骆驼的真相:它们只需拥抱

The Truth about Camels:They just Need a Cuddle

骆驼与沙漠居民之间的关系非常特殊。而对于那些不是在沙漠长大的人来说,骆驼却只不过是陌生或顽固的生物。 我一直认为对骆驼产生好感很难。它们频繁地口吐唾沫,无论前方是谁都不能阻挡它们。你不能从骆驼的眼中获得信息,它们被一对长1英寸、坚如毛刷一般的睫毛所屏蔽。骆驼的膝盖好像由很多小节组成,站立时需要经过一系列猛烈动作,好像是一张紧绷难弄的野餐台活了过来，偶尔还有个人笨拙地高居于上。

The relationship between camels and desert peoples is a special one.But to those not raised on the dunes,camels can come across as strange and stubborn creatures.As one camel-phobic Vision writer discovers,though,all it takes is one bat from those long lashes to become smitten.I've always found it difficult to warm to camels.They spit frequently and with little regard for whoever might be in the firing line.In an effort to build bridges with the desert's most celebrated shipping fleet,I arrive at the Al Sahra Desert Resort on the outskirts of Dubai.As well as an amphitheatre and an equestrian centre,Al Sahra is home to a clutch of dromedary camels,the one-hump variety that can be found ghosting across the thousands of square miles of rolling dunes that stretch all the way from the Arabian Gulf coast to the Gulf of Oman.Upon arrival,I am introduced first to Karen Roberts,the manager of the resort's equestrian centre,and shortly after to Shania,a four-year-old female who is already looking down on me.A good seven feet tall from hoof to hump,Shania is a polite delight.Affable and affectionate,with a liking for being tickled behind the ears,she folds herself to the floor and rests her head in my lap with a contented sigh.I am smitten. 'What we try to do here is to show people that camels are friendly,kind animals,' explains Karen. 'Some people have the idea that they are bad-tempered,that they spit and they smell.But if they are treated well,then you can see that they are lovely creatures.' I cast my eyes to the floor in shame,as Shania explores my fingers with her long,soft lips.I've been cursing camels when all they needed was a cuddle.Popular with tourists as well as coachloads of schoolchildren,Al Sahra offers visitors the chance to meet and engage with camels,to take short safaris across the dunes that surround the resort and even to drink camel's milk.Clean and fresh,with a taste not dissimilar to semi-skimmed cow's milk,camel's milk is low in fat and full of vitamin C and iron.It doesn't curdle in the stomach,which makes it easier for the body to process,and the Bedouin even used to deploy it as a moisturiser and sunscreen.I eschew the latter options,but am happy to wet my lips before we head out into the desert.