Into The Thar Desert-Part III

More From March 12, 2010

……....…we collected ourselves after our siesta in that little bit of welcomed shade those scrawny trees provided, the carts were loaded and we hopped onto our trusty camels to continue our journey into the desert. We noticed how the landscape started to change a bit. The foliage was getting a bit thinner and there seemed to be higher mounds of sand appearing. The heat was also making itself very noticeable. Thank goodness we know it will only get cooler from here on out. Here is a movie of our afternoon journey that took us to our evening camp where we will have dinner (It’s a longer movie so give it a minute to load).

You can see our evening camp below. Vijay, The Camel Man, owns this little piece of land (out here in the middle of NOWHERE!) and has constructed a semi-permanent camp that he uses for overnight camel trips as well as full day camel trips like ours. We came into camp, the Raikas got things unloaded and the camels undressed as this will be the end of their trip with us into the desert.

Our evening camp. The two thatched buildings are where the caretaker lives.

The kitchen is in the cement building.

Here is a well-head. These can be found here and there throughout the desert. Water is not found at the little lake surrounded by palm trees one sees in old movies. Water is collected from here and carried to wherever it needs to go.

Our first order of business in camp was to have a rest and a cool drink and then, of course, a cup of tea!

As dinner was being prepared, we took a walk in the surrounding dunes to find a good spot to view the sunset. We came across a little bit of desert life along the way.

Jenni of Arabia :o)

This is a green-bellied Rowan warbler. :o)

Shri and Charan

The sand is so incredibly fine. For every three steps one takes forward, there are two steps back.

This Dung Beetle was very busy looking for any sign of a camel poop

We weren't sure what this Desert Ant was looking for, maybe the Dung Beetle!

We weren't lucky enough to actually see this lizard, but at least he left a nice imprint of himself in the sand.

As we got to the top of the dunes we looked off to the west, towards Pakistan, where you can see the desert gets pretty barren. We are glad our journey in that direction ends here. :o)

The four of us with our Raikas.

The Raikas headed off on foot, back to their village, a number of miles away. We will stay at the camp and have dinner.

The sun as it sets in the west. We were all very glad not to have it beating down on us any longer.

As darkness fell, the caretaker of the camp and his 13 year old assistant came out in their turbans and sat on their magic carpet, laid down on the sand, to play some traditional Rajisthani folk music for us. The older gentleman was playing a Harmonium and the young boy his Dolka Drum. It made for a really special moment as it was getting dark. The beginning of a perfect end to an incredible day.

The music continued as our dinner was served in complete darkness, only a candle lantern to light the table. The stars more than we have ever seen, so close you could touch them. In this second song, the musicians can't be seen because of the total darkness, only the candle lamp on the left is visible. The young boy is now singing (just priceless). Since you can't see the musicians, you can continue to read the blog after you start the video.




Poppadom (crispy bread) and soup broth was the first course. YUM!

Dhal, peas & carrots, cabbage curry and chippathi for the main course. Everything with a chili kicker! Simple and delicious.

A few comments on our visit to Bikaner, Rajasthan and the desert:
We had no idea what to expect on our way getting here and then going into the desert on camels with desert guides who looked like, especially from an American perspective, terrorists!
Well, the 'type' or 'look' was exactly what we have been taught by our media to be a terrorist and that is just plain silly. Being an Persian/Asian is not a crime. The natural dress here is head wraps and twisted fabrics around your body. It is the only thing to keep you cool and protect you from the relentless heat here so why wouldn't people wear this? We never felt threatened once. Never in danger once (unless you qualify being run down by a cow on the street!) The US State Department was more freaked out about me coming here than I was (naturally, being so close to the Pakistani border). We did make sure we were aware of our surroundings, but that was never at the front of our minds and something we didn't dwell on (remember, India is not our enemy). This place is so beautiful, in landscape, architecture, culture and people, especially the people, they are all so friendly and engaging. It would be a shame for anyone to miss this. We are so glad we made this trip up north. We would do it again in a heart-beat.

Here is a clip showing our one headlight jeep ride out of the desert in the pitch black darkness of the desert. Shrikant is talking in Hindi with the driver and guide.

The adventure continues........
Next up, we are back to Jaipur and then on to Agra and the Taj Mahal.
STAY TUNED....................

Into The Thar Desert - Part II

March 12, 2010

……..As we continued our journey into the desert we were amazed at how much wildlife we were seeing all around us (besides Shrikant and Charanya :o). Birds were naturally the first things we started to see.

A Plum-headed Parakeet seemed to follow us for a short distance (I never got a photo, but found one on-line so you can see how beautiful they are).

We also saw many birds of prey flying over us as we went along (comforting sight!). The Imperial and Steppe Eagles were abundant (I got these photos on-line too as I could never catch a clear enough photo).

Imperial Eagle

Steppe Eagle

I was lucky enough to snap photos of a Tawny Pipit, Red-vented Bulbul and I think a Flycatcher who were checking us out from a tree when we stopped for lunch.

Tawny Pipit

Red-vented Bulbul

I think this is some sort of Flycatcher. I'm still working on a positive ID.

We also saw the Indian Gazelle/Antelope, called Chinkara. The Bishnoi tribes who inhabit the desert worship these animals. They can survive without water for very long periods and thrive mainly on wild grasses and various types of shrubs.

The other animal we saw was the Nilgali or Bluebull. It is actually not a cow, but an antelope, the largest in India.

