Camel Safari 2 days
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2009
1
10
16
Trip End
Mar 21, 2009
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Friday, March 13, 2009
ACTUAL: The camel safari was an experience. Limited Internet time, but I basically had a day and a half in the Thar Desert on the back of a camel. Yesterday (Friday) morning we set out on our camels. I picked the leader so I was in front, and they walked us for about 30 minutes before our guides hopped on behind each of us 9. (Note that our tour leader declined the experience, choosing instead to meet us at the end of the day at the campsite.) We walked along for the first bit, stopped in at the camel guide's village (of 10) to have a break and drink chai (a very traditional offering everywhere I've been). Then we continued on for a while, and stopped for lunch. The camel travel people had a separate jeep with staff that showed up when we stopped to cook for us, so we had a complete meal. Afterwards, we rested for a few hours since it was the hottest part of the day.
Then we continued on and took a short break in a small village where we walked through to visit someone's home and the children (about a hundred of them) followed us all around wherever we walked. When we left there, we went a short distance further and then stopped for the night. The tents were already laid out; again, we had a complete meal, and the most awesome thing about spending the night out there was the intensity of the stars. They were SO bright, and I wished that I had more knowledge about constellations. I will have to read up when I get home, but it won't be the same.
I slept well except that it got really cold in the middle of the night in the desert, so the thick comforter that I had used as a mattress was then actually used as a comforter after that, for warmth. I woke with the sun and was offered morning chai, and then breakfast with the rest of the group.
This morning (Saturday) we traveled again on camel, pausing for a short break mid-morning just to stretch our legs, and then we went on to the lunch place. We got there a little ahead of schedule because our guides decided to trot. Galloping scared the heck out of me - I felt like I was going to fall off! But we had lunch, then said goodbye to our camels and our guides and got back on the bus. Air conditioning never felt so good. :)
I got back, SHOWERED... :) and then later in the afternoon, visited a "deserted village" which story I will have to relate sometime later. Dinner was at the restaurant, and good as usual, especially the homemade sweet (pichdar?) for the most recent festival that the owner-wife cooked for us. Lentils are amazingly versatile. :) More later. :)
I have one more week to this amazing trip.....
