Jaisalmer: camel trek

 (by Steve)
One of the things on my bucket list for India was to take Owen on an overnight camel safari in the desert. India offers some pretty amazing experiences for a 9 year old, but nothing seems to compare to the opportunity of riding a camel out into the desert and sleeping under the stars. It has all the elements of a great adventure: an unknown and untamed landscape which can only be conquered by the bravest of men (or those who pay for a safari package), independence and isolation (ignore the fact we got full cell phone coverage the entire time), exotic animals (camels are exotic, right?), and exotic animal sounds (farting, belching, groaning, farting, etc). What 9 year old wouldn’t love it!?

During my previous time in India many years ago, I had experienced an overnight camel safari and knew that the novelty of riding a camel quickly wears off and all that remains is the horribly uncomfortable lurching and bouncing. I realized that Owen would not be interested in the typical 4-6 hour ride on the first day of the safari tours, so I asked our hotel to organize a custom package of maybe 1-2 hours ride out, camp out overnight, and return in the morning. Given that we were staying at a 5-star hotel it seems reasonable that the first reaction was disbelief. “You want to SLEEP in the desert?! Sir, this is not a good idea! Perhaps, I can arrange for a tent to follow you?” While I was intrigued to know how they could get a tent to follow me, I remained committed to our plan of sleeping in the desert, in the open air, under the stars. After talking the hotel staff down from the ledge, they finally agreed to organize a trip – but they insisted on preparing some food that we could carry along (instead of eating what the guide would prepare) and providing some blankets to keep warm (instead of using the riding blankets on the camels). These impositions seemed to dampen the spirit of adventure, but truth be told it didn’t take a lot of convincing. Suffering from “fast motion” (the amusing India term for diarrhea) wasn’t a part of the adventure criteria.

The morning of the safari Owen and I ate breakfast with the family, collected our hotel packs of food and bedding, piled in the car and headed out for open desert.  Within 20 minutes we reached the rendezvous point for our guide in what can only be described as the camel parking lot. Every tour provider seems to start from the same location, each with a small collection of 2-8 camels and a couple of guides waiting for their group. 

As our car came to a stop, we were surrounded by anxious guides who were ready to start their safari. It took a while to figure out which one was ours, especially since very few of them spoke English in such a rural area. Finally, we found each other, and began unloading our packs from the van as the other guides watched and smirked as if to silently, but condescendingly, laugh at our hotel bedding for the desert. 

Camel is loaded down with all the comforts of a five star hotel

With the help of our guide, we strapped our gear on the camels lying in the sand and climbed on top. In broken English our guide offered simple instructions, “Lean back. Camel stand”, then he made a clicking sound to encourage the animals to rise up.  He wasn't kidding when he said "lean back"!  Have you’ve ever watched a camel stand up?  It starts will all four legs tucked underneath and then fully extends its rear legs while the front legs remain folded on the ground. This puts you in the very uncomfortable position of nearly tumbling head-first over the camel unless you lean so far back that you are essentially standing in the saddle.  Then the camel awkwardly attempts to fully stand by extending its front legs, but usually stumbles a few steps.  This means the rider must quickly return to a regular sitting position while also bouncing around as the animal gets its footing. This short exercise is foreshadowing of the journey ahead. 

 We begin the trek with our guide walking in front and the camels in a line, following his lead. 

Despite the fact that both our camels were female, mine was named “John” and Owen’s was named “Michael Jackson.” Owen’s camel was younger and always last in our caravan, providing Owen with the opportunity to fully experience the sights and sounds of a camel’s rear. I couldn’t help but laugh every time I heard Owen yell “Watch out Michael Jackson!” as John dropped turds on the path.

Owen and Michael Jackson

I tried to prepare Owen ahead of time for the reality of how uncomfortable a camel ride can be - the swaying, jerking, and lunging quickly starts to get uncomfortable, and within 15 minutes (and every 5 minutes thereafter) Owen would announce that “this looks like a good place to stop.” To be fair, the ride for Owen was even more difficult since his legs were not long enough to reach the makeshift rope stirrups on the camel saddle. I felt bad for him, but he eventually figured out an ingenious method for riding more comfortably – he turned backwards to lay on his belly and used his feet to brace against the horn of the saddle. In this position he was able to create a bed using the many blankets layered on the camel and minimize the impact of the constant sway-jerk-lunge motion.

 

He figured out a more comfortable way to ride a camel

We rode for about an hour, and while the temperature was not overly hot, the strong sun was definitely a burden.  We stopped for a quick water break and let Owen run around in the sand, mounted back up and continued for another hour before stopping to make camp for the night.