It was now about 1pm and we were noticing how hot the sun was getting as it beat down on us (we were already at 100 degrees). Our Raika’s, being seasoned desert dwellers, know when to take a siesta, and now was the time. We ventured off of the beaten path and into a little dent in the sand where there were a few trees that had some foliage for shade. We made camp and the cook got right to setting up the kitchen and getting our lunch together. They also set up a mat under a tree for us to all sit and take in a cool drink before lunch. Thank goodness there was a breeze. We all imagined it was cooling us down.

No matter how ridiculous this Hepburn get-up looks, it was extremely effective at keeping that hot sun off of my face.

Once we stopped, we were more than happy to stand around for a bit so the blood could return to our legs and feet. We found that sitting on a camel for a length of time can make ones feet and knees go numb.

Our cook preparing our lunch. The rice is being made in the pressure cooker which is being heated by the red container of propane on the right.

Our little bit of shade and our hand washing bowl in the foreground.

No, our guide is not coming to torture us, he is serving us lunch! :o)

It is amazing how these guys can cook up such a delicious simple lunch way out here in the desert. Home made chippatti, cauliflower curry, Eggplant curry, fresh vegetable salad, Dhal and rice. Now the main task is to keep the sand out of our food! Everything was extremely delicious.

We jumped right in to the cool cucumber, tomato & onion salad. Aahhhhhhhhh! One note on the onions: The desert people eat lots of them as they contain mostly water and are used to quench ones thirst. They also keep extremely well in this environment so are taken on long camel trips into the desert. When water is scarce, onions are eaten. We found that this works! It's amazing!

Our yummy lunch

After eating, everyone laid down for a nap in the little bit of shade we had. A good strategy as we need to wait until at least 3:30pm to venture back into the desert sun, as the temperature starts to decline about this time. We remember in the movie 'Lawrence of Arabia' how there was always an afternoon break when crossing the desert. Now we know why.

With a full belly, Shrikant had no problem getting into the nap zone. Sorry Shri, I HAD to! :o)

While everyone else in our camp slept, I ventured out with my camera to take more photos. This is when I was able to get some of those bird photos at the beginning of this post, and also some great shots of the camels as they were resting too - right out in the beating sun!

Camels are so darn cute. They just keep smiling all the time! I even felt better after watching this guy have his scratch.

Stay tuned for Part III, as we head deeper into the desert and set up our evening camp for dinner.

Into The Thar Desert-Part I

March 12, 2010

Today is a very exciting day. Going into the desert on camel-back is something the both of us have fantasized about since the first time we saw ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. How cool to be Peter O’Toole for a day!

We all got up this morning and put on our desert gear. Pure cotton traditional Indian dress in a light color is the best choice as the cotton is cool yet protects you from the scorching sun (it will be 100 degrees today). Charanya and I put on our salwar cameez and Shrikant his kurta. Rowan opted for the SPF infused outdoor western clothing in that new technical wicking fabric. A head scarf (hijab) is essential to keep your head from getting fried to a crispy crunch. We ate a hearty breakfast and off we went in our jeep to meet our Raikas (camel tenders) to start our journey into the desert. We will be provided with camels, Raika guides, a camel-pulled cart to carry our provisions (water, food, cooking stove, utensils, etc.). The first order of business for our head Raika was to instruct us on how to get on and off of a camel. Camels are HUGE animals, so this is no easy task, as you will see.

No, these are not terrorists, they are Jenni, Rowan and Charanya wrapped up in their hijab. :o)

Our man Shrikant

Watching someone get on a camel and staying on as the camel rises from its knees is funny. You really have to hang on.

After we were instructed on how to stay on the camels and all of our provisions were put into the camel carts, we set off into the Thar Desert. Get ready for camel toes :o)...Drum roll please...........

OK, so Jenni is giving it a SERIOUS Katharine Hepburn in that get-up. She forgot this isn't the African Queen, but the Thar Desert! :o)

As we began our journey, the landscape was covered with small scrub bushes and very dry looking trees. We learned that these trees have roots that dive over 200 feet deep to reach water. That is how they survive in this arid environment. We passed a couple of camel carts coming into town from the desert on our way out. This is the main transport for the desert people.

A few photos of our journey out.

After just over an hour on camel-back we came to this tiny village called Sentasa. Our Raika's asked us if we would like to stop here for some tea and a visit to a traditional desert home. In the interest of our behinds, we said yes. :o)

As we came into town, we were met by some of the village goats.

The camels found the well right away and went for a long drink. We learned that most villages across the desert are there because water has been found at that spot or within walking distance. The water you see here would be the main water source for the village.

How to stay on a camel when it is sitting down. I was surprised I could actually walk once I got off of that beast.

Village photos

We were welcomed into a house so we could see how these people live. Our guide took us in and explained to us how these villagers keep their food from spoiling in the intense heat. There are special huts built with extra thick mud walls, and no windows, for storage of grains, potatoes, onions, etc. Here is a video of our guide explaining in Hindu about the hut (Shrikant then translated what he said for us into English).

It is amazing how a hot cup of tea can actually cool you off in the desert heat

It is high fashion to shave your camels hair into intricate designs. Every camel we have seen so far is decorated like this.

How a camel takes a sand bath

After our short rest stop in the village, we got back on our camels and continued our journey into the desert. As we were leaving the village, a sheep herder passed us on the road. It's hard to imagine there is anything for these sheep to eat out here in this barren land, but they do survive. Our next stop will be for lunch.

Where we are headed........

More coming. Stay tuned...........