TIRED, DIRTY, RELIEVED – AND A BIG SURPRISE!
The last four days were probably the toughest for me of the whole caravan. We knew we still had some significant distance to cover to make it to the end, at least 160 km we were told. We had just spent our last full rest day in the desert and now had to muster all our strength and discipline to tough it out for another four long days with at least 40 km on average. Doing 40 km or more in one day wasn’t easy: at least 5 hours non-stop riding in the morning, followed by a short lunch break and another 3-4 hours in the afternoon. It was exhausting and you could see how weeks of sun, dust, sweat and sore muscles was taking its toll on the group… People just wanted to make it to Yabrin and finish the job. But at the same time there was also a strange sensation of nostalgia setting in, a kind of sadness that this amazing experience was soon coming to an end, throwing us back into our busy lives controlled by phones, social media, and other people… Only four days left of this amazing experience, let’s enjoy it while it lasts!
Almost there…
Trudging along the last few hundred metres.
And then the last day arrived. The mood was upbeat and relaxed, everyone was excited and eager to see what was waiting for us at the finish line. A big camp had been prepared for us in the desert just outside the city of Yabrin where members of three local tribes would receive us we were told. A few hundred metres before reaching the camp, we stopped one last time to line everyone up by group, neatly lined up next to each other. This was our big moment so the organizers wanted to make sure we were ready to ride the last stretch with poise.
And we did! It was a strangely solemn but hugely gratifying moment when we steered our camels on that final stretch to the sound of drumming and singing, getting louder with every metre. When we finally saw that cluster of large white tents with a big crows waiting for us, our caravan burst into loud cheers and everybody just raced to the main tent where a group of musicians were performing traditional Saudi song and dance for us. Flanking the main tent were rows of flags representing the participant countries. It was a moment of jubilation and glory indeed.
Crowds of people welcomed us at the final camp in Yabreen.
For me this was a moment of mixed emotions. Of course I was hugely relieved and happy to have completed the journey and get off that camel one last time, putting all the hard work and suffering of the last few weeks behind me. But I also felt a bit dazed, the moment was almost anticlimactic. It was all over… now back to reality. Inside me, somehow I wasn’t ready for that yet. The steady routine, the calmness of the desert, the beauty of the dunes, the simplicity of life, and most importantly the wonderful people, the team, the friends… all that was now about to disappear in a day or two. Sobering thoughts numbed by a tired mind and an aching body.
After an opulent evening feast of rice and goat (again!), we all just crawled into our sleeping bags and crashed. Nobody had the energy to join the singing and dancing that was going on among the locals. I just wanted to sleep, and I had no idea what surprise was waiting for me the next day…
Our final feast.
Time to rest, relax and celebrate!
A bizarre “human robot” shows up as well.
The last day in the desert. We slept in, took a shower in the mobile washroom trailer, had a leisurely breakfast, and just chilled in the big tent drinking tea. Ambassadors from some of the participant countries were supposed to show up in the afternoon, we were told, but nobody came… However, someone else showed up. It was about mid-afternoon when I noticed a slight commotion among a group of people in front of the tent. Two red buses had arrived… and some foreign faces suddenly joined our party. And then there was my mum!! I immediately spotted her in the crowd, looking a bit lost and confused. I couldn’t believe it! I ran towards her and gave her the biggest hug – what a joy to see my mother here at the end of this long journey, it was pure happiness. The organizers had pulled off something truly impressive: they had quietly contacted the emergency contact of each international participant and invited them to join us for the last day. Flights, hotels, transfers – everything had been organized and paid for. It was incredible. Many of us already had an inkling that some family members might show up days earlier, although I myself had no idea. Unfortunately, not every participant’s contact could make it, it was just too spontaneous and short-notice for many.
What a fantastic surprise! My mum joins Musa, me and Habtoor at the table.
After meeting all the other family members and showing my mum around our campsite, it was time to get our camels ready one last time for the guest of honour from the Saudi royal family. We all lined up with our camels in front of the tent and then waited for about an hour for the arrival of Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of the kingdom’s Eastern Province, who was flown in by helicopter. The motorcade of black limos that drove him the few hundred metres from the landing site to our tent under heavy security seemed a bit much, but then again this was all about pure pretentious pomp and essentially no different from royal treatment anywhere else in the world. It was certainly a spectacle to watch! While most of us international guests didn’t even know who he was, the locals were clearly honoured to welcome the prince in their midst. After all the formal greetings, he was shuffled into the big air-conditioned tent and everyone else followed. Guests and participants were seated on assigned chairs facing the prince and his entourage, who in turn was facing two huge screens onto which videos of our caravan were projected. There were speeches and performances, including an impressive traditional Maori war dance by Musa and a very well-delivered thank you speech by Sebastian on behalf of the international participants. The atmosphere was a little stiff, but festive and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Special awards were handed out to the most accomplished riders and organizers, then the prince left and everyone else was called upon to step to the front to receive a certificate of attendance and a medal.
Final ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of our caravan.
It was hard to believe but this officially marked the end of the trip. It was bound to be an abrupt ending after weeks of doing the same thing day in day out. Some of the Saudi participants left by car the same evening with friends and family who had come to welcome them, while most others including the international guests and their family members were transported back to Riyadh in a grueling 6-hour bus journey that lasted throughout the night.