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Published: January 5th 2010
Sunset
Camels in the sunsetKhuri is a small settlement in the desert; it was a long drive from Mt Abu so we didn’t arrive until 4pm. We quickly and a bit reluctantly jumped on a camel to see the sunset over the dunes; no matter how well padded the seat there is nothing comfortable about riding a camel, especially when they break into a fast trot. That will be Natalie’s last camel ride... Unfortunately the sunset was disappointing as there was too many clouds.
We returned to camp to watch some interesting local dancing. We’re not sure where this local dance came from but one young girl demonstrated a weird ability to perform a back bend and pick up firstly two rings with her eye sockets, then a sharp needle with her eye lid and finally a razor blade.....we were more concerned than amazed!
Another strange dance was completed by a man who looked and acted like Freddie Mercury; he wore a feminine outfit and danced with a tall pottery object on his head. He finished off his performance by dancing on broken glass and standing on
hot ash, a bit unnecessary as we were already entertained and amused by the dancing - perhaps these people like self mutilation? He took a shine to Natalie and dragged her up at the end to dance manically with her, really though we think he wanted to dance with Daniel. Some great food followed which we ate around the camp fire.
Our negotiation skills have developed well over the past few weeks and we are now proficient at driving a hard price. We are well aware that the first price we are given is always a tourist price and usually much higher than market value. In Khuri, we were given a price of Rs. 1800 for the overnight package but knowing these was other competition and we drove him down to Rs. 1300... not a bad discount!
We departed Khuri in the morning and headed to Jaisalmer which was only just over an hour drive. Jaisalmer looks like a giant sand castle. The fort is built from the local yellow rock and it’s huge. People still live and work within the fort and the city walls, it’s a busy place full of narrow, winding streets lined with houses
made from beautifully carved stone. We haggled for a good price from a ‘guide’ and had a brilliant tour of the fort, he showed us and explained thing we would never have seen.
Jaisalmer was one of our favourite locations due to the architecture, people and views and sights. Although it was a long way away, we would recommend it.
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