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July 24, 2006
Rain in the desert
The other week it rained in Alice Springs. And by rain, I mean it poured. For nearly 6 weeks it had been rare for me to even see a cloud in the sky and suddenly one day I woke up to tons of rain. It rained so much that there was even a little bit of water in the Todd River... I know that may sound like an odd comment being a river and all, but it's not. Whenever you ask someone when the last time the Todd River actually flowed, they'll usually answer using a calendar, and probably not one that anyone's using anymore.
I also had the pleasure to witness the Camel Cup. Definitely a wicked-as experience. Camels are not known for their speed, but can definitely get up to a decent pace. They are also not known for their obedience. 
Half the time the camels don't get up (they start in their kneeling position) and a couple of times they even started going backwards. This was not a day for the weak of heart either. Camels are known as 'ships of the desert' as they rock back and forth when they walk. This is due to the fact that they lift both feet on the same side to move forward. Now imagine this at a running pace....quite bumpy. Several riders were thrown off their mounts and I believe one was somewhat trampled (with no major injuries) to add to the excitement. Cause that's the way it is with races, the more carnage, the more excitement. Think how boring (even more so than the mind-numbingness that it is) NASCAR would be without crashes.
It's also starting to click in that my year in Australia is coming to an end. It's still a few months off, but the deadline is there. No longer just an open ended journey, there is a date and a flight booked. Weird.
Posted by Dr.Unk at July 24, 2006 3:02 AM
Comments
Are camels even indigenous to Austrailia?
Posted by: stashuk at July 24, 2006 2:55 PM
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