Thar Desert camel safari

The Thar Desert is also known as the Great Indian Desert.  It is a large, arid region in the northwest part of India and forms a natural sandy boundary between India and Pakistan.  Taking a camel safari into this desert is a popular excursion from Jaisalmer and there are many companies vying aggressively for the tourist dollar.   

Unfortunately the company I booked with was managed by a disorganised idiot.  His name was Ashit...really, it was but I'll just call him Ash.  After completing my booking, he told me there would be other people in my group but I arrived in the morning to find I was alone.  Apparently the vegetables he had for me were eaten by a cow so we had to stop along the way to buy more.  As he was doing this, a policeman was writing him a ticket for illegal parking of the jeep!  I honestly wondered what the next few days had in store for me...   

Packed and ready to go

I was disappointed not to have others with me and I was surprised that we only had one camel between us.  But apparently this is the usual practice and while I rode my guide would walk ahead leading the camel.  Fortunately, once we started I had the services of a very good guide. He was happy and would often sing as we made our way through the desert.  He really did a great job making sure I was comfortable, happy and enjoying the experience. 

I admired his energy and organisation.  Whenever we stopped and unpacked the camel it wasn't long before we had a fire going and tea brewing.  While I enjoyed my hot tea, he would prepare the meal.  Both lunch and dinner were similar and consisted of mixed vegetables, chapati (flat Indian bread) and rice in the evening.  For a meal made over a small fire out in a desert it was great food and I appreciated all he did.  He also knew the camel well and we didn't have any problems with him along the way. 

My desert guide preparing lunch

Another big consolation was that we met up with other groups each night.  (It seems the 'non-tourist' trail is starting to get well worn)  So, after we'd had dinner we walked across a couple of sand dunes and joined them.  The second night was great because they had a nice big campfire and one of the guys had a guitar.  We even got to sample some genuine desert whiskey.  I was a little apprehensive about how cold it would be in the desert at night.  I didn't need to worry because I took my sleeping bag and the guide had four blankets between us.  Sure it was chilly but I was quite warm and slept okay. 

Now...I guess you're curious about what it's like to ride a camel for three days.  Well, to be honest it's not the most comfortable experience!  The saddle had plenty of padding because of the pillows and blankets we carried so no problem there.  But having my legs stretched in opposite directions for a couple of hours at a time was interesting.  The inside of my thighs hurt and when I dismounted I could hardly walk for a few minutes!  But I'm happy to say that it did get easier and I did things a little more gracefully as we went along.

Gypsy camp out in the desert

We were supposed to meet our friend from the agency at 4pm on the final day but not surprisingly he was late.  When he finally arrived it was on a motorcycle because apparently the 'jeep had a problem'.  So I jumped on the back of his motorcycle and we only rode for a few minutes before he stopped by the side of the road.  We had a puncture.  This guy just amazed me...everything he did seemed to go wrong!  He waved down a truck and asked them to drop me into the city.  As I left him, he offered me accommodation for the night which I quickly declined.  The place would probably have a fire and burn down!

So, there we go...my camel safari experience.  Although it wasn't quite what I imagined, I'd have to say I enjoyed it.  There is something unique and special about riding a camel through the desert.  The silence was sometimes only broken by my guide singing or the distant tinkling of bells on goats as they walked.  We visited villages made from mud huts with thatched roofs and watched as boys herded goats or black-faced sheep.  I listened to a desert legend and we slept beside a campfire in sand dunes.  I'll remember it fondly...

Jodhpur and Jaisalmer

I'm writing this from the city of Bikaner in the eastern part of the Thar Desert.  It's been a busy day visiting the Old City, Bazaar, Junagarh Fort and Lalgarh Palace.  Just another typical day in Rajasthan really!  I've only been to three cities since I last wrote but it's been an adventure and I've had a great time.