One spot is as good as any so we unloaded the gear and sat down for dinner, which consisted of sweet corn soup from a thermos (one of Owen’s favorite foods in India), roasted vegetable kabobs, pita and hummus. The food was delicious but the china and silverware included in the hotel pack seemed a bit pretentious for a desert safari. I tried to hide these from the guide and avoid more (justifiable) condescending smirks.

Dinner time for the guide and camels

While Owen burned through some energy after dinner, the guide and I arranged our bed on the sand. At first the guide started to make the bed on an incline of the dune, but I asked him to move to a flat surface. 

Our campsite and bedding

The hotel provided a woven wool carpet to use a base and we spread that out on the sand.  Over the carpet we arranged 2 bed sheets and a duvet filled with a down comforter, along with 2 pillows. The white sheets and duvet created a stark contrast against the endless sea of sand, and even looked somewhat inviting. 

Once our bed was set, the guide moved on to make his bed and tend to the camels. I noticed that he purposefully created his bed on an incline and wondered if maybe he knew something I didn’t.

In hindsight, I believe he used the incline as a way to minimize the hardness of sleeping on sand. By laying at a slight incline some of your body weight can be transferred to your feet, instead of having all your weight resting on your back or shoulders. When you first lie down your body weight causes you to slowly slide, but the sand naturally creates a small shelf to provide a footing and prevents you from sliding further. Of course, I didn’t figure this out until the next morning with a stiff and aching body to reinforce my poor decision.

After dinner, Owen was at full speed and used the remaining daylight to run and fall and roll through the desert dunes.   He loved every moment as he rolled down the dunes, escaped from imaginary monsters bursting through the sand, and generally made sure that every nook and cranny in his body and clothes was filled with fine grains of sand. 

 

Owen ensured that lots of sand returned home in his clothes

look out for desert monsters that hide under the dunes

As the sun went down, so did the temperature and it became clear that the evening would be chilly. Unfortunately, the sunset was not amazing (nothing like the awesome scenes we experienced in the Maldives) but as the stars began to appear, Owen finally returned and we crawled up a tall dune to sit and watch the stars. It was a great moment, lying head-to-head with my son in the sand of the Thar desert, watching the stars and talking about whatever came to mind. We eventually pulled out my cell phone and called the hotel to say goodnight to the rest of the Hunter family.  Having full cell coverage in the middle of the desert really kills the sense of adventure, even more than the hotel's duvet and silverware!

To be honest, I was a bit nervous about going to sleep because large black beetles, like scarabs, appeared from under the sand around sunset.   At first, it was just one or two. . .but then it was more and more until everywhere you looked you could see them scurrying about. The guide helped to reinforce their harmless nature by picking one up and allowing it to roam freely over his arms and neck. Owen never seemed to mind the beetles and he chased after them as part of his desert romp. At one point I saw him lying in the sand with a few beetles crawling on his shirt as he yelled out the 9-year old sound effects for dramatic and imaginary death. If he didn’t get the creeps, then I guess I couldn’t show any fear.  For some reason they never crawled on the bed all night. I can assume this because as they scuttled around through the night their six-legged movement left a trail in the fine sand, something that looked similar to a bicycle tread. The tread marks stopped about 6-8 inches from our bed, which left the sand surrounding our bed in pristine condition. I suppose its possible they jumped, but I like to believe they left us alone.

We eventually turned in and snuggled under the covers of our bed, now almost glowing as the white sheets reflected the moonlight. The night was cold. We slept under the duvet in our clothes and snuggled together. As long as skin was under the blanket, it was fine - even a bit too warm – but any skin exposed to the air and the slight breeze, was freezing! It became a cycle of putting your whole head under the covers until it was too hot, and then putting your head out to cool down, and then back under again, etc., etc.  Combined with the hard surface and the occasional wake up blast from a camel belch or fart, it made for a terrible night of sleep. Both of us tossed and turned all night but it didn’t matter – we still loved every minute of it.

 

 

When the sun began to rise, we crawled out of bed and enjoyed a simple breakfast of hard boiled eggs and juice. As I went to start packing up our bed I noticed that Owen’s side of the sheet appeared to be under the sand. Puzzled, I finally realized that all the sand he had collected from his dune rolling had slowly filtered out from the cracks overnight and pooled in the bed. Owen enjoyed one last frolic in the dunes and we saddled up to head home.

