Camel Safari

This was a lot more fun than I expected.

Camels in Rajasthan are the main mode of transport. Which for me is an unusual site. I have not really come across any camels in my life - then again I have not really experienced the desert life before. They pull carts, roam free in the fields, take a major part in the big festivals.

Jaisalmere was a major trade route before the days of the Raj. After the British came, they established ports in Mumbai and other places which led to a decline in business in Jaisalmere. The camels were deemed useless and the arrid desert town was slowly turning into a ghost town...until the first tourists arrived. And so the 'desert camel safari' was born.

We opted for a 'non-touristic' safari. Which means we didn't go to the usual sand dunes, but paid a bit extra for a jeep to take us to a remote village from where we started our safari. Unfortunatley, we were not able to do the overnight safari due to time restraints. Nontheless, it was great!

Kalia, my faithful camel, turned out to be a very good little boy. Can't say the same for Gurcharan's ride, Mathura. She had a slight gas problem and might have had too much too eat - I had the misfortune of riding right behind her and had to content with very smelly farts and endless camel droppings!

Apart from that, the experience was very much the 'lawrence of Arabia'