My destination from Udaipur was the lovely city of Jodhpur.  In a straight line on the map it's about 220km.  Now, I'm not certain exactly where the bus went that day but the journey took us 9 hours to complete.  Do the maths on that one!  Actually, to be honest I was worried for a while that I was on the wrong bus because I kept seeing distance signs for Jaipur.  Jodhpur...Jaipur...in a Kiwi accent they may easily be confused.  But finally as the day wore on I began to see signs for Jodhpur and rested in my seat a little more comfortably.

Carrying the royal palanquin, Meherangarh Fort

 

The main attraction in Jodhpur is the awesome Meherangarh Fort.  This would have to be one of the best monuments that I've visited, certainly the most outstanding of the forts.  Built in 1806, it sits majestically on a 125m hill overlooking the city.  Within the structure there are a series of courtyards, palaces and a temple at the far end.  The ramparts offer great views of the city. 

It is also undoubtedly the most professionally managed.  For tourists, the usual cost of admission to major historical sites is 250 rupees ($7AUD).  The exception to this was the Taj Mahal which was 750 rupees ($21AUD).  The cost for Indians however is only a small fraction of what we pay - in most cases about 5%.  This is often a good topic of discussion between tourists and there are various opinions about it.  The general feeling though is one of acceptance through having no choice.  It's either pay or miss out.

Anyway, in many places you poke your payment through a small window and get issued with a little ticket without any thanks.  But in the Jodhpur fort I received both a map and audio headset so I could do a self-guided tour.  So I had an explanation in perfect English at each of the significant points.  There was even a lounge with sofas where I could rest and get a drink.  All the employees were dressed well and wearing name badges.  It was quite unlike anywhere else.

Jodhpur, the 'Blue City'

Jodhpur is known as the 'Blue City' because of the colour of so many buildings in the old city area.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  Apparently it makes them cooler in summer and the blue also acts as a mosquito repellent.  The views from the fort are magic.  It's also interesting standing on the edge of the ramparts and listening to voices and the sounds of the city being swept up by the air currents.  A few metres back from the edge the sounds disappear.

I also visited the Jaswant Thanda, which is a beautiful white marble cenotaph and the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum.  Begun in 1929, this palace is the last to be built before India's Independence.  Constructed of marble and pink sandstone, it is immense and most of it is now a luxury hotel.  Other than that, it was interesting just wandering around the various narrow alleys and markets which sell spices, textiles, silverware and handicrafts.

Jaswant Thanda

From Jodhpur, it was west through the Thar Desert to the beautiful city of Jaisalmer.  The scenery on this journey reminded me a little of the Australian outback.  Vast arid plains of sandy soil with various grasses, shrubs and trees.  Jaisalmer is dubbed the 'Golden City' because of the honey colour created as the sun sets on its buildings.  It has one of the most spectacular forts in the country and there is a remarkable unspoiled feeling about it. 

I noticed the presence of the Indian Army as we got closer to Jaisalmer.  The border area with Pakistan is a military zone and there is an army base just outside the city.  But the Border Security Force or the occasional sound of fighter jets in the sky doesn't really impact on the tranquility of the city.  This is truly the place where tales like Aladdin and Ali Baba come to life.

A beautiful haveli, Jaisalmer

Aside from admiring the fort and impressive mansions of carved sandstone called havelis, I went to Jaisalmer to do a desert camel safari.  There are many different choices and I visited a number of agents to establish what I wanted to do.  In the end, the choice came down to doing a 'tourist' or the seemingly more popular 'non-tourist' safari.  The prices ranged anywhere from about $10 to $25 per day.  In the end I decided to do a three day 'non-tourist' safari and that adventure will be in my next post.

Junagadh to Udaipur

My next bus ride took me to the city of Junagadh.  The main reason for staying here is to climb the nearby Girnar Hill so see more hilltop temples.  If I thought 3200 was a fair hike, this one was 10,000!  Actually, it's not quite that bad because the bus takes you to about step 3000 so you 'only' have to climb 7000. The steps were constructed early last century and I have no idea how these temples were accessed before that.  Climbing them and passing all the little refreshment stalls reminded me a little of the Annapurna experience.  