The ride back seemed to be longer than the ride in – maybe because I was already sore from the day before and the rough night of sleep. Our guide rode the camel back instead of walking out front.  He allowed the camels to run occasionally. A walking camel is a rough ride, but a running camel is miserable! At one point during a run, I turned around to see how Owen was holding up. He was in his backwards belly position, but flopping up and down on the blankets with each awkward stride.

We finally reached the rendezvous point, paid our guide, loaded up the van and Owen said goodbye to Michael Jackson. In true form, MJ let out a final toot and our desert adventure was complete.

On the way to Jaisalmer

We headed to Jaisalmer to relive an adventure Steve had when he came here back in his early twenties.  It's always been his desire to take our nine year old son, Owen, on a camel trek and spend the night under the desert stars. So the big day was finally approaching, one he's been looking forward to for months.

But first we have to get there.  It's a four hour drive between towns and if you stop for lunch with kids, count on five.  On the way there is nothing to see but wide open desert and scraggly shrubbery.   It was a super monotonous drive so I opened my book to read a chapter.  Occasionally I would look up from my book to see a lone goat herder or a solitary home made of sandstone and a thatched roof. Where does the thatch come from?  It's a hard life for anyone who homesteads out here. I've heard the wells have to go almost three hundred feet down for any sign of water. I'm amazed that someone can actually scratch out a living or would dare to live out here.


random sandstone hut along the road

We did have a little excitement along the way.  We passed a large truck flipped upside down. It had just happened minutes before we passed and other cars had stopped to help. No one looked hurt so our driver kept going.  How did that happen on such a boring stretch of road?  The kids talked about the scene for a while.

Occasionally we had a hard break or hard weave to the left or right to avoid hitting a meandering sheep or goat.  There were a couple times I thought the animal was a gonner the way our driver would slam on his breaks and be just inches from hitting it. I'd shake my head as the sheep would pass by completely oblivious to his perilous decision.  It wouldn't be India if there wasn't a herd of goats, sheep, or occasional cow competing for space on the road.   I thought about the dramatic scene with the truck.  Perhaps this is what happened to cause him to flip. Maybe he just fell asleep.

Out of nowhere there is sign of life; about half way between Jodphur and Jaisalmer is a type of flea market with booths lined up all along the side of the road.  We didn't stop but some tour buses did and we watched gaggles of tourists file out with cameras around their necks ready to capture on film the primative type of commerce.  This is a place where many of the villagers trade, buy and sell goods ranging from brooms and steel pots to camels.  Camels were standing like a parking lot at one end of the market ready to be sold or traded in for a newer model,  100,000 rupees for a new one, which is over two thousand U.S. dollars.  This must take villagers years to save up for. 

In another dramatic scene, we passed a dead cow lying in the sand, rib bones exposed, bloated with the sun, being pulled and tugged by a wild dog enjoying the meal of a lifetime.  It was a harsh reminder to us how tough the desert life can be.  We may be tourists who sit comfortably in our airconditioned car and sip on cool bottled water, but this is real life and someone's livelihood just turned to dog food.

*****

Rajasthan, Land of Kingdoms

Destination: Jodhpur

I loved Jodhpur.  Easy to get to, just a short 1 hour flight from Delhi and it's located right in the middle of the state of Rajasthan, on the edge of the Thar desert (bordering Pakistan).  I was really excited about seeing this region of India because it is so vastly different than the agricultural, tropical end of south India that I've grown so accustomed to. 

The first thing that struck me was how nice the weather was. Here it is at the end of February and in Bangalore it's HOT, like mid 90s (34 c). Summer is in full swing and there are a few more months of this before monsoon hits, so I was dreading the heat in Rajasthan.

We were told by friends that Rajasthan is too hot by March; The best time to go is October through February. So squeezing in a trip at the last week of February, we crossed our fingers hoping the heat would be at least tolerable. Maybe it was a bit of good luck, but I suppose because it is a desert climate the heat was dry, the sky was bright blue, and the shade was cool and refreshing.

Located in central Rajasthan, Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination with its many Jain temples, palaces, forts, and great shopping. Tourist were everywhere, so for the first time in a long time I didn't feel like I stood out, like I do in southern India. We felt very safe walking around even though we had our kids with us.  And because we came with three grade school children we decided to take a leisurely pace and focus on just two things...visiting the fort and shopping!

The city spreads out like a blue quilt beneath the ominous presence of the Mehrangarh Fort.  The beautiful shade of blue is painted on many of the walls which has given Jodhpur the nickname "Blue City".  Aside from the aesthetic beauty this supplies in contrast to the desert, this also had a practical purpose of being an insect repellent and kept their homes cooler.

