Written on April 7th
My neighbors recently bought a mommy camel and a baby, and this is exciting for several reasons. First, how often does anyone live next to a camel? Yeah, that’s what I thought; it’s pretty cool. Second, they make this nifty beverage called chal from camel’s milk. I am a fan, and now it is next door! Finally, I got to see a camel being milked and man did that blow some minds.
Chal is not necessarily the most appealing thing ever. It’s vaguely fermented, so it has a bit of a soda water vibe to it. It’s also got bits of camel yogurt floating around in chalky colored water. I find it delicious though, and horribly appropriate for the summer. It is cool, a bit salty, and probably calorie rich for a drink. This will be necessary when it’s 120 degrees and eating anything beyond a watermelon will be impossible. It’s also dairy, and I probably need calcium.
Upon witnessing my first camel milking, I was shocked that you milk it standing up. I can’t really say I ever thought about milking a camel, but if I did, I probably pictured milking stools, only a bit taller. (Camels are really quite big). Instead, a person stands with a bucket slung around their necks, nestled against the back legs of the camel. It all seemed rather dangerous given the size of the animal, but it wasn’t me doing the milking.
Other fun camel facts from this the stan of Turkmen: a camel costs about $1,000 so my dream of owning one will have to be put on hold for a bit longer. No camels can be kept in the town of Yoloten, which is a Soviet bastion about an hour from Mary; I don’t know why.
And, a test for all those of you who are bored and have access to the internet. In English, is there a word that connotes baby camel the way calf, lamb, and kid connote baby cows, sheep, and goats? It’s come up on several occasions. I say no, but I really have no clue.
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