Places covered:
Kuldhara
Jaisalmer Natural Lake
Khuri Sand Dunes
Desert Camp
After grabbing a simple lunch of roti and mushroom curry at the hotel’s restaurant, we set out for the expedition which we all were eagerly waiting for. We packed a small bag with a change of clothes, toiletries, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats and locked the rest of the luggage away in the hotel’s store room. We (a family of three), a couple from France and two ladies who were friends (one from Mexico and one from Columbia) were all huddled into a jeep for the oncoming desert safari. We all started chatting and exchanged pleasantries and got to know each other a little. After half-hour drive in the jeep, we reached Kuldhara – the haunted village.
The legend around Kuldhara is that the then King wanted to marry a girl from this village against her wishes. Villagers knew that the King would torture the villagers if the girl refuses to marry the King. So, in solidarity, the villagers abandoned the entire village overnight and ran away. And they also left a curse behind that the village will not be inhabited ever. So, we see abandoned houses, wells, temples and ruins all around. This is a photographer’s haven as you get to capture beautiful photos wherever you point your camera. After exploring the village and clicking photos to our heart’s content, we set out in the jeep again to Jaisalmer Natural Lake.
This is a natural water body which is the life line for many flora and fauna around. We spotted a few birds perched on the banks trying to catch their prey. To see a natural water body so close to the desert area and brimming with water was puzzling.
Next on the list was the Camel Ride – which every person who visits Rajasthan has on their Must-Do list. We got off the jeep and braced ourselves for what was coming next. Another layer of sunscreen, caps, and a bottle of chilled water each, we hopped on to our respective camels. My son and I shared a camel and he was named Michael Jackson. All camels were gentle and didn’t seem to mind all the ruckus we were creating while hopping on to them. Camels are made to sit on the ground and we hop on to their back. Once we settle down as best as we can, the camels are made to stand up – and this part is scary. Camels get on their hind legs first, so you get jolted forwards and almost fall off the back and then it gets on its fore legs and you get thrown backwards. One needs to hold on tight to ensure you are still on the camel’s back.
Off we went on the long, quiet stroll with all camels walking in a line.With not a single soul around, the 3 hour stroll was meditative and retrospective. We all were in our respective private space, deep in our thoughts, enjoying the silence and stillness around. The camel “leaders” would break into a local folk song at times to break the monotony. After the leisurely stroll, we reached our destination, just in time to catch the sunset. We tourists went off to find our dune to sit and enjoy the sunset while the staff got to work. They served us with delicous bajji-bondas and fryums and hot piping tea for snacks. As the sun finally set, it was pitch dark with no source of light around.
We had a sumptuous wood-stove cooked meal of roti, subji, rice and dal. With nothing else to do and dinner out of the way, we laid out the cots and mattresses and lied down enjoying the stars above. Never in my life have I seen the night sky come alive like this. The sky was full of stars wherever you see – no light pollution to spoil the beauty. My son and I tried in vain to identify the constellations and planets, but we weren’t expecting to see so many stars in the sky, that we won’t be able to spot the most common ones. As the evening turned into night, the temperature dropped and we were thankful for the thick quilts available. The staff broke into an impromptu performance and entertained us with their folk songs. With the breeze playing music in our ears and the stars lighting up the sky and keeping us company, we had the sweetest sleep of our lifetime.
Dawn was even more beautiful than the dusk. Night had brought dew with it and everything was covered with dew. Sand, our bed, quilts, hair – everything was damp to the touch. We were served a mug of steaming hot tea, porridge, cookies, oats and assorted fruits. After a heavy breakfast, we set out on the camel again. After an hour of camel ride, we reached a small village of about 15-20 houses. Kids were running around helter skelter, the local men hardly glanced at us (guess tourists are a norm here) and women peered at us through their veils. We made a stop at one house, happened to be a relative of the camel herder, where we were served hot tea again. After our customary hellos and byes, we set out on the camel for our next stop – lunch under a tree, out in the desert.
We found a nice, big tree which would give us ample shade and set camp under it. The two men started their cooking while we guests took a short nap. There were cows and goats around, grazing idly and birds chirping and we ate a hot, piping meal of cauliflower curry with roti. We took a post-meal nap, longer one this time, and it was time to bid goodbye to the sand dunes. We also bid goodbye to our foreigner friends and longed for any sign of civilization which had water and a restroom.
We reached the desert camp which was blistering hot with no sign of breeze. A quick shower and after changing into clean clothes, we sipped chilled water and soda – our feeble attempt at handling the heat.
Evening was reserved for entertainment. A group of musicians enthralled us with beautiful rendition of popular Rajasthani folk songs, ghazals and Bollywood songs and ably supported by a Rajasthani dancer who could pivot non-stop and still land on her foot without losing her balance. We also had a good spread for dinner – local delicacies like gatte ki subzi, kaachre ki sabzi and halwa. After enjoying the feast for all senses – eyes, ears and tongue, we retired to our tent for the night.
Aseema... without any boundaries 