The fort stands guard over the city.

impressive height with impenetrable walls

A nice view of the "Blue City" from the fort walls

 City sprawls beneath the fort walls where canons stand guard 

I soaked in all the scenery and saw many differences from south India.  The men and women are taller than south India.  There is more color in their clothing, or maybe it stands out more against the monochromatic colors of the beige desert and the sandstone buildings.  The buildings are way more interesting with their intricately carved window screens and archways.

On day two we hit the fort which is the highlight of this city and the most well done museum I've been to in India. Clean, well-maintained, decent food on site, and an impressive collection of costumes, paintings, furniture, and weapons.

Outside the many palatial rooms

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The last of the fort entrances is cleverly placed at a sharp 90 degree angle so the war elephants couldn't get up to ramming speed - notice the spikes halfway up the door right at elephant head height.

Circled marks indicate where the enemy canons hit but nothing ever penetrated the walls

One of the many palaquins used to carry around the royal women

This is a close up look at the beautiful sword handle, handcrafted and so detailed (notice the lion heads on either side) 

The swords were beautiful but it's hard to see from the pictures

One interesting side note for all the history buffs who may be reading this...  Rajasthan stayed independent, being made up of princely states until it joined the Republic of India in 1949.  Construction on this fort started in 1459 by Rao Jodha, one of 24 sons, who became the fifteenth ruler of the Rathore dynasty. He decided to move his fort to the cliffs where it now stands 400 feet above the city.  There was a small problem with this location, however.  A hermit who occupied this hill refused to give up without a fight and put a curse on the land.  To appease the gods and cleanse the land from the curse, the prince buried a man alive in the foundation.  In exchange for his life the man was promised that his family would be taken care of by the Rathores, the royal family. His descendants still live on the land given to them by King Jodha.

Giving up his life was considered a very honorable thing to do and a monument has been placed on the very spot where he was buried alive.  Sacrificing one's life was not an uncommon practice in Rajasthan.  Nearby on the fort walls are single palm prints of the royal wives who were widowed when their husband died in battle (I counted 15). The body of the husband would be placed on top of a funeral pyre for a cremation ceremony, as is typical for Hindu religion, but then the queens would silently burn alive with him, ensuring everlasting communion.
  

Touring forts is usually not my thing, but how is that not interesting?  We did a guided audio tour and even the kids were partially entertained. I'm so glad we did the audio tour.  It was well worth the extra cost because it was so informative and interesting.  Time flew, which was good since it took much of the day to see all that the museum had to offer.

Kids standing at one of the massive fort doors 

We hired an auto rickshaw driver for the day to drive us to the fort, wait, then return us to our hotel.  About 400 rupees (just under $10).  Our hotel, Taj Vivante, advised us to do this since there would be no auto rickshaws at the fort to make the return trip.  In hindsight, finding a rickshaw back to the hotel would not have been a problem.  As we left the fort to find our rickshaw we were swarmed by other drivers hoping to get a fare.  We informed them that we have a driver waiting, to which they responded confidently "But I am here only!"   

Steve and Owen hopping out of the rickshaw

The hotel we stayed at was lovely and had comfortable rooms.  There were a few downsides that applied to every place we stayed;  first, the food was good but restaurants at the hotels didn't open for dinner until 7 which was too late for the kids.  So instead, we ordered off the snack menu for dinner (less spicy options anyway); second, the pools were frigid, way too cold, even for the kids.  Imagine a glacial mountain lake, that cold!  Every hotel we stayed at had icy cold pools which was unfortunate since we were counting on that for hours of entertainment for the kids; third, there were hundreds of annoying pigeons, picture a scene from a famous Alfred Hitchcock movie.  The cooing was actually eerie as they peered down at us from window eaves and roof overhangs.  They flew in swarms and landed pool side for a drink of water.  Someone actually had the job of shooing away the pigeons with a big flag, and for some reason this was strangely entertaining. 

However, if that isn't your idea of entertainment then there is live music with a dancer, a puppet show, and a magic show every night which happened to be exactly the same at every hotel we went to; go four hours drive north to Jaisalmer and the hotel there had the same magic show and only slight variations on the puppet show. 

I loved the Rajasthani music and the dancing that the hotels provided every night.

Rajasthan is known for it's handicrafts, such as block print textiles, glass bangles (These don't transport well. Mine broke in the suitcase- doh!), hand embroidered shoes and leather bags, wool rugs, and carved furniture.

We had time to shop when we came back through Jodphur at the tail end of our trip so we just did window shopping and price comparisons, saving the big purchases for later. 

Day three was another travel day- a four hour car trip further north to Jaisalmer to accomplish the main objective.

Stay tuned...