The participants in the 3rd edition of the ‘Camel Trek’ organised and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) were overwhelmed by the hero’s welcome they received after successfully completing a journey of a lifetime in the desert of the UAE.
A group of 13 men and women returned to Global Village on Friday 27th January after having set out on Saturday 21st January on a week-long expedition where they turned the clock back traversing the pristine sands of the desert used by people in ancient times.
The caravan comprised camel riding enthusiasts from Oman, United States, Egypt, France, United Kingdom and the UAE. They were selected for the ‘Camel Trek’ after expressing interest in following the footsteps of people who lived in the desert and underwent an intensive training program by the organisers HHC.
A large crowd gathered at the Heritage Village were treated to an exhibition of traditional dances such as ‘Ayala’ and a ‘Al Harbiya’ performance by an Emirati folk troupe in honour of the trekkers. As part of the time-honoured tradition, saffron was put on the faces of camels. There were also Youllah performances by Yuweel artistes, falconers were also present and even small sand dunes were made so that the camels would feel at home, all of which created a mosaic of a different era.