Camel riding & Jaisalmer
Thursday, March 30th, 2006So first I would like to make a correction I told you that the main character in the book PI last name was Kumar. It’s not but another character in the books name is. So I left Bikaner yesterday and saw the big fort that is there. It was huge and amazing to walk around in. Likewise the fort I’m in right now is also lovely. So we left early yesterday because it’s a 6 hour drive. We were driving through desert and it was beautiful to look at. The road the whole way was nice except in the beginning. When we arrived we drove directly to this small village where people do camal trecks. I did just one night. The camal ride didn’t leave until 4:30. We ended up waiting there for over 2 hours. Had I known my driver and I could of left later that mourning but he didn’t tell me this bit of information.
Everyday cost money so the sooner I’m in a city the more I can see of it. Anyway slowely but surely tourist started to arrive. I believe there was about 11 of us. Each group got to go by themselves with a camal. Since it was just me my camal driver took me on my own after following this raod to an Indian village. This small village is inside the Thar Desert which goes through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran I believe. I will need to look at a world map. If someone can tell me the answer that would be great. Also what is the largest lake in the world? Don’t ask why. Actually last night two other tourist and I plus their driver went to go sleep out under the stars. While going out on the chart we were asking each other riddles and questions. The one girl was saying ask the guy from england anything he’s smart. So I did and my question was whats the largest lake in the world. No one new the answer much less me. If you can find out what it is please let me know. I was thinking a lake in Russia? The one guy is from Chambridge England and the girl is from Wales.
Anyway riding the camal was a challange. You definately had to get use to the up and down of the camal. I tried to become one with the camal. Some people do 2 or 3 day trecks. So for about 3 hours we trecked with the camal. We went up onto the Thar dunes and waited for the sun to set. We had about an hour so my guide and I took a nap. It was quit nice I have to say. It was very lovely to see the sunet. After that we went back and had dinner. I was supper hungry waiting fo rthe food but they had rice chips or something for us to snack on. What was nice this time was that all the drivers ate with us. Normally my driver would eat I guess back with the workers of the hotel or what not. The food was very good. Most dishes are some type of potato dish with vegis. They also had some tpe of Naan bread although it wasn’t naan but similar. After dinner everyone who wanted to went to sleep out under the stars.
I had a choose to either sleep i a hut room or under stars. I didn’t come all this way to sleep somewhere other then the desert. I ended up going with the 2 British people and their driver. It was very fun. We were joking and asking each other ridddles. I started to ask the one about a boy and a father taking a sunday driver etc. Boy needs surgery. They already new that one. We started to laugh. When we got out some distance from the village lights the camal guide made us beds on cots. The sky night in the Thar desert is the best I’ve seen so far in my life and i’ve seen some really beautiful ones. We chatted until 11:30 or so and then fell asleep under the stars. I luckely had my fleece sweatshirt and my silk sleeper which is a sleepig bag liner. Even though we had a blanket I was cold. I get cold easily and the desert at night can get freezing. When I was sleeping I didn’t notice it except when I moved.
The mourning sky in the desrt was quit nice. We got up at around 7am. We were of course not the only ones out there but they were far enough away to not be a bother. In the mourning their were other people on the ridges heading back to the village. So we got up and headed back. We had toast and tea or coffee after that I left to go to Jaisalmer. I’m in a hotel outside the fort. So far I’m letting my driver take me to hotels. They are around $10 Usd or slightly more. I can pick my own but at least this way I know they have a place for tourist drivers to sleep. I was able to get this one for $9. This is a lot more expiensive then when I was in SEA. I guess not really but before I was splitting the cost of a room with people sometimes. My daily budget is alot more then I had hoped but traveling to each town by myself would of been just as much. I’t will definatly be well worth it.
The city fort is where 2/3 of the people live. The fort is lovely but it is taken over by the locals trying to sell you crafts etc. The fort is small enough that you can walk around without worring about getting lost. The streets can be narrow at times and cow crap is everywhere along with cows and flies. I hope the site is up and runing now and if so I will load up more pictures. If not I will try later. The women and men of Raj are lovely people to look at. Of course not all people but the saris that they where are these amazing colors of yellow, red, green, blue etc mixed. I have some pictures. The men wear these orange or bright pink turbans. This fort was built in 1156 AD. Thats all for now Ciao.
Liliana