Lu's Days ...

We only got 2 half days and 1 night to do the desert camping stuff. Because of the time constraint, the travel agency for the camel safari had to transport us using a jeep so that we can get to the heart of the desert more quickly. Other than us 2 Canadians, there were a pair of Spanish couples that travelled with us. They were cool.



Hola !


We passed thru some small villages and stopped there for a brief while so that we can see how the local lives are like. But none of us really cared. All that's in our mind are the camels and the sand dunes.



This village is ...... nice. So, where are the camels ?


After the brief stop at the village-that-we-didn't-care, we ride for another half an hour to a totally deserted place in the middle of nowhere. No roads lead to this place. The jeep driver somehow could tell where to go even thou the whole place looked the same to us in all directions. But oh well, we stopped, got out of the jeep, and waited.



In the middle of nowhere, where we've stopped, there is a small pond for the cattles to drink.



After 20 mins of sun-bathing, the animals that we've long awaited for finally have arrived.



Give me food ...



Happy to see you !! Now, hand me that rope.



Ahmed, Indiana Jones' style.


We immediately hopped onto our rides, and started the journey towards the sand dunes.



Riding right behind ya, spanish dude !



Man, it was hot like shit.



The adventurous couple.



Are we there yet ?


After about an hour of camel ride, we finally arrived ..... yet another we-don't-give-a-shit village. But the rest was great. Riding on that camel for an hour really started to hurt our legs.



Kids at the village.



Cattles in the village ..... does this remind you of the sheeps in Warcraft 3 ?



Even the camels and the tour guide need a rest.


After a half hour rest, we pushed on.



Are we there yet ?


About an hour more of camel riding, we finally see some sand.



Taadaa !!


We were just in time for the sunset. Man .... sunset in the desert sand dunes is, yet another, most beautiful thing that I've ever seen in life. The desert is really quiet too. You can almost hear the wind blowing pass your ears while carrying a pinch of sand along with it. And the sand dunes are uncontaminated by garbage or even footprints. The sand pattern was pure and natural. And the sunset was beautiful.


Other than the spanish couples, there were 2 other couples that have arrived before us. All of the couples are laying down on the sand, watching the sunset, and doing their thing. Meanwhile, i'm stuck with Ahmed. *sigh* .... but it was beautiful nevertheless.



. . . .



My camera couldn't really capture the beauty of the scene.



Camels, desert, and sunset.


When the sun has set and the camel put to rest, the tour guides started some cooking going. The camp itself has a total of 14 people. 4 tour guides, 2 girls 1 guy from Frances, 1 guy from Swiss, the spanish couple, a we-didn't-talked-to couple, and us 2 Canadians.


The food was Indian food. The taste didn't matter at that point anymore. It is about the camp fire in the middle of the desert.



French girl watching the tour guides doing their cooking.


After the meal, we sat around the camp fire, and the tour guide sang some local Indian folk songs.



Warmth.


About an hour later, all of us went to sleep.


Sleeping in the desert was unforgetable. I didn't really fall asleep for the first hour, or at least I tried to force myself not to sleep. I wanted to experience the night in desert and didn't want the night to end.


Desert at night is really quiet. You can even hear the sound of the other travellers turning around in their sleeping bags. Occassionally, you will hear the twinkling sound from the bells that are hung from the camels. The air around you was cold and chilly. The light breeze blowing to you reminds you of the open and endless space surrounding you. Above you, you can see millions of stars, all shining brightly without the hindering of the city lights. If you turn to your side, you can see the silhouette of the camel and the hilly sand dune rise against the bright moon-light sky. If you focus enough, you can see the orange light from the cigarette that the tour guide who are watching guards at night is smoking. And slowly, after staring at the stars and the silhouette of the landscape around you, your eyes would close while still breathing in the chilly and sandy air.


But it was too damn cold in the desert. I woke up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night to put on more clothes. :P


Near sunrise, the fire that the tour guide started woke me up while all of the other travellers were sleeping. I wrapped myself in the blankets that they provided me and joined the 4 guides around the fire. The whole sky was still dark. It seems like there is no other life around us except for us 5. None of us really talked, afraid that we would wake the other travellers up. The only sound that we could hear are the buring woods from the fire, the rubbing sounds of our hands in front of the fire, and the occassional bell rings from the camels.


About, what it seemed, a long moment later, Ahmed finally got up while all the other travellers are still sleeping. He must've felt cold too. At that point, the sky was turing from a total black to a dark blue. We knew the sun is coming. We walked around and climbed to the top of the hilly dunes. On top, we've found the thing that we were looking for in this trip.



Ahmed with his sleepy face.



Me, all wrapped up.



The light as we slowly climb higher.



Another day about to come.



Capturing the moment.



Sunrise, the desert, and me.



Sunrise, the desert, and the camel.


After experiencing the sunrise, we headed back to the camp for some breakfast. Apparently, all the other travellers have already awake.



Back to the camp.



French dude with his morning hot tea.



Camp ground from far.


After breakfast and the morning piss in the bushes, we headed off for yet another camel ride. But this time, the ride is different. Totally different.



Ahmed, good to go.


This time, the camels are all rested up and ready to go. They dashed, they ran, and they scared the shit outta me. The other guys seems to enjoy the excitement alot. Especially the Spanish women. She was like re-living her childhood dream of being a princess on a pony. So, what should I do ? Of course I tried to act all calm and cool while shitting in my pants trying to hold onto the frigging wild camel. Hey, at least I didn't fall.



Hoolllyy sshhheessh .... is that another bumpy path ? Fuuccckkk ....


After an hour of struggle, which really should be enjoyment, we finally got back to the place where the jeep was. I was never happier to see a frigging jeep in my life.



Goodbye Mr. Camel.



Hallloo, Mr. jeep.


After getting back to the sand fort, we hopped onto a 6 hours bus ride to head back to Jodhpur. At that point (around noon), me and Ahmed were exhausted. Ahmed slept in the bus. I spent the time listening to Jay Chow and Suen Yin Gi, staring aimlessly into the infinite desert that lies before me while slowly falling asleep.



Jay Chow and the desert.



Slowly closing my eyes ...



When we arrive at Jodhpur, we got onto another 36 hours train to come back to Hyderabad. So now I'm here.


I'll be heading off to Amsterdam for 3 days tomorrow, then UK for another 3 days, then back to Toronto. See you guys then.


Later.