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| An evening on camel safari |
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| Sand dunes |
We reached Jaisamer from Delhi at 11.45 AM by train,
Delhi-Jaisamer Express, boarding at previous evening at Delhi and headed straight away to guest house "DESERT BOYS GUEST HOUSE", 15 minutes walk from the station. The guest house is an awesome place, a value for money! My self and Tommy Singh, my dear old friend were accompanied by a young couple,
Neeta and
Danny from Saket, New Delhi. They were recently married and wanted to have their honeymoon as a desert adventure. The guest house had arranged a desert safari for 1 night in and around "The Desert National Park" in Thar Desert, the largest in India and unique in the world. We settled on the roof top restaurant for tea and enjoyed panning the beautiful view of the Fort, Chattries and the sunset.
Next morning, we were picked up from our hotel at 7am, were driven by a jeep to North for about an hour to the village of Barna from where the safari was supposed to start. We had our breakfast of toast & butter and left on our camel friends around 10 AM. We were warned of physical difficulties while riding but promising a great unforgettable experience.
The food required for 2 days was loaded on a camel with cook cum driver cum guide. Being an old man and so Tommy, we started feeling tired, especially in legs but a different and exotic world of desert was so fascinating that we forgot all our pains!
Our first meal-break of the day was at just past noon. We stopped under the shade of an Acacia tree, a few of which were scattered around the scrubby landscape in the desert. Though exotic for foreigners to interact with villagers, we had skipped spending a great deal of time in the villages as we knew about Indian village culture. It was a yummy lunch of Potato Curry, Dal, Rice and Roti. Generally we rode for an hour at a stretch and then stopped. We rested for a few hours after our meals. Neeta and Danny full of vigor, love and passion walked to the nearby sand dunes.
This was the first time all of us had seen sand dunes and it was as if we were on Mars landscape! Later Tommy and me also went up on the hillock. Not only is the fine, golden sand a fabulous sight to behold but it’s also fun to trample on! Moreover, from atop the hillock we had lovely views of the otherwise flat desert.
We continued our bumpy ride on camel by 4PM. Suddenly there was an excited shout from Neeta and I looked at the direction of her hand. Wow! It was The great Indian Bustard, a magnificent bird! On the way we also saw Harriers, Falcons, Buzzards, Kestrel and Vultures. Short- toed Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Spotted Eagles, Laager Falcons and Kestrels! I didn't know the names. It was our knowledgeable guide who enlightened us!
We camped in the night on an unbelievably gorgeous stretch that were just like what we’d seen in movies and pictures. We saw large eagle-like birds that flew low over our heads and even sat majestically on the dunes! While Gopal, our guide and and Samir, the helper went about setting up camp, Tommy Singh and I walked the entire length of the sand dunes and then found a pretty spot to sit and watch the sun set over the distant scrub land – it was magical! However, right after sunset we hurried back to our campsite before it got too dark for comfort. It would be easy to lose one’s sense of direction in that landscape.
The night sky was gorgeous with the moonlight reflecting off the sand beautifully,forgetting the day heat, summer night camping under the stars was magical! |
| Love Making on Sand dunes |
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| Jaisalmer Fort |
We returned back with aching legs and sore asses but a lifetime experience and memories! Third day, we went visiting Jaisalmer town.
The city of Jaisalmer evokes a true picture of magnificence and brilliance of Rajasthan. One of state's best loved tourist destinations, Jaisalmer is worldwide famous for its hospitality and culture. Jaisalmer Fort :
Built in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal, it is situated on Trikuta Hill and had been the scene of many battles. Its massive sandstone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, turning to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets. Salim Singh-ki-Haveli :
It was built by the scheming Prime Minister Salim Singh in 1815. It has a beautifully arched roof capped with blue cupolas and carved brackets in the form of peacocks.Patwon-ki-Haveli :
Built by Guman Chand Patwa (and later by his five sons), a wealthy merchant and banker who had over three hundred trading centres from Afghanistan to China. This ornate five-storey complex took fifty years to complete. This is the largest, the most magnificent, and the most elaborate of Jaisalmer havelis.Nathmalji-ki-Haveli :
Bult by a Prime Minister of princely state of Jaisalmer. Its facade is a riot of ornamentation: flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engineBara Bagh :
Bada Bagh is about halfway between Jaisalmer and Lodhruva in the state of Rajastan in India.A descendant of Jaisal and maharaja of Jaisalamer, Jai Singh II, commissioned a dam to create a water tank during his reign in the 18th century. This made the desert green in this area.
THE DESERT BOYS GUEST HOUSE
http://www.desertboysguesthouse.com Related post: Haunted Kuldhara. 83 villages vanished