Day 5: Jaisalmer

20 December 2006: Waking up in the desert is amazing! I really recommend everybody to do a camel safari. Although you might consider bringing a breathing mask, cause the camels do have several types of odours which they like to share with you :). We were all lying on matrasses covered by several layers of blankets which kept us nice and warm during the night. I think I was one of the few to see the camel lying near us and which probably kept us warm during the night ;) By the time the others woke up, he had already left again. Falling asleep underneath a pitchblack sky filled with stars is unbeatable as well. Around 8.30 am we had breakfast. Thereafter our ways separated from the big group, since we were the only two going back to Jaisalmer. Unfortunately I had to leave the King behind and settle for a much less confident camel and also one which was much much much slower. Off we went: two camels, 2 girls and 1 camel driver. After riding for 2 1/2 hours we reached the camp again where we were picked up by the jeep. Coming back to Jaisalmer fort we walked around for the two remaining hours. Jaisalmer is really amazing and definitely worth a visit. Almost all the houses have amazing wood carving and the temples are very nice. It is also just a nice, small, quiet village. Having had too little time to truly appreciate Jaisalmer, we set off to the train station again after some serious bargaining with a rickshaw driver.

Sites visited: desert, jaisalmer fort.

Travel time: 2 1/2 hours by camel+ 13 hours and 15 minutes (Jaisalmer-Jaipur).