Ari Bumbari, Camel-la Safari!!!!

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  Jaisalmer, India
Saturday, November 17, 2007

Ari Bumbari
Camel-la Safari
Doiky doo, doiky doo
Lagoree

Dal and chapati
Onion and potato
Doiky doo, doiky doo
Lagoreee

No running, no funny
No hurry, no worry
doiky doo, doiky doo
lagoree

We arrived into Jaisalmer about 2 hours late on a HOT afternoon. We jumped into a jeep with Meg and Cathy who were kind enough to let us follow them to the Hotel Shahi Palace were they had made a reservation. We were invited up to the beautiful rooftop terrace and were given a much needed welcome chai! Papao convinced us to sign up for a camel safari departing the next morning. After showering we watched the sunset on the fort from the roof. Gorgeous! Had an early night - we were jetlagged and spent from the 20 hour overnight train ride!
8am the next day we were off in a jeep with Assu to see the burial site for the maharaja's. it was beautiful to see in the morning light. Drove the narrow road out into the desert through small desert villages towards the Pakistan border. We stopped in one village to meet the 6 camels and 2 drivers; Gelpat and Hookem

monica in town

. We rode our camels (monica's was necki who was the only female and pregnant - due in March) We stopped for lunch at a small sand dune and sat in the shade while the drivers made us an excellent lunch. Fruit, chai, chapati and curry. an old couple and their grandson joined us and we took a lot of photos and enjoyed each others company. it was very relaxing and chilled out. after lunch we walked with Gelpat to get the camels who were feeding out in the desert. When the camels are not being ridden, they are "desaddled" and their front legs are tied with a short rope that makes them walk in the funniest way we have seen. That way they cant wander too far.
We rode again through the afternoon to the sand dunes - GORGEOUS! We saw deer, foxes, hawks. lizards and vultures along the way - no cobras though even though our guides promised. Such jokers they were - telling us they were taking us to Pakistan to sell us for 10000 camels. The border was only 60 kilometres away - or so...when Anita asked again she was told 10 kms... when Monica asked she was told it would be about an 7 hous camel ride, not galloping....
We enjoyed our evening on the dunes, taking photos of the sunset, running and jumping on the dunes and toiletting there...
Sat around the fiew, shared a beer and enjoyed another delicious dinner. It was interesting to chat with our driver's about desert life, and how different it is from our life. Hookem is 23 and looking for a wife - his family is searching through other desert villages

monica overlooking the town

. Everytime we introduce ourselves here we get the same reaction - Anita and Monica - "Those are Indian names!" we are -do Ben- 2 sisters.
We tried to teach our drivers "Alice the Camel" and it caused Gelpat to go into HUGE hysterics because of the boom boom boom part...never could quite get through the song without laughing at the "puuum puuum"
We were tucked into our bed for 4 under the stars. Gorgeous. Anita saw a meteor! lots of shooting stars out. the desert night was SOO quiet.
Watched the sunrise in the morning from the top of the dunes. beautiful colours. The sand was so soft. Very peaceful. Had a chill out breakfast of toast and chai and biscuits - "The Power of Glucose! Fights for your Rights!" lol
We rode through the morning to the watering hole. Monica got to drive Necki on her own! Legs were getting really sore by now... Met up with Meg and Cathy and 3 others who joined our safari and Anita and I rode together on the camel. We had lunch in a different spot and about 10 kids came to sit and watch and talk with us. it was such a unique and amazing experience. we played cricket with an empty water bottle and a piece of dried up banana and we sang songs and danced and fooled around in the sand dunes. the kids are very curious and want to know about everything we have. they tried our lip balm, hand sanitizer (not impressed with the smell) and wanted to see every photo taken on the digital camera. We tried to teach them the chicken dance, we chased them and they tried to teach us one of their songs

view from the bastion

. One of them was also named Monica which was a big hit. It was a really special experience.
Took a LONG camel ride back to the dunes. Nice to see them again from a different angle and in a different light. Riding on the same camel was also fun - we sang and laughed most of the way - through the pain .... so sore
We sped back at 100kms/hr in the jeep and Papuao treated us to the best chai we have had yet. we stopped to pick up people and school kids along the way - dropping them off in the desert villages along the way.
Another great evening spent on the rooftop restaurant , eating dinner and looking at the fort all lite up.
Spent today walking around the old fort. There ar amazing carvings on all the buildings (sandstone). it is easy to get lost in but small enough that that is what you want to do . small alleyways filled with shops, restaurants, children and of course...cows
neat to see the city views from some of the 99 bastions.
had tibetan food for lunch (momo's) and got to watch the sunset from the lake with Papuao. He treated us to our first lassi. yummy!

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

in the town	cows and photos	dog sleeping in the drain	Monica's restaurant
sunset	read the sign on the wine store, "child Beer'	monica coming over a dune	desert
old lady and grandson	lady and grandson	camel, bird, and tree	us and camels
the desert 2	monica	monica and the drivers	sand
sand and sky	monica out for a walk	walking some more	the small fire before bed
more sand	monica walking again	running down a dune	our camels
women taking water back to huts	children in the field	village girls	village boys
cricket match with a drid banana and water bo	'king of the hill'	village children	monica and monica
meg	shadow camel	shadow 2	finally off the train!
us in front of the fort..sitting at the rooft	people doing laundry in the town	people at work	the fort
Anita and Monita	Monica and Monita	Sunset 1	Sunset 2
sunset3	the fort at night	pigs eating thru the garbage	the maharaja cemetery
monuments	maharaja and monica	our jeep out to the camels	lots and lots of fossils
monica getting up on her camel	getting ready!	1	2
3	4	5	making chai
nita and gel pat	8	9	10
11	12	monica	anita and the crew
close up	14	dunes	Monica in Hindi
evening chai	beer and sunset	making chapati	chapati lesson
sleeping	sunrise	dunes at sunrise	dunes at sunrise 2
sunrise 2	sun up	groggy sunrise	monica in the sun
anita in the sun	anita in the sun2	dunes 4	fort
fort 2	fort 3	fort4	fort 5
fort 6	view from fort	out on street	lake
lassi at lake with Papu	bikes	sunset at lake	sunset at lake 3
sunset at lake 4

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