Mahabat Maqbara, Junagadh

To avoid the heat I started the ascent at 7am and altogether it took me about two and a half hours.  It probably would have been shorter if it wasn't for the misfortune to be doing it on a Sunday.  It's the local's day off and there were literally thousands of them making the pilgrimage up the hill.  I couldn't believe how many of them there were!  I wore my MP3 player so I wouldn't have to answer the maddening questions of 'what's your name?' and 'which country are you from?' every five minutes.

The temples themselves were quite beautiful and characterised by mosaic marble and some intricate carving around the doorways and also on the inside of the rotundas.  Unfortunately for some reason they were very strict about not being able to take photographs.  I had one security guy follow me all around one temple to make sure my camera didn't emerge and I couldn't take my bag into the next one at all.  Once again, the climb afforded a great view back down the mountain to Girnar village and Junagadh beyond.

Temples of Girnar Hill

Junagadh also has a fort but it was nothing much to write home about.  The main attraction within its walls are the Buddhist caves but I gave them a miss.  I think I've seen enough rock-cut caves for now.  The most interesting thing I did see though was the stepwells or baolis.  These are huge wells with water in the bottom that would once have been used for bathing and keeping cool.  Access is by steps; one had a straight stairway and the other a circular.  The water now is filthy but it didn't stop one woman drinking from it.  I almost felt ill watching her.

Another important thing I wanted to do in Junagadh was visit the zoo and see the rare Asiatic or Gir lion.  The last remaining home of this lion is a sanctuary within the Sasan Gir National Park.  Overall, the zoo was surprisingly good and contained many other animals and birds from around India and beyond.  I don't think I'd ever seen a hyena before so that was fun but seeing the lions was the main feature for me.  I visited the museum there also which has some interesting exhibits such as paintings, silverware, coins, pottery, textiles and some rather moth-eaten stuffed animals.

The rare Asiatic lion

Well, here I am in the city of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan and what a wonderful place it is!  I've only had the opportunity for a short walk around the old city area but it has a romantic and mystical atmosphere.  It's been described as the 'Venice of the East' and having been to Italy I sense why.  It's beside Lake Pichola and there's a palace (now a luxury hotel) on an island just off shore.  I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of days here...

I decided to go straight through Rajkot because there's nothing much to see there.  I had another night in Ahmedabad and so I'm now a few days ahead of my itinerary.  I'm pleased about that because I'd like to spend a couple of nights in Pushkar.  I may also need an extra night in Jaisalmer depending on how long I go on safari for.  But for now I'm just going to enjoy where I am.  Its nice being in a place where so many signs are in English and tourists...I've seen more in a couple of hours here than I've seen in the whole of India so far! 

Late afternoon view of City Palace, Udaipur

 

I so enjoy being able to just blend in a little bit.  It's a complete contrast to a little place I passed through on the way to Diu.  I don't even know the town's name because it was merely to change buses.  Thankfully I was with another couple of tourists but as we waited we were surrounded by a crowd of literally 60 people (I know this because I counted them!).  They could only speak a few words of English between them but it didn't seem to dull their curiosity.  Obviously not too many tourists pass through their little part of the world!

The bus ride today was enjoyable and it's not often I'd say that!  The highway between Ahmedabad and Udaipur is very well constructed and maintained.  It'd be a nice road in any country but in India it's absolutely top class.  As good as it gets.  The bus was relatively quiet and as I've become used to in Gujurat, not crowded.  There were consistently more seats than bodies which makes a very nice change.  I'm not sure how the buses are in Rajasthan but I'm starting to think that compared to the train bus is the lesser of two evils and I prefer it as my mode of travel.  Time will time...

Gujarat

It was on the journey to Palitana that things started to go a little pear shaped.  The first part was fine but a puncture to the bus tyre was the beginning of the trouble.  After the repairs were complete I started to feel unwell and in the warmth of the bus I started to feel cold.  Then there were serious hints of diahorrea.  Let me tell you... it's the most terrible feeling sitting on a bus, shivering and not quite knowing which will arrive first: your destination or bowel movement!  I prayed hard it wouldn't be the latter and fortunately I made it okay.

