Camel Safari
Camel Safari
One of the big festivals celebrated in most parts of India is Dussehra. The
festival is celebrated with zest and festivities as it also marks the beginning
of the winter season after the long, unbearable, hot summer. Dussehra marks
the victory of Ram over the demon king Ravana, and the rescue of his wife Sita.
In north India, gigantic effigies of the ten-headed Ravana and his brothers
are set aflame amidst bursting of crackers. Fairs are usually held on this occasion
with lots to eat, buy and enjoy.
Dussehra means the Tenth Day, being the 10th day of the bright half of Ashvin.
This day is also known as Vijayadashmi, or the Victory Tenth, because of the
victory of Ram over Ravana. As Dussehra is preceded by the Navratri or the nine.
We didn't regret it. Any comparison to horse riding is faulty, especially when
an obstinate camel decides to take off running, leaving you bouncing along on
top his hard back, a sensation roughly akin to repeatedly landing on a broad
tree trunk.
Five of us departed Jaisalmer together
Mandy and Marie from Ireland, Sarah from Seattle, myself, and my wife Donna--five
very white faces guided by two local men and their boy helper. Covered by long
pants and shirts, hats or turbans, and plenty of sunscreen, we rode for several
hours in the morning before taking a long lunch break. The guides would then
remove the saddles and packs from the animals and hobble them with short ropes
around their ankles: they could walk around and graze, but not run off into
the distance.
The first day's lunch was standard Indian fare: vegetable curry, chapatis (flat
bread), and hot tea prepared over a wood fire, followed by some fresh bananas.
After eating we rested in a small patch of shade, waiting for the intense midday
heat to ease up. In the late afternoon we set off again, passing farmers, herds
of goats and camels, and small settlements of stacked stone or baked mud huts.
I reflected on what a quiet, solitary life it must be out there, away from even
the basic diversions of an Indian village. The camels generally knew the way,
so we had plenty of time to think as we moved through the countryside, our chattering
dying down as the pain to our backsides increased. It was easy to soak up the
warmth and get lost in the scenery as we padded along, the only sound being
the tinkling bells around the necks of our camels.
Actors dressed as Ram, his consort Sita, and brother Lakshman arrive and shoot
arrows of fire at these effigies, which are stuffed with firecrackers. Also
part of the celebration is the Ram Lila or the dramatic depiction of episodes
from the lives of Ram, Sita, and Lakshman. All the regions across the country
have evolved their own distinctive style, and performances at different places
are done in the local language.
A Helping Hand
After going for miles without seeing another soul, we came upon a group of young
men standing around an old brown jeep. They shouted with elation when we came
over.
"Please lift jeep," one of the guides requested. They had a flat tire
and were ready with a spare, but no jack. Five of us lifted the vehicle up and
held it there, groaning, while a boy shoved stones underneath for support. Apparently
he was a farmer; he claimed that this barren patch of wilderness was his land.
So, we rode to a different site. The boy guide took care of the camels while
the older men readied a fire and went to work on dinner. We watched the fiery
red sun go down over the flat horizon as we had another meal, exactly like the
first except for the addition of rice. We talked about our travels--each of
us in the midst of different itineraries--and our impressions of India. In this
country, every traveler has a few colorful stories to tell, even if they just
arrived two days ago. We soon lay down to sleep in the open night air, seeing
more stars than anyone ever does in the presence of electricity.
Ever experienced what it feels to ride the ship in a desert
Yes! A ship, except that this time the ship is an animal, Camel popularly known
as the ship of the desert. Camel Safari's are such animal rides that need both
skill and imagination to explore the mirages of desert. The Thar Desert in India
is a world of its own, an unrelieved ocean of sand, dotted with dunes and patchily
covered with xerophytic shrubs, with its own distinctive wildlife. The best
wildlife camel safaris one can come across is around the Aravalli region of
Rajasthan, in the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. An interesting variation of the
wilds can also be seen in the Rann of Kutch.
