A Romp In The Desert

India has finally begun to show its redeeming qualities. I know it has many, but it took a few days to really find something admirable and enjoyable. There's still the general hoo-rah-rah of people harrassing you and selling you crap at over-inflated prices, but I'm accustomed to it now, and I'm finding more humour in it too. The barber however, who seemed adamant I'm in need of a haircut, was perhaps a little too much for me.


Shannon and I are in a place called Jaisalmer, close to the Pakistani border and right smack dab in the desert. After the nasty slums of Agra and the hassle of Delhi, it's amazing to be in a place that has history, culture and a touch less poverty everywhere you look.

The trip here from Agra was a pain and a half, but hey, whatever doesn't kill you must be character building, right? Well, 18 hours of travel, 6 of it spent on the floor of the train next to the bathroom surrounded by cockroaches was very character building indeed. Our initial sleeper train ticket was a "waiting list" ticket, but we were told it was OK when we arrived. Not true, it turned out, and we spent the first half of the trip from Agra to Jodhpur crammed in a corner between the train cars. The second half was spacious enough to have us on a bed, but that didn't stop the cockroaches from following us too.


After another 6 hours on a bus, plus 20 minutes broken down on the side of the road next to a rotting camel carcass, we arrived in Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer is an awesome city, with the whole town looking like a sandcastle, with stone block buildings surrounding an old sand-stone fortress on a hill overlooking the city. The fort itself is a mad maze of tiny streets and towers and temples, and coming to see the fort itself would have almost made the trip worth it. We though, had camel safaris in mind.

Riding a camel in the desert is an absolute treat, and spending a few nights under the stars makes it even better. I rode a gruff looking camel by the name of Julien - nice and Indian name for a camel indeed. At nights we slept on the dunes, gritting our teeth in the sandy tea and rice, and during the day we trotted from village to dune, taking in the sights, seeing smatterings of wildlife and avoiding the stink eminating from the camels backsides. One camel developed a nasty mouth infection and quickly turned into the smelliest, malcontented-nest camel I've ever laid eyes on. The poor thing was so displeased by the second day we had to put the heaviest rider on it simply because he was familiar with horses and could keep him well in line.


After 3 days in the desert, I'm happy to say I've found a new respect and love for camels. Prior to this I thought them to be nasty, bone-headed stubborn things, but reallyit turns out there quite lovely bone-headed stubborn things. They really do have a cool personality, sort of like a snooty cat that takes orders from you but still thinks you're an idiot.


Anyway, time to run here. As a quick update, my internal problems have come to a halt, but 3 days in the desert have sent me on a 180 degree turn the other way - something about a diet of mostly bread seems to have not done me well. Oh well, Im sure some juice 'll sort that out right quick.