Seventy miles from the Pakistani border in the Thar desert (or the Great Indian Desert) was the setting for our sunset camel ride into the sand dunes. Our caravan sat high on saddles as our camels led us into the desert splendor.
Our safari began with a jeep transfer to two small villages. In the first village, we were shown around by three young boys while our driver slept in the jeep. The two hundred inhabitants were no where to be seen. They were probably inside their stone houses relaxing in the shade.
The second village we called in was a gypsy village. We had a very awkward moment standing in the middle of the four-shack village while the gypsies surrounded us and held their hands out for money. I blame the guide for not preparing us or the villagers for our visit. I felt really foolish being there. None of us took any pictures or gave any rupees because we felt like we were intruding. Besides giving handouts is just a short-term solution and it just encourages begging. I understand we were in their village but my understanding was that we were welcomed guests not paying guests.
From there we drove another 15 km to the camel village where the five of us were given our camels. My camel was La La but the only singing she did was the grunting while she passed wind. One camel, bigger than the rest, had the stately name of Mr. India. By the end of our ride, we could distinguish our camels by their mannerisms.
More comfortable than an elephant ride is how I will describe my camel experience. The saddle kept shifting and my legs became numb but overall it was pleasant. We listened to the camel men as they spoke in Hindi throughout our ride. No wildlife was to be seen save for a deer running in the distance. Vegetation was limited to scrubs and batches of grass.
We camped in the sand dunes and watched the sun go down. True to what is usually said, it was romantic and beautiful. Too bad I was the fifth wheel between two couples. It would have been nice to share the experience with a lover.
The camel men cooked chili, rice, veggies and chapatti on an open fire. We ate with relish and chatted about our travels around India. Almost immediately after eating, we got into the jeep and headed back to Jaisalmer while the camel men were left to ride the camels back to their vi