The next 24 hours were spent in my hotel room either in bed or visiting the toilet.  It wasn't pleasant.  I also had the sweats and a high temperature at various times.  My main concern was dehydration and I made an effort to drink as much as I could.  I'm not certain what it was other than a virus of some kind and I have no idea where I picked it up.  The possibilities are endless and it's simply one of the pitfalls of travelling the sub-continent.

Repairing bus puncture

Unfortunately, this has had an effect on my travels throughout Gujarat but I'm happy to say that it hasn't stopped me from doing anything that I planned.  So although it hasn't been an optimal experience, I've enjoyed it just the same and seen some great sights.  The first of these was the temples on the hilltop at Shatrunjaya (Place of Victory), 3km from Palitana.  After the day I'd had previous you can probably imagine I was apprehensive about climbing the 3200 steps up to the top.  But it was better than I had prepared myself for and the ascent took about 1.5 hours.

Before I even reached the top there was a sight that I unfortunately won't quickly forget and believe me...it wasn't something I was rushing to get my camera out for.  In a country that is very conservative about dress and showing too much skin, a guy passed me on the path stark bollock naked!  I had no idea what it was all about other than being of some religious significance.  Just to make my day I passed him again going down the hill.  Charming...

Hilltop temples of Palitana

The temples themselves were amazing and well worth the effort to get up the hill.  There are literally hundreds of them built over a 900 year period.  Almost all of them are Jain and it is evidence of their belief that merit is derived from constructing temples.  They are built in nine different enclosures with one main temple and many minor ones clustered around.  They date from the 16th century because the earliest ones built in the 11th century were destroyed by the Muslims.  The hilltop also gave nice views back to Palitana.

My next stop was the beach town of Diu.  I'd been looking foward to the beach there and it didn't let me down.  It's a beautiful, peaceful place with a strong Portugese influence.  This is evidenced by the narrow streets and alleyways together with brightly painted buildings in the old town area.  Diu township is on the eastern end of an island between a huge fort and city wall.  I walked around the old fort which has a lighthouse within it that gave a great view of the town and across to the mainland.  In the afternoon I hired a bike and rode down to the fishing village at the far end of the island.  I stopped at a nice beach to watch the sunset on my way back.

Portuguese fort, Diu

 

I spent the following morning at the beach before getting a bus to Veraval.  I had the whole place to myself and it was very relaxing.  Perhaps too much because I ended up sunburnt!  Veraval isn't a place I'll remember very fondly.  The area around the port smells of fish and the city is dusty, noisy and congested.  I was only using it as a gateway to visit the temple in the nearby village of Somnath.  To be honest, it was doubtful whether the temple was worth the visit.  There's no doubt it's a beautiful structure with some fine carving but it has no sense of history because it's only 50 years old.

The site itself certainly has a history with the original temple being built over 1000 years ago.  Since then it has been destroyed and rebuilt four times.  (There was a pattern of Muslim destruction and Hindu rebuilding which continued for centuries.)  So, in a way I actually enjoyed visiting the adjacent museum more because it has been partly constructed of fragments of the last original temple and contained many stone carvings found at the site.  I'd hired a bike that day so took it back through the port to see people mending nets and building wooden boats by hand.  Noah himself would have been proud of them.

Fishing town of Veraval

 

Despite my health issues, I really enjoyed travelling through Gujarat.  The bus rides were relatively short and although the buses were standard-issue old meatwagons the roads were surprisingly good.  To quote from the Lonely Planet again on the journey from Palitana to Diu: "...this is the trip from hell, along bumpy village roads in dilapidated old rattletraps."  Sometimes I love it when my guidebook is proved wrong!  It wasn't nearly as bad as all that.  The trip from hell must surely be from Mandu to Indore.  If there's a worse one than that I just don't wanna know!

