The Empty Quarter, Yemen, 2007 الربع الخالي

Picture Index

e4577_jpg.jpg Marib

e4594_jpg.jpg Shibam

e4650_jpg.jpg When we arrived at Shibam, there was a festival commemorating a local poet.

e4662_jpg.jpg When we arrived at Shibam, there was a festival commemorating a local poet.

e0966_jpg.jpg A bathroom break at a place so flat and so open means that you have to walk more than a mile to find privacy.

e4683_raw_bc.jpg A typical Bedouin camp. Most camels are still out grazing, only the young ones are kept in a pen during the day.

e4726_raw_bc.jpg Family members gather around the fireplace.

e4730_raw.jpg This is the famous well, according to our Bedouin friend, mentioned in Wilfred Thesiger's book "Arabian Sands," but I have no way of verifying that.

e4809_jpg.jpg Omar with his gun.

e0982_jpg.jpg Sarah tries out Omar's chrome AK47.

e0983_jpg.jpg My turn to try out Omar's super-duper gun, modified to give it a much stronger kick than a normal AK47. This gun reminds me of the TV show "Pimp My Ride." Photo courtesy of Sarah.

e4785_jpg.jpg Omar makes the camel trot in place to stimulate its bowel movement the day before the race.

e4788_jpg.jpg Omar makes the camel trot in place to stimulate its bowel movement the day before the race.

e4792_jpg.jpg Omar makes the camel trot in place to stimulate its bowel movement one day before the race.

e4804_jpg.jpg Omar makes the camel trot in place to stimulate its bowel movement one day before the race.

e4816_jpg.jpg Omar took us to visit his friend's camp.

e4822_jpg.jpg Omar, the host, and his 90-year-old blind mother soak in the sun and drink tea in front of the family tent.

e4838_jpg.jpg How many men does it take to tame a young mother camel that refuses to let anyone milk her?

e4842_jpg.jpg First try failed. Everyone takes a break.

e4853_jpg.jpg This time they put a barrel under her belly to prevent her from sitting down.

e0991_jpg.jpg Linda :"We should lift our veils." <br />Sarah:"Yeah, otherwise no one can tell who we are in the picture."

e0992_jpg.jpg Sarah and Linda. Photo courtesy of Sarah's camera.

e0993_jpg.jpg Photo courtesy of Sarah.

e0995_jpg.jpg Photo courtesy of Sarah.

e4873_jpg.jpg Prepare the camels for the mock race.

e4876_jpg.jpg As soon as the little boy was strapped onto the camel, it took off and ran. The boy had no control of the camel.

e4904_jpg.jpg Camels go home.

e4928_jpg.jpg The boy in the white robe is barely 14 and is already packing.

e4970_jpg.jpg Farewell party

e4988_jpg.jpg Farewell party

e5006_jpg.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5019_jpg.jpg Sarah with the soldiers

e5020_jpg.jpg Linda with the soldiers.

e5083_raw.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5116_raw.jpg Sarah sits on top of the sand dune.

e5123_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5129_raw_bc.jpg The most bizarre are barchan dunes with one giant dune in the center, and surrounding it tens and thousands of tiny dunes lined up in one direction like bobsleds marching in formation.

e5137_raw.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5149_raw_bc.jpg The surreal landscape beomes magical at sunset time when the yellow sand turned red and the dark shadows revealed the beauty of the intricate surface patterns.

e5153_raw.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5292_raw_bc.jpg Qat in hand, Muhammad is all smiles.

e5297_raw_bc.jpg The qat leaves are tied into little bunches, then wrapped in fresh grass, then in several layers of hemp bags, a necessary procedure to preserve its freshness in the desert.

e5321_raw_bc.jpg A rare rainstorm, first one in ten years, turned the wadi into a lake.

e5361_raw_bc.jpg The shape of the lip indicates that the wind used to blow from left to right, then reversed its direction and now blows from right to left.

e5409_raw_bc.jpg We are in a sea of megabarchan dunes.

e5427_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5432_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5453_raw_bc.jpg Out of nowhere, came a family of camels looking for food and water.

e5456_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5463_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5471_raw_bc_1.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5481_raw_bc_1.jpg The camels watch intensively as Muhammad fills the gas tank. They probably smell the water in the other barrel.

e5541_raw_bc.jpg Muhammad enjoys listening to my mp3 player.

e5549_raw_bc.jpg Making coffee.

e5562_raw_bc.jpg Goats can be quite naughty and destructive sometimes.

e5566_raw_bc.jpg My new friend.

e5582_raw_bc.jpg She follows me around and nibbles on my robe and scarf.

e5590_raw_bc.jpg The Empty Quarter

e5613_raw_bc.jpg Grandma makes dinner for us.

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