骆驼最早作为驮畜引用到美国的边境，主要负责运送盐巴和一般用品。后来有了火车，骆驼渐渐被放野，直至脱离人们的视线…… 鲍勃是个编辑，1959年他虚拟写了“赛骆驼”(Camel Races) ，次年他又发布消息宣布有赛骆驼的比赛。
 

 
美国西部弗吉尼亚(Virginia City,NV)城的居民很聪明，他们接受了这个幽默，一如他们接受马克·吐温一般…… 此后，人们把鸵鸟和水牛等也加入到赛骆驼比赛中……
 

 

 
再后来，澳洲也有了鸵鸟比赛，弗吉尼亚城的赛骆驼年度活动就自然而染演绎成国际盛事了，哈哈哈哈，如此规模……
 

 

 

 
1859年，弗吉尼亚城自发现金矿后迅速成为全世界最富有的小城，来自世界各地3万多人涌向这里淘金……
 

 
漫步在弗吉尼亚城54 North C Street上，看到中文字欢迎顿感亲切:
 

 
小丑的花车来了，居然是前后都是驾驶室，抢前冲后耍宝有趣:
 

 

 

 
赛骆驼活动始于1958年，安排在美国劳动节后第一个周末。2009.9.11-13在美国最著名的淘金城弗吉尼亚进行了赛骆驼……
 

 
在淘金城游行秀骆驼队伍中，我突然看到了熟悉的英国威尔士红龙旗，却不知道是何典故在其中:
 

 
单峰骆驼很帅气……
 

 

 
In true Virginia City spirit, the Camel Races began as a hoax. Camels were introduced to the American frontier as pack animals, and were brought to the Comstock to carry salt and general supplies. As Virginia City grew and the V&T Railroad took over the drayage chores for the area, the sometimes disagreeable and smelly animals were turned loose in the hills, and eventually disappeared. Bob Richards, late editor of Lucius Beebe's "Territorial Enterprise," wrote a fictitious account of the city's "Camel Races" in 1959, and followed up the next year with an editorial announcement of the upcoming races. Local residents, wise to this form of humor which dates back to the tall tales of Mark Twain and Dan DeQuille, early "Enterprise" reporters, watched the first real race that year. The San Francisco "Chronicle" took up the challenge thrown down by Richards; and movie director John Huston charged to victory in that first race on a camel borrowed from the San Francisco Zoo. In 1962, Ostrich Races were added to the event, and in 1987 Virginia City took the competition to its sister city, Alice Springs, Australia, and added "International" to the title......
 

 

 

 

 
(中 文)  赛骆驼相关网站：  http://www.visitvirginiacitynv.com/zhongwen_home.aspx
 
 

 
马克·吐温博物馆重现眼前，此刻我在18世纪的美国西部淘金城:
 

 
 
 
阿妮眼里的英国威尔士红龙：
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_48dcdda201000ae0.html
 
 
 
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