Mumbai to Ahmedabad

Well, I've done it - all the way from the mountains to the sea!  After another long day of travel I arrived in the huge, yet glamorous and charismatic city of Mumbai.  There is no doubt that it has a very different feel to the other Indian cities that I've visited. The first reason is that it's so expensive.  The hotel I'm staying in would cost about 150 rupees ($4.50) in most places but suddenly I have to pay 400 rupees ($12).  I know, I know...it's still cheap but when you travel for long enough you begin to know what is a reasonable cost for various things.

The cost aside though, it's a very nice place to be for a couple of days.  The reason is that it's a relatively clean city without the sense of chaos that seems to exist in most large Indian cities.  Streets are all nicely paved and there are actually footpaths to walk on.  Auto rickshaws, animals and trucks are banned from the area and in their place are taxis and buses, some of which are double-decker.  So, there is a genuine English feel and the luxury cars offer glimpses of India's wealth.  Although there aren't many 'sights' to see, the shopping and nightlife combine to make it a vibrant and enjoyable city...while you can afford it!

Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai

From Mumbai I went out to Elephanta Island and to be perfectly honest, this was a disappointment.  The hour-long boat ride itself was good because it gave an appreciation of the harbour size but having been to Ajanta and Ellora, the caves were nothing special at all.  In fact there were only five of them and four were barely worth seeing.  So, for the same cost as the other places I basically looked through one cave.  There was a free guide service there but it's not really something I'd particularly recommend to anyone.

The next day it was on a train to Ahmedabad.  What I read in my guide book made me a little apprehensive about my visit there.  With all it's industry it's been described as the 'Manchester of the East' and also, especially in hotter weather the 'City of Dust'.  The road I stayed on is called Relief Rd and I love the quote my Lonely Planet has about it: "...one of the most polluted, congested and thoroughly chaotic strips of barely controlled mayhem in the country."  What a great little excerpt that is!  Relief Rd…relief from what? 

Elephanta Island

So, that's what I was contemplating as I sat on the platform in Mumbai but my more immediate concern was the unreserved train ticket I had in my hand and the usual huge mass of people around me.  I've learnt that any train to or from Mumbai is going to be very crowded.  As the train arrived I wondered how it would work because this is the originating station and it was empty.  While I was thinking about it I didn't realise that everyone else was forming long lines to board the carriages! 

When it seemed like I would be last on and no hope of a seat, a big guy approached me and asked where I was going.  When I replied he told me to follow him.  What happened next was quite extraordinary.  He held people out of the doorway like my personal bodyguard and pulled me onto the train.  Inside was just chaos and for a few minutes there were people shouting, pushing and generally fighting for space.  But when the dust settled, I had my backpack on the luggage rack and my bum on a seat.  The guy asked me for 100 rupees for his services but that was quickly bargained down to 30 and everyone was happy.  Especially me...that was money very well spent!

Relief Road, Ahmedabad

I'm happy to say that because I'm using an old guide book Relief Rd wasn't as bad as I'd braced myself for.  In fact it was just another busy Indian city street like you'd see anywhere in the country.  Certainly not a place for a pleasant stroll but not 'barely controlled mayhem' I imagined .  The sights of Ahmedabad are basically a series of mosques and a fort which wasn't really of any interest at all.  It's in neglect and now mostly used as government offices.  So, I just stayed one night there before leaving for Palitana in Gujurat.  

Sanchi, Mandu, Ellora & Ajanta

I think when I last wrote I was in the little village of Orchha.  From there I've had a few exhausting days travel to get where I am.  I've come to the conclusion that regardless of how or where you travel it's likely to be crowded and less than comfortable.  It seems inevitable that there will be more bodies than seats and the whole thing only works because the Indians have a totally different concept of the term 'personal space'.  In fact, let's be quite honest...the term simply doesn't exist here!  What's mine is yours and let's all share together...

My first destination was the village of Sanchi.  Using four different modes of transport and all day I successfully travelled the 250km.  Sanchi is at the foot of a hill that has various Buddhist stupas (shrines) on the top.  It's a remarkable story of history, discovery and restoration.  They date back as far as the third century BC but as Buddhism was absorbed into the Hindu religion the site decayed and was eventually forgotten.  It was only in 1818 that it was rediscovered and it took another 100 years after that for the repair and restoration to be completed.

