Jaisalmer : sleeping on the dunes under the starry sky...

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Ok, you might have wondered where I've been for the last um... week? I can't tell how long its been! I have been off having adventures thats for sure! Might not be able to get you up to speed in one go but i'll see how far we get, starting new page for each place perhaps.

After Bikaner was Jaisalmer, a desert surrounded town with a living fort- perhaps the only in the world. 80% of the town's revenue comes from tourists so it was quite a change from Bikaner- tourists were everywhere!! I met some great people. On my first day I went to this desert culture museum and had a really good chat (and chai) with the director. We talked all about the way of life for people in Rajastan, how it has changed and will continue to change ect. I learnt alot and also saw a funny puppet show... Only issue with this place is actually the keeness of the director to discuss sensitive topics- including his beliefs that only same-caste marriages will work and that 'gay people cannot love because they cannot be making love'- followed with detailed description of how to make love properly according to the Karma Sutra... He liked that topic a bit too much... Anyway eventually all that awkwardness was over, we had chai and I corrected the english for some of his next book (and he gave me a signed copy of his last book).

Jaisalmer isnt famous for discussions of the Karma Sutra however; it is the sandcastle fort that steals the show. Reminicint of Lamu, with the little streets and shops with few roads that all lead back to eachother, the little town inside the fort is fab. I got some henna, some fabric, and I enjoyed the fantastic views from the ramparts. Also when in Jaisalmer I went on a camel safari. I was driven out into the desert to ride camels over the dunes near Khuri (more remote and less commercialised that where alot of people have their safaris) with a bunch of other likely suspects. I nearly had a heart attack everytime the camel had to sit or stand up with me on it. Not to mention when it started running... It was great tho. We camped out on the dunes as well. This was great, not too cold. We got up to watch sunrise over the dunes.The only disconcerting thing was the tracks near our camp in the morning... beetles, and wild dog prints were not too bad, but the continuous, wavy track that must have been some kind of snake was worrying! Especially since they have cobras, rattlesnakes and all sorts of others in that Thar desert!

Anyway made some great friends that trip, particulary Aijan (I hope thats spelt right) and Natalie, from Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland respectively. The next day was spent hanging out and seeing the havelis, and an experiment gone badly wrong, but I wont go into details of that here!! Then it was the night train to Jodphur!

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Comments

[Rachita]

You are right
I read your post about Jaisalmer. It was really nice post and you are right jaisalmer:sleeping on the dunes under the starry sky...