#510: Today I Rode Hades

Today…

I rode a camel.
On an ocean beach.
Wearing a white flowing headdress.

In Mexico.

Camel riding in Mexico?

I thought it sounded like a cool, different kinda’ experience…so I decided to go for it. I jumped on a trip to a camel ranch near Cabo San Lucas. It was about 45 minutes out-of-town, but the bus drive along the coast was pretty great.

I saw two giant water spouts sporadically shooting from the ocean water off the nearby coast. No matter what you’ve done or seen in life…seeing a whale in the open ocean is forever an adrenaline shot of “Wow!“

The group I was in had 12 other riders. Before we boarded the camels, we had a 20-minute question-and-answer session as we waited for each member of the group to get a photographed “kiss” from the most tame of the camels. As we waited for each person to feel a brush of camel lips, Jorge, our group guide kept asking the group for question about the camels.

No one was asking.
So I did.

Jorge answered my question…then searched the crowd in hopes of receiving another question. Finding no one else asking, Jorge looked at me again.

I asked again.

And again.
And again.

If he looked my way, I asked the question.

Where are the camels rescued from?
Do camels bond with one person?
Can camels recognize people by voice?
How do camels settle disagreements?

But my active participation would come with a price.
_______

In capturing Jorge’s repeated attention, he had a surprise for me. When it came time to line up and board a camel, I was asked to step to the end of the line.

The first 12 riders…paired in twos…took off in a camel rope chain…one camel tied to and following another. Twelve people and six camels were led away to the ocean beach without me.

“This is odd,” I silently thought. “Why did they leave me?”

And then I saw HIM.
_______

A giant camel was being led out of his pen.

With an “I gotcha’!” grin, Jorge, the tour guide responsible for answering all my questions said, “Meet Hades.“

Now I already KNEW who “Hades” was. He was described in our question-and-answer session as the only camel of the 19 male camels who still had his…well…ummm…I’ll let you interrupt what he STILL had.

Hades was a camel who not did not want to be tied to the camel chain. He required his own guide leading him across the sand.

Hades in one kind word is…spirited.

When my thigh-stretching ride on Hades came to an end, Jorge grinned and asked me in his thick Mexican accent, “Like your ride?“

“Memorable,” I said.
_______

Today…

I rode Hades.
On an ocean beach.
Wearing a white flowing headdress.

In Mexico.

But it wasn’t the highlight of my day.

Taking to Jorge…later…was.

As our group waited 20 extra minutes for a bus to drive us back to Cabo, Jorge and I connected. We shared thoughts about camels, Hades, life…and futures. We pushed ten topics into our time together, and when I boarded the bus, Jorge looked at me, and with care and sincerity in his eyes, he said, “Gracias, mi amigo.“

I looked back at him. “Thank you, my friend.“

And that’s what we now are.

Friends.
_______

Life’s greatest moments don’t come from riding camels named Hades.
They come with meeting new people like Jorge.

Use today well.
Be bold.
Get to know someone new.

Life changes so much when we do.