We wake up in Jaisalmer, a city that many consider the most interesting in Rajasthan. I like it because it's smaller than Jaipur, and, because we spend all our time in the ancient walled city/fort that is surrounded by the more modern Jaisalmer, it is more laid back. About 3,000 people still live in the walled fort and walking the streets is a fascinating exercise, as there are no 4-wheeled vehicles allowed and it's almost possible to believe you're back in the days of the Rajput.
We walk (OK, the Blobs take a motor rickshaw) through the Fort gates and through narrow cobblestone streets to a Jain Temple, one of many in the city. The Jains believe they cannot harm any living animal, including insects, and can be seen wearing face covers to avoid the inadvertent inhaling of an insect, sweeping the ground in front of them as they walk to avoid insect fatalities, etc. They even avoid eating root vegetables, in case the uprooting causes an accidental slugicide, or whatever.
The temple has ornate marble carvings, some quite erotic, on the interior walls
(see photo). We remove our shoes, as usual, before entering.
At one point in our city wanderings, we pause while some rogue cattle from our group are rounded up, having apparently made a wrong turn at some point. We enjoy the chance to just observe what's going on in Jaisalmer. A hundred yards away, we see a group of women squatting with their kaleidoscopic saris covering their heads as they mourn the passing of a friend's family member (see photo). While waiting on some steps, we look down and see fecal matter passing by in the open sewer. A colourful Ganesh is painted on a nearby door to bring luck to a newlywed couple.
Jaisalmer is famous for its havelis. Havelis are the homes of the super-rich of the Rajput dynasties. They have intricately carved screens and balconies on their golden stone facades and are overwhelming in their beauty (see photo).
After another lunch that is absolutely fabulous, it's Camel Riding Time. We're bused out into the far western reaches of the Thar Desert, not far from the Pakistani border, keeping a keen eye out for Osama. We're loaded onto camels, two per. Ahead of us, a 75 year-old lady from our bus is paired with a 65-70 year-old male from Germany. As the beast rises to its feet, it galumphs forward and then back (or vice versa, I'm not sure). At any rate, the heads of the two riders smacked together rather loudly. Things would get worse.
Once on the camel, we lurch out into the dunes, led by a young lad, our Camel Meister. Just as a public service to any of you out there who may want to do this in the future, I would advise you, if you're a male/female couple to say the hell with gallantry and ensure that the female take the stern mount. If you're a male who has never been castrated, this position is a tad excruciatingly painful. I'll delicately leave it at that.
Near the end of the 1/2 hour of torture, the darkening clouds that have been teasing us break out in all the fury of a desert rain/hail/sandstorm. We dismount and head to the bus, not able to raise our eyes to get our bearings for more than a second at a time, and stagger onto the bus having been totally soaked, then dipped in a coating of sand batter. But we were the lucky ones.
The two elderly riders mentioned earlier were on a donkey that was spooked by the thunder/rain/sand/hail, causing the man to partially fall off the camel, causing the camel to spook even more, causing the 75 year-old woman to fall off, but with her foot still in the stirrup, and be dragged across the sand.
She was taken by the POW/camel ride people to a crude hut near our bus and then just abandoned. The two guys from our train car, John Kennedy and Bill Cannon, go into the hut after it's clear she's being ignored by the staff, and carry her onto the bus. She's sustained a broken ankle, pulled ligaments, etc. He's got a collar bone with two fractures. And we're 'way out in the desert.
After an hour trip back to Jaisalmer, she's taken into a crude "clinic", with no medical facilities to speak of. Bill Cannon and a nurse from England on our bus spent many hours for the remainder of the week looking after her and ensuring she got taken care of by her insurance company. She ended up staying on the train until we reached Delhi 5 days later, then being flown home 1st class with a nurse accompanying her.
That night we eat at a wonderful restaurant with decent entertainment. Another full day.
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