Blogs from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 3

No chapatti no Chai: No woman, no cry. Chicken curry don't worry. Life's long, you don't have to worry. These are the words spoken by our guide Papu who sat in front of a crackling fire, making chapati and had us all laughing by his funny rhymes and wise words. Deep in the majestic Thar Desert we all sat in near darkness apart from the light created from the flickering orange flames (from our camp fire) and the glow from the night stars. In the distance there was nothing but sand dunes, vegetation and the occasional wild animals. The location was very tranquil. When we took note of what we could hear there was nothing. Nothing but the crackling fire, the low hums and high whistles of the wind. No traffic noise or signs of life ... read more

The overnight train to Jaisalmer was great, because we again had a 2 berth cabin to ourselves, and a good long sleep. Still not very well, especially Fred, and so took it very very easy in Jaisalmer. I went to the chemist while Fred was asleep and sought advice....was expecting to buy diarolyte or similar...but instead they sold me some antibiotics. I was a bit dubious about over the counter antibiotics like this; having spent years working for the NHS where everything is highly regulated, and antibiotics individually prescribed and packaged with a patient information leaflet. Anyway, my doubts proved unjustified, as the antibiotics worked like magic as a cure. Fred was able to enjoy watching India/Pakistan cricket on TV in bed, and I was able to enjoy a feelgood Bollywood film with english subtitles in ... read more

Geo: 26.9101, 70.9116Do Jaisalmeru dorážíme těsně po rozbřesku. Vycházíme z budovy nádraží a odoláváme spoustě nevýhodných nabídek na tuktuk. Směřuji to přímo k hlavní cestě, kde si jako první věc dáváme Chai (milstní čaj s mlékem) a v zápětí využíváne již výhodné nabídky náhodného kolemjedoucího tuktukáře. Ten nás po chvilce bloudění a ptaní se kolem přiváží až před náš předem zarezervovaný guesthouse Fort Side. Je provozován místním týpkem Alladinem. Ten nás hned vítá a vaří nám další chai. Dobu než nám připraví pok... read more

On the train to Delhi January 3 2015 If you had asked me in 2014 when it was permissible to to wear socks with sandals I would have confidently said "Never". Now I have travelled by camel across the Thar desert through arctic cross winds (well it felt like the wind was coming from there!) I am happy to concede this is one exception. We had awoken on New Years Day to find a fine mist blowing around our bush windbreak and slowing down the work of the sun. We were toasty warm where we were, well sheltered and in sleeping bags and smothered in blankets. The sun did its best and the wind remained persistently cold during our 2 hour trek back to Barani, our village base. Socks with our sandals was the only solution. ... read more

Geo: 26.9157, 70.9102Our last day in Jaisalmer. Before breakfast today our guide instructed us in our first ever yoga class. It was a wonderful way to start our day. After breakfast we went for a swim.Today we have free to explore Jaisalmer till late afternoon. Four of us decided to head out and do a it more exploring thru the alleyways of Jaisalmer before the heat of the day. Jaisalmer is lovely to wander through as the merchants do not hassle you much. We then spent the afternoon in the hotel pool till our group was ready to head out on our camel safari.We arrived at our tented accommodation about 5 pm. Our camp is located 75 kilometres from the Pakistan border. We had an hour to relax before heading out on our sunset safari. The ... read more