The extraordinary story of travelling around Mallorca on a camel
In January 1964, two young Mallorcans decided to do something completely out of the ordinary: travel around Mallorca on a camel. What began as an extravagant adventure ended up becoming one of the most curious and surreal stories of 1960s Mallorca.
The world in the 1960s
They say the 1960s were the best decade of the 20th century. Europe was gradually recovering from the ravages of the war, the economy was improving and society was becoming more stable. At the same time, attitudes were becoming freer and more open: The Beatles, May 1968 in Paris, the hippies, the protests against the Vietnam War. The world was changing and young people wanted to do things differently.
Winter in Mallorca
Tourists arrived in the summer in search of sunshine, beaches and the carefree lifestyle of southern Europe. In fact, by 1964, just over 907,000 tourists had already visited the Balearic Islands, the vast majority of them heading to Mallorca. But the winters were rather dreary and dull, with little going on in the small provincial capital.
Our protagonists
And it was against this backdrop, amidst the boredom of the winter of 1964, that our two protagonists, Miquel Vidal and Gustavo Peñalver, met. Two young men aged just 21 and 24 respectively, both artists – one a writer and the other a painter – each with their own hopes and dreams for the future.
The idea of travelling around Mallorca on a camel
A small bar on Calle San Miguel in Palma was where Miquel and Gustavo had met and where they used to chat over a meal. Youth is full of energy, and ideas are bubbling away in their heads. We need to make a name for ourselves; we need to do something – something that will make us famous.
How about we go round Mallorca? And we’ll write about the trip – one of us will write the text and the other will do some drawings to illustrate the adventure.
That’s fine, but it’s nothing new. We need to do something different, something that grabs people’s attention. And finally, the idea strikes… We’ll go round Mallorca on a camel!
The third protagonist: Mohammed
That was the name of the camel, who had come all the way from Africa and spent his days giving tourists rides on El Arenal beach. Miquel and Gustavo knew his owner, Mateu Campet, from Sant Jordi, and were sure he’d lend him out for a few days. Mateu agreed to the young men’s request and gave them a quick lesson on how to handle Mohammed, because as well as weighing over 600 kilos, camels can sometimes have a difficult temperament. And Mohammed was no spring chicken either, but a veteran camel, surely with more than 40 years under his belt.
The expedition begins
On 16 January 1964, our three protagonists set off from Plaza Cort in Palma. The square was packed and the atmosphere was festive; very few people had ever seen a camel before, and they gathered round to look at it and stroke it. The children were fascinated. The mayor came to greet them, and finally the procession set off along Calle San Miguel before continuing along Calle Manacor.
Itinerary: from village to village across Mallorca
Slowly and step by step, heading towards Algaida, the expedition made its way forward. They took turns, and sometimes one would ride the camel whilst the other walked, enjoying the journey. Miquel, the writer, kept a diary which the Diario de Mallorca published every two or three days. For that reason, many people already knew about this adventure and in every village they were welcomed with great anticipation. The mayor would come out to meet them; they were invited to lunch or dinner, sometimes to stay the night – and not just the two of them, but most of the time there was also a good stable and food for the camel. The public marvelled at seeing such an animal, and some believed it to be some strange sort of ‘Somera’ (donkey, in Mallorcan).
Palma, Algaida, Llucmajor, Campos, Santanyí, Felanitx, Porreras, San Juan, Petra, Manacor, Artá… village after village, their shoes wore thin and the journey continued as planned….
… with some amusing moments
The circus, the circus is coming!! ….. the children ran non-stop, circling the square.
That’s what they thought in some of the villages when they saw Miquel, Gustavo and Mohammed appear. Seeing a camel wasn’t a common sight in 1960s Spain, and something like that… it had to be the circus, surely. But no, it wasn’t the circus, but the adventure of two young men eager to do something different.
The famous story of the Palo in Consell
In Miquel’s village, his friends also wanted to do something special and give the expedition a grand welcome. And so they did; the streets were packed with people – the occasion called for it. The camel deserved a celebration too.
And Miquel’s friends took him into a village bar and treated him to something very traditional: a proper Mallorcan aperitif, a glass of Palo. But as the camel is very big and drinks a lot, we’d better serve it in a bucket, with several litres. Palo is a very rich, thick drink, sweet in flavour and quite strong. Mixed with water and ice, the Mallorcans love it, but it’s surely not quite so suitable for camels….
Mohammed drinks the whole bucket without any trouble. After so many litres, his belly swells up and when it comes to getting him out of the bar, he no longer fits through the door. Well, we’ll just leave him to rest until tomorrow. The next day, the camel is still lying on the floor, panting after the party. Poor Mohammed has peed, pooped and vomited, leaving the bar in a right mess.
The journey resumes
Three days later, the camel seems to be feeling better and they set off again, heading towards the Tramuntana mountains. At one point, it starts to snow; it’s cold, the slopes are steep, and the effects of the Palo are still being felt. Mohammed keeps walking but seems a little tired and downcast. Finally, they arrive in Deyà, where they meet the famous English writer Robert Graves, who lives there and had already heard of their adventures.
Leaving Deyà
Something unexpected happens… Mohammed stops, refuses to go on, and within moments collapses onto his side on the ground. The cold, the alcohol and the exertion have got the better of him, and he has suddenly dropped dead. A sad end.
The end of the adventure: the tour comes to an end
Miquel and Gustavo decide to complete their tour of Mallorca on a Vespa, and Miquel publishes a book about the adventure. It has taken several weeks and covered over 400 kilometres, with all sorts of situations along the way, but in the end our protagonists achieved their goal: to make a name for themselves and build successful careers.
Find out more: Short film by Toni Bestard “A Tour of Mallorca by Camel”
Stories like this are part of that surprising and authentic Mallorca that still preserves anecdotes, traditions and characters that are hard to forget.
Would you like to read about some friends who sailed around Mallorca by llaut in 1899? follow the link: