Desert Safari & Camels
Before we got to ride the camels, we rode a jeep out of the city into a village in the desert.
This uninhabited village was kind of spooky with all of its ruinous structures and temples. Surprisingly, it wasn't hot at all, so much for being in the desert.
I wonder what it would have been like to live in this village. All that's left are visages of the past and the shadows of the empty buildings.
There were a few local kids hanging about the place, probably waiting for tourists to visit.
After a few more minutes going to another village and taking pictures with the local kids, we finally got to the camels! I was really psyched about riding a camel, I've never done it before.
Camel ride!
It was quite an experience riding a camel. Riding a camel felt like riding a taller horse. I don't know if camels could run as fast as a horse, but I liked the slow and deliberate pace of our camel ride.
I could feel the wind blowing as we slowly left civilization. The sun was high above our heads but the heat wasn't scorching, in fact it was quite cool. Thankfully, I wore my jacket to keep me warm during the camel ride.
I've never been to a desert so seeing sand as far as the eyes could see was a one of a kind experience. It seemed as if there was nobody else there aside from our small group of tourists riding camels.
Nothing but sand as far as the eyes could see!
Our guide told us that we were approximately 50km from the border to Pakistan. I took my sweet time wandering around our little part of the desert striking up conversations with an American and British guy that was also on the tour.
Sunset in the Desert
The sunset in the desert was nothing short of spectacular. The changing hues of the sky was simply beautiful --- nature's poetry at its finest.
When night fell, the stars came out to blanket the sky. Having no nearby towns or cities made the whole night light up with star light. I couldn't tell which constellations are which, so I just stared at the stars as they twinkled. It felt like the whole ambiance under the stars and in the middle of nowhere was too romantic for straight guys to be doing (HAHA!). We expected to join another group but there was just us and the tour guides. Our other companions decided to just do the day trip instead of staying overnight.
Dinner was served a little past 7PM. It was vegetarian which was fine by me. It was a different feeling eating dinner by a bonfire under the stars in a desert.
Our guides even performed a local song after dinner. I didn't understand a word they said but it seemed appropriate for the evening.
*I booked a desert safari tour with Mystic Jaisalmer that cost INR 1200 which includes the jeep ride, camel ride, and dinner. It was only a day trip but you have the option to spend a night or more in the desert.