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This is the day we spend in the saddle: All day -- "Just you and your camel." The camels are quite tall and the drivers make them kneel down so you can mount and dismount them.
On command, the camel rises, after vocalizing a noisy protest, and there's a sensation of "take-off" as you hang on for all you're worth.
In the saddle, Leon's looking a little pale initially -- not surprising.
From the back of a camel, there is a sensation of being aloft, unstable, dizzy. "Are we really going to be up here all day?" It takes a while to loosen up and fall in with the rhythm of the camel's motion. Certain accessories could stand improvement: The "saddle" consists of sheets or thin blankets wrapped over what feels like an iron frame. Maybe next time I'll try sitting on the hump.
Along the way, we pass some picturesque compounds.
The interior of the traditionally built huts are surprisingly cool. The rock and wattle circular foundation has vertical slits, admitting light and ventilation. Combined with the insulation of a tall thatched roof, this makes for a very comfortable refuge even in the peak of the midday heat.
Camels nibble trees or bushes along the way. We stop for a formal lunch, laid out with china and silverware on a mat in the sand, starting with cold Kingfishers (local beer). Then we chip in to form a "pot" for an after-lunch camel race. The pot totals 2,500 rupees (around 50 US dollars).
Lynn's driver wins the race. The driver gets half the "pot" and Lynn gets the other half. She donates her half as a gift to the rest of our drivers. There is some talk that Lynn's driver would be buying whiskey and throwing a party tonight!
We trickle into our new tented camp on the dunes just before sunset.
Next day, we trek across the dunes on foot. We reach the road and board
our motor coach, and we're off to Jaisalmer.
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