The Touch of Dalèl

For eight years we were allowed to be together
With you, Dalèl, everything begun
With you my passion for the Desert came
With you I learned about myself

And together we had so much fun, so much joy

This is my Tribute to you, Dalèl

Seated high on you Dalèl, I always had an intense feeling of happiness and freedom.
As a princess, a queen, I always felt with you.

When we went out on our own, first along the sea with the desert on the other side of us, then people would always stop to capture us …
People liked to look at us and called us a 2-unity …
And a 2-unity we were.

A lot you gave and taught me, Dalèl…
Our contact was Wordless and Heart filling.

Our connection one of Love and Freedom

You showed me why there are Camels on Earth …such an emotion and gratitude this gave me.

You were – and still are – my guide. My guide in Confidence as well …
You told me that your life was good as it was, just like my life ….

You knew exactly when it was better for me to ride with the caravan or just us two.

When things turned out chaotic and I almost got taken over by it, I felt your eyes in my back. I turned around, looked at you, dropped everything, sat with you … and the chaos disappeared and everything went smoothly.

When I crawled into my sleeping bag, you lied down and looked at me so wisely, inviting me to join myself in your harmony and peace with your star connection above us…
That’s how I fell asleep

Waking up in the bright, cristal clear desert mornings and seeing your loving eyes looking at me..
How lonely the desert nights and mornings were the first years without you..
How lost I felt without you, Dalèl, and still sometimes…

When I was hiking and I walked too far behind, you stopped and waited for me.
When we were descending, you stopped and you turned around to check were I was.

When we went on our own into the desert, just you and me, you always looked behind to me when I was mounting you, and only when I was ready you then got on your feet.

And if I was sometimes clever myself, I then parked you at your favorite grazing feed – thorny acacia sticks! – so I could mount you.

When I sometimes forgot to step off you for a rock in our way, you stopped to remind me to get off of you.

On Naqb Shahien we once sat in total peace and tranquility, enjoying the magnificent view, my arm around your neck while you sat next to me enjoying that always breathtaking view too.

When you were grazing in total freedom and I came from far to you, you always lifted your head and turned your head towards my direction.

I always knew exactly when you were about to play mischief…
And when I was riding you without a saddle, you always walked extra carefully.
From thousands I always recognized you from far…

I’ll never forget you in Safi; you longingly looking into the Desert, there you went together with the whole caravan.
But you walked on your own inimitable way, to the right of the caravan instead of in the middle of the caravan..
Just as we always walked.
And moving your head back, while you simultaneously scratched your side with your mouth and with your hind leg scratching your foreleg…
Even the group noticed, typical Dalèl, they said.

And when I was riding you and you had an itch, you always gently pushed my foot away, Dalèl…
And when a fly was bothering you inside your nose, you didn’t hesitate to scratched your nose against my foot.

Even on difficult and steep descends you scratched yourself while walking, that too was an aspect of your  imperturbability. We always went our own way, and we did this on our own rhythm…, that too was an aspect of your imperturbability.
You always stayed loyal to yourself, Dalèl

As an example for me…

And you always remained in love, understanding and patience, when we made mistakes or when I was once again in a learning process in the desert or when I was once again impatient.
Dalèl, you cradled me, you carried me in your own inimitable pace, I was allowed to move along and in that pace you gave me so much…

I am so grateful to you for allowing me to belong to you, Dalèl.

Just before you were about to become a father you passed away. Oh, how much I wanted you to become a father.
Now, your girls, your wives, are with me.
Aweida & Jamila.

Aweida came into our lives in – what turned out later – our last trek together.
I’ll never forget how you protected her after your mating.
I’ll never forget how you set your boundaries with the other males, while I was riding you without a saddle at the same time.

Our first son from Jamila we lost.

My sweet Dalèl, we made a beautiful place for you, where I can visit you to find peace. A place never shown in Sinai before for a Camel that has passed away…
The acacia bush we immediately gave it your name, Siyal Dalèl, Dalèl’s tree.
When I arrive from Holland again, our place is the first I see…
When leaving on trek I pass our place and vice versa so you are present with us…
When going to Holland, I salute our place…

I hope I’ll learn more from what you have showed me: patience, imperturbability, confidence, tolerance, courage and perseverance…

As this is why Camels are on Earth, to show people all of this.
I’m extremely grateful to be part of the Camel-world.

I’ll never forget your own wisdom, your strenght, your dry, down to earth humour,  your universal wisdom, your imperturbability, your peace, your lessons…

No one will ever cradle me like you anymore, when riding..

I’ll always Love you, my sweet Dalèl, my Star, there is only one like you…

Our connection remains, where ever we will be…together we are, because:

You are a part of myself
You are my number 1

Dalel and Joyce tribute