- I would like to know
about camel riding in Jerusalem, can you help?
Sara Blum,
New York City
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The best place to go camel riding in Jerusalem is on
the Mount of Olives. Every morning you can
normally find 12-year-old Shushi (and his owner Ali)
looking for riders, right next to the panoramic view
of the Holy City. Shushi is in fact, not a
camel (which has two humps) but a dromedary with one
hump. All the “camels” in the Holy Land are
dromedaries.
Shushi eats like a horse, his favorite foods
being bread, grass, oranges and grapefruits.
He’s very quiet, but in springtime he gets ornery
for some female company. He doesn’t spit and
even allows you to touch him. And he has a
license from the Jerusalem Municipality to boot.
When Ali wants him to stand up, he pats Shushi on
the right leg and whispers “howah.” Shushi
stands up with his back legs first so you are rocked
forward.
Then, as he rises from his front
knees, you are rocked backwards. Hang on
tight!
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Mounting a grinning Shushi on the
Mount of Olives |
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When he wants Shushi to get down, Ali clicks his
teeth with a guttural “hee.”
And the price -- $3 to go up – and $5 to get off!!!
(But if you've learned to bargain in the bazaar, you
can get the whole deal and a kiss from the camel for
only two bucks!)
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Camel riding in the Holy City |
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Try comparing your camel ride with
Mark Twain’s.
After his 1867 Holy Land pilgrimage he wrote,
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“The camel would not turn out for a king. He
stalks serenely along, bringing his cushioned
stilts forward with the long regular swing of a
pendulum and whatever is in the way, must get out
of the way peaceably or be wiped out forcibly by
the bulky sacks.
I cannot think of anything more certain to make
one shudder than to have a soft-footed camel sneak
up behind you and touch you on the ear with its
soft, flabby underlip.”
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And if you or your kids are afraid of heights, then
try Suleiman’s white 9-year-old donkey like the
three sisters from Chicago did. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Donkey-riding on the Mount of
Olives |
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Coming to Jerusalem in
2012? Does the hustle and bustle of
the market give you a high, yet you would like some
quiet moments in the holy sites? Are you eager
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Gila's Guide
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the Bible, the Top Ten lesser-known churches worth
visiting, the Top Ten most rewarding roof-top views
and the Top Ten places for yummy Middle Eastern soul
food. More on
Gila's Guide...
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