Camel Safari, Outside Jaisalmer, India – March, How did that happen! Have we really been traveling that long! A bit dawn and breakfast in bed again before getting ready for the morning ride to the next village. As we were getting up on our camels, Nikki has got a little upset and started making all of this noise and promptly turned its head around and threw up on her back pack which was strapped to the saddle. We wiped down the pack but needless to say, Nikki was less than pleased about the whole thing.
During a ride to the next village, I was chatting to my camel jockey because he only knew about 10 words of English. We did not get very far with our discussion. He pointed ahead of us and said to village, rest, chapati, vegetables. He pointed to a house in a distance, house. Yes, that is a house. Is that your house I asked. Village, chapati, vegetables. I then asked him how many people lived in the village. Yes, village, rest, chapati, vegetables he responded with my timing in saying vegetable at the appropriate time. We reached a well to water the camels and my driver asked me what the well was called in English. Camel petrol station was my answer. May as well have him learn some complicated words. We rested and guess what, we had chapattis, vegetables, and tea for lunch before embarking on the last day of our safari. We were headed back to Jaisalmer. I guess we were running late or something, but we galloped most of the way back. Now it you not used to galloping on a camel and you do not know how to sit properly, you end up coming down on your gonads with each step of the camel. Let say, I quickly learned how to sit properly on the camel saddle during our return journey.
Upon our return to the golden city, we got a cheap 30-rupee room at the Green Hotel and cleaned ourselves up. We were tired and smelled of camel. After getting cleaned up, I went to the fort with Nikki to see if a 500-rupee room was available. Unfortunately, it was not. My plans were spurlging on spending $18 shattered. We ended up just sitting in the main sitting square drinking ginger chai and chatting to Hari, the music man.
All of us literally exhausted from our safari. Rich and I decided there was no reason for us to go to Delhi, so I ranged my parents that night for the latest California update. Evidently, the eight-year drought is over with a 30 foot snow pack up in the mountains, cool.