Travel Tuesdays #3

I've decided to stick with pics from Saudi for a little while longer. Prior to living in the Middle East, the only place I had ever seen camels before was at the zoo. I found it to be so strange when you'd be driving along on a highway and see a camel being transported in the back of a pick up truck. How did they get them onto the trucks? Why, by camel crane of course! You could go to the camel souk and buy yourself a camel and it would simply be loaded onto the truck. I never tried to buy a camel, nor did I know anyone who bought themselves a camel, but just the fact that you could buy a camel was kind of interesting. Imagine having a camel as a pet?!
I came across these falcons at the airport. Saudi's love their falcons. These birds were in the waiting room at the airport sitting on a seat near me. The birds were gorgeous, and surprisingly very well behaved. They did have little blinders on that I suppose kept them calm. I remember when I took these pictures that their owners were thrilled that the birds were being admired and photographed. Maybe that's why I didn't make a fuss when the one single falcon ended up being perched on the lap of a man sitting directly behind me on the plane! (Click for a larger view)