Jaiselmer, Golden City

Trip Start Aug 28, 2004
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Trip End Aug 2005


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Sunday, December 5, 2004

Travelled on yet another overnight train to Jaiselmer this time!!!! But it was rather lovely and comfortable to be able to sleep overnight without distraction and being the end of the line we were able to relax a tad. Our expectations on arrival were to be swamped by the many Hoteliers, it warns you in the good old L.P, but obviously the local police have re vamped the system and it's a fairly civilised affair all round. Plus we'd booked a Hotel in advance (one of the few times!!) and so had a lift waiting for us, lovely experience as it can be tough first thing in the morning when you're all bleary eyed and not firing on all cylinders. Our first vision of Jaiselmer when it was daylight was truly the "Golden City" it's all built out of sandstone and the Fort is stood up on the hillside as all good forts are. It is unusual in that there is a buzzing community in the surrounding city, but also within the fort walls.....It's got a really calm atmosphere and you can stay in Hotels within it's wall which is cool, but can be more expensive on the budget side
Aety shot
Aety shot
. There are beautifully carved intricate details into the buildings everywhere you explore, so you can and do get overload......the locals are really friendly and very curious too. We met an Israeli couple at the train station, they came over to ask what the drill was with booking tickets etc. We then spent a few hours exchanging ideas etc. and met up with them again later on in evening for a civillised dinner, which was really nice. For most of our time away we've spent more time with the local populus, and so an English intervention is refreshing from time to time.

We took a one and a half day Camel trek, which might not sound like a lot but believe us it is enough!!! I have to say that riding a Camel is positively more uncomfortable than riding an Elephant and that is uncomfortable!! It was really good fun though and incredibly hot, forget about sunbathing out in the desert lands you are totally exposed and all you want to do is get into the shade! Our camel guys were great and fab cooks too, they just whiz up a Thali Dahl and Pakhoras from nowhere. Every so often a random man will be selling soft drinks from his coolie bag if you don't want to drink Chai or water would appear miles from anywhere in the middle of the desert. The desert scape just goes on and on, when we finally reached our camp for the night we were tucked into a set of dunes and just slept out under the stars (very romantic, only I was feeling decidedly under the weather, you can always tell as my appetite was out of the window!)
Another arty shot
Another arty shot
. The Camels were hobbled and allowed to stray off and chomp on trees and all exciting bushes, whilst we were cooked and accommodated for. Martin is still on his sunscape mission and set off to take piccies of the sun setting, whilst I was surrounded by the most Dung Beetles I have ever seen in my whole existence!! They really are quite nosy and were trying to clamber into my boots and ruck sack you name it!!!
There was almost a full moon on this particular night and so the stars were hidden, but the whole experience of being out in the desert and being able to see for miles was quite strange, almost surreal, a bit like when you're away skiing and the snow reflects the light revealing everything around you. This all change at about 3am as the moons position had changed and then you really could see all the stars in the sky, a beautiful sight. Our trek the following day backtracked where we'd been the previous day and then veered off again, this time we went trotting at quite a pace and this is where you do really need a sports bra girls!!! As boy do you move up and down!!! Also be prepared for your Camel to have the smelliest bottom in the world, I have never seen an animal walk, wee, break wind and poo at the same time but they can and do, honest!!

Great fun and we fully recommend the experience, but do think carefully about the length of you trek as it's not for the fainthearted. Also check out the prices etc.... Our guy at Hotel Surya was excellent and very honest, no sweet talking just plain and simple and this is the price, he gave us a room to have a shower etc on our return before we moved onwards south too. You do hear stories of a lot of pressure being put on people to take a trek with their Hotel and if they don't they get chucked out quite literally!!!! (it's the first Hotel listed in L.P under budget listings).
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