Qatar's Camels Tired of World Cup Fans
2022-12-01
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1World Cup soccer fans in Qatar cannot spend all of their time watching matches.
2So, some of them head to the desert outside Doha for camel rides and photos.
3They want to have a tourist experience between games.
4Business is good for the animal handlers.
5They are making much more money than usual.
6However, the interest is causing trouble for the camels.
7Ali Jaber al Ali is 49.
8He is from Sudan but has been in Qatar for 15 years.
9He said he started working with camels as a boy.
10He said he grew up loving camels and can identify them by their faces.
11On a normal day, he said, his company would offer around 20 rides during the week and 50 rides on the weekends.
12But with so many soccer fans visiting the country in recent weeks, he and his team are giving 500 rides in the morning and 500 in the evening.
13There's a lot of money coming in, Al Ali said.
14"Thank god, but it is a lot of pressure."
15But that means the camels have little time to rest.
16The animals are protesting by making loud sounds.
17Before roads were built, camels were important to transportation and trade in Qatar.
18Now they are mostly used in racing and to give rides.
19Al Ali said he can tell when they are tired.
20Usually the camels will not get up or they will sit back down after standing up.
21In usual times, the camels can rest after every five rides, but not during the World Cup.
22They give 15 or more rides in a row.
23The day begins for Al Ali at 4:30 in the morning.
24He said tourists want to get a photo at sunrise.
25The camels and their handlers get to rest for about two hours in the middle of the day but then must start giving rides again.
26Al Ali called it the "afternoon battle."
27Not every customer is happy.
28Pablo Corigliano from Argentina said he was hoping for a more authentic experience.
29The rides start on the side of a large road, just past a city known for its oil production centers.
30"I thought I would be crossing the desert," he said, "but when I arrived, I saw a typical tourist point."
31I'm Dan Friedell.
1World Cup soccer fans in Qatar cannot spend all of their time watching matches. 2So, some of them head to the desert outside Doha for camel rides and photos. They want to have a tourist experience between games. 3Business is good for the animal handlers. They are making much more money than usual. 4However, the interest is causing trouble for the camels. 5Ali Jaber al Ali is 49. He is from Sudan but has been in Qatar for 15 years. He said he started working with camels as a boy. He said he grew up loving camels and can identify them by their faces. 6On a normal day, he said, his company would offer around 20 rides during the week and 50 rides on the weekends. But with so many soccer fans visiting the country in recent weeks, he and his team are giving 500 rides in the morning and 500 in the evening. 7There's a lot of money coming in, Al Ali said. "Thank god, but it is a lot of pressure." 8But that means the camels have little time to rest. The animals are protesting by making loud sounds. 9Before roads were built, camels were important to transportation and trade in Qatar. Now they are mostly used in racing and to give rides. 10Al Ali said he can tell when they are tired. Usually the camels will not get up or they will sit back down after standing up. 11In usual times, the camels can rest after every five rides, but not during the World Cup. They give 15 or more rides in a row. 12The day begins for Al Ali at 4:30 in the morning. He said tourists want to get a photo at sunrise. The camels and their handlers get to rest for about two hours in the middle of the day but then must start giving rides again. Al Ali called it the "afternoon battle." 13Not every customer is happy. Pablo Corigliano from Argentina said he was hoping for a more authentic experience. The rides start on the side of a large road, just past a city known for its oil production centers. 14"I thought I would be crossing the desert," he said, "but when I arrived, I saw a typical tourist point." 15I'm Dan Friedell. 16Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 17_________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19match -n. a sports game 20tourist -n. a person who visits another location for pleasure 21handler -n. a person who leads and takes care of an animal 22authentic -adj. true to real life, without change from the usual experience 23typical -adj. usual or normal 24_________________________________________________________________ 25We want to hear from you. Would you go on a camel ride in the future? 26We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 27Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.