More horsies from Dubai

I like these lovely statues of horses and camels and now, being in South Africa, I can only enjoy them from these photo's I took.
Enjoy! More to come!

Arty Horses

I am a sucker for art! In Dubai you could find decorated camels and horses anywhere. Not anymore. Most of the Camels are not displayed anymore, and only a few horses can still be seen around. Sad :-(

Trucks in Dubai 1

I just love these decorated water tankers here in Dubai. These trucks are decorated byPakistani men. I have tried to photograph as many as I can without causing accidents. The decoration of vehicles is a common practice in a number of countries in addition to Pakistan.
Why are they Decorated?
Truck decoration is now regarded as a form of Pakistani folk art. So how did it start? This extraordinary tradition has it's routes in the days of the Raj when craftsmen made glorious horse draw carriages for the gentry. In the 1920's the Kohistan bus company asked the local Michaelangelo, Ustad Elahi Buksh, a master craftsmen to decorate their buses to attract passengers. Buksh employed a community of artists from the Punjab town of Chiniot, who's ancestors had worked on many great palaces and temples dating back to the Mogal Empire. It was not long before truck owners followed suite with their own designs. Through the years the materials used have developed from wood and paint to metal, tinsel, plastic and reflective tape. Within the last few years trucks and buses have been further embellished with full lighting systems.
Truck owners even today believe that a beautiful truck is good for business. They say that nobody would trust their goods to a truck that was poorly maintained, so they make their trucks look as stunning and elegant as possible. Since their business rivals are also trying to do the same, it is even more important to ensure that their trucks are brighter and more visually appealing than anyone else’s. Little wonder then that owners don’t think twice about spending several months’ income every few years on truck redecoration.

Here in Dubai, the water tankers are mostly the decorated vehicle. You do see a lot of trucks with metal fringes, trellises and embellishments, but they are normally not painted as well

Trucks in Dubai 2