off. Our guide explained they were sold for tourist use, racing and eating!

AUCTION

Th e market wasn't as smelly as I'd imagined it would be and there didn't seem to be many flies, Maddison was upset by the way the camel traders used large sticks to move the camels and to make them sit etc, but we had warned her that it would not be the standard of animal care that we would expect in the UK

WAITING FOR THE SALE

It only took us 30 mins to see all we wanted to but there was a second part to the trip so after an hour we were all back on the bus heading for what was grandly termed a 'Reptile Farm'.