Reunion with Istan, Jafar, Edgar and Jasper

Day: 346-347 Stage Three. Travel days Australia, four years

Total kilometers:
6980 km

Temperature - Day (maximum):
31°-36° degrees, sun 51°-56°

Temperature - Night:
9°-12°

On tour – 27.04.2003 – 28.04.2003

It is still too early to continue our round trip. I can see almost as well as before, but the inflammation has not yet completely subsided. As we are staying here longer than planned, we make the best of our situation and enjoy the days. A special highlight for us is paying our boys a visit. Gwen, a very lovely young woman, welcomes us in a friendly manner. She works for Andrew Haber and has been looking after Istan, Jafar, Edgar and Jasper in his absence for several weeks. Our boys are waiting here on the outskirts of Alice Springs for their imminent transportation to the desert. In a few weeks, they will begin their new life as expedition camels for tourists.

Excited, we run towards the enclosure where our companions are. We are just reaching the fence when they recognize us and turn their heads towards us. “Oh my dear Istan,” Tanja says softly and gives him a big kiss on his hairy lips. “Oh Jafar, you look good. Edgar, look at Edgar. He puts his head in my arms! Yes, Jasper, you get your cuddles too,” Tanja chats. I stand there moved and can’t believe that our expedition is a thing of the past. That our crossing of Australia ended almost two months ago. It’s hard to understand that this is where we part ways for good. We will leave Alice Springs behind us in a few days. Then the distance to our expedition mates increases day by day and when we leave Australia, another, new era of life begins for us. We are happy that our boys have found a fantastic home. It is better than we dared to dream. Gwen loves them as much as we do and Andrew, the new daddy, is the kind of camel lover an expedition camel could wish for…