The Camel Ride!

Jaisalmer is known as the golden city because of its sandstone buildings across a desert backdrop. The city really resembles a huge sandcastle. So yesterday we walked the market - much more aggressive sellers and street people - and met a man who said he would set us up for a camel ride the next morning for sunrise. After discussing this venture we agreed to sleep in and recover from the bus ride and go a bit later in the morning. We took a jeep ride about 25 km out into the desert. We passed open sand-covered land with piles of some kind of stone they break and use for building here in this highly Muslim community. We met two other men dressed in desert garb resting by the side of the road with three camels. We were excited because we have been talking about this for a few days.

Now, when riding a camel there are a few tricky things to remember:
#1- Hold on tight
#2- Make sure the saddle is attached
#3- S..t happens

So, there is this camel sitting there with a purple blanket that I insist on being mine. So when he tries to put Lara on "MY" camel I tell him I want this camel for myself. No big deal. The camel is crouched down and the driver pulls down on his nose ring causing him to make a loud guttural sound, like a cow but longer. I get on, no problem. Put my feet in the stirrups and the camel begins to stand up. As he does, the saddle breaks away and I slide down the camel backwards on top of the man in charge. We both fall down and the camel starts to move away dragging us a few inches. This man is not big at all so I stay lying on top of him to help weigh down the rope holding the camel. I hit my head on his but am alright.

The two men and our driver talk very quickly in Hindi discussing this situation as I shake off the sand and start picking the very sharp burrs from the desert ground off of my blanket. I "begin again!" Daniel is surprised and I find out later that this causes him more hesitation than myself. Once on the camel, it is actually very comfortable, very much like riding a horse. We proceed towards the sand dunes, us riding, the two men walking. The scenery is breathtaking. Like the wind-swept sand you see in movies. We pass a tiny village where women run to us offering to dance and children ask for chocolate. We ride on. We stop to take pictures of the dunes and to feel the soft sand between our toes. We resume our ride towards a second area of dunes where Daniel decides to walk, not feeling good energy from his camel. We just heard that two camels got into a fight while another woman was riding it! We didn't have any bad experiences like that and I am glad we didn't hear that story before we went ourselves.

My neck is pretty sore today and I got my first reflexology treatment from a local doctor back here in Pushkar. We all love this place so much we couldn't wait to get back. Yesterday in Jaisalmer after our camel ride we toured the fort which was built in 1156. It is now inhabited by local artists and sellers of goods but we happened to look into a doorway of what appeared to be an old noble home. The man inside invited us in and told us the history of this place. He is the 17th generation of this noble family and has many pictures displayed on the walls of father and grandfathers. He took us into the basement where many treasures are stored, including old vessels used for water and gunpowder. We felt so blessed to have stumbled onto this magical place. This man has a master's degree in Business Administration but chooses to be a tour guide here and to take care of his inheritance of the building and it's contents.

We found another secret of India: Take the government buses!! Our ride back yesterday afternoon was like a dream come true after our bus ride to Jaisalmer night before last. It was quiet and calm and no unnecessary stops. Tomorrow is the Kite Festival here in Pushkar where the skies are supposedly filled with every color kite imaginable. This explains so many kites being flown in the last week as local children brush up on their kite-flying skills. I'll take lots of pictures so you can all see.

The plan is to leave the day after next by train for Delhi, about 8 hours, stay in Delhi that night, and leave by train to Bombay (it's now called Mumbai) - 18 hours. After that we will begin exploring the southern part of India, with the beautiful beaches and lots of ayurveda and yoga. I did one yoga class here in Pushkar with an older man in an old temple. Bells rang and monks chanted as we practiced. It was interesting and makes me see how Americanized yoga has become. Can't wait to share this.
Love & Light!
Lynne