Buddhist monuments of Sanchi

 

I also hired a bike there and took a 20km ride out to some Hindu and Jain caves.  It was a fun experience riding one of the big single gear machines they have here.  They are fine along the smooth, level roads but it quickly becomes hard work when it's bumpy or uphill.  I began to wish I had my mountain bike then!

From Sanchi I had an exhausting day to get to Mandu.  I thought perhaps I'd only make it to Indore but after four buses and twelve hours I made it.  The road from Indore was dreadful in some places - pot holes like you wouldn't believe.  So the 93km took the best part of four hours.  If you do the mathematics on some of these journeys you begin to realise how agonisingly slow they are!  I honestly thought that because Mandu is a tourist destination the road would be okay but it was dreadful.

Ship Palace, Mandu

 

Mandu has a long and varied history and was once the capital of the region.  It's now a small village surrounded by a fort, palaces, mosque, tomb and temples.  It was a fascinating place to visit and I had a big day visiting all the sites.  A highlight was the Jama Masjid mosque built in 1454 which is supposed to be the finest and largest example of Afghan architecture in India.  Immediately adjacent is Hosang's Tomb (1435), which is reputed to be the oldest marble building in India and provided inspiration for the Taj Mahal.  I loved the Jahaz Mahal or Ship Palace so called because its 120m long by only 15m wide and flanked by two lakes.             

I was dreading the return bus trip to Indore and it lived up to all my miserable expectations.  Unfortunately I got on a bus that seemed to go even further off the beaten track and cramming even more people aboard than I've come to expect.  With someone almost sitting on my leg and my face pressed against the window you wonder just why you're doing it...  Finally after almost five hours (yes, five) we arrived and I had to figure out how I would get to my destination of Jalgaon.  The train didn't leave for 3 hours so I caught another bus that got me to Khandwa.  From there I got an 'express' train that arrived at 8.30pm...13 hours of exhausting travel.  

Buddhist rock cut caves, Ajanta

The next couple of days were spent at the Ajanta and Ellora Caves.  From Jalgaon, I had a comfortable day to Ajanta and then on to Aurangabad.  The caves at Ajanta are another extraordinary story of history and rediscovery.  They are all Buddhist temples that date from around 200 BC to 650 AD.  But like Sanchi, as Buddhism declined they were abandoned and gradually forgotten.  It was a British hunting party that stumbled across them in 1819 and their remote beauty was once again unveiled. 

Altogether there are 29 caves cut into the rock at a horseshoe shaped gorge.  Each of them is slightly different but all are characterised by wonderful stone carvings and fresco paintings.  Obviously after so many years the paintings have deteriorated a lot but significant restoration work in the 1920's has meant they have been carefully preserved since then.  Every cave has at least one Buddha sitting serenely with his legs crossed.  You would think he'd have to be a little uncomfortable in that pose after hundreds of years!

The extraordinary Kailasa Temple, Ellora

The caves at Ellora were different in that they contain Buddist, Hindu and Jain temples.  It was interesting to make comparisons between the three groups.  While the Buddhist caves offered a sense of calm and contemplation there was more drama and energy associated with the Hindu carvings.  The Jain caves were different again in that they didn't have the same size but had some very fine and detailed carving work. 

But the jewel in this particular crown is undoubtedly the Kailasa Temple.  This must surely be one of the most amazing architectural feats ever completed.  This huge temple was literally created by cutting three huge trenches into the rock and 'releasing' its shape using hammers and chisels.  7000 labourers worked for 150 years to create what is the world's largest monolithic sculpture.  It covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens and entailed removing about 200,000 tonnes of rock!  It basically consists of a huge courtyard from which the main temple arises and is joined to the outer enclosure by a bridge.  All around the structure are finely carved panels that combine to create something that is simply amazing.