Swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the camel's gait, I found myself humming the theme to Lawrence of Arabia. Not much can top watching the sun set over the dunes as you meander towards a desert camp. We marvelled at how bare and pristine the landscape appeared -- a mix of sandy plains and sudden, unexpected waves-like dunes. We hungrily devoured the tasty, campfire supper. And later, as we lay listening to the constant chatter of the camel drivers, we watched the stars burst into existence.

It was also one of the most uncomfortable experiences you can imagine.

The width of a camel’s body, coupled with the precarious place you take upon its back, the near waddle of its gait as it sways back and forth, and the general disdain the animal usually has for its passenger all worked against our efforts to cultivate an essence of relaxation and comfort. This was okay, though, because we were on a camel in the desert, one of the most unlikely and wonderful things we've found ourselves doing. Being a little off-kilter was more than worth it.

But boys, be warned: the anatomy of a camel is such that if you ride behind the hump, as most tourists are forced to do, you have an immoveable object in front of you. You cannot get around it or away from it. The slow lurch of the walking camel for some unknown reason pushes you forward just as the front end is coming back... Putting a very sensitive part of the anatomy at great risk of getting squashed.

Sleeping under the stars is also not quite what you might imagine; 'sleeping' being the misleading part. To start with: after sitting next to a near invisible, sand-colour-camouflaged scorpion, as David found himself, you need great courage to then close your eyes. But even if you manage to concur your fears, there's no rest for the wicked. As well as being assaulted by an intense heat until the early hours, we spent the entire night shielding ourselves from a constant onslaught of sand. It got everywhere! This was okay, though, because we were sleeping under the stars in the desert, one of the most unlikely and wonderful things we've found ourselves doing. Getting a little sandy was more than worth it.

For honesties sake though, I've got to admit, returning to the sand-free and cool sanctuary that was our very own sandcastle was bliss.

I'm serious, the fort at Jaisalmer can only be described as a massive sandcastle! But thankfully, without the sand. The ninety-nine bastions, that encircle the fort's twisting lanes, look just like someone has perfectly upended their bucket of wet sand (which is harder to do than you'd think) right in the middle of Jaisalmer's sandy plains. It's hard not to be enchanted by this desert citadel, and we're staying inside it! Beneath the ramparts the narrow streets of the old city conceal magnificent Havelis, all carved from the same golden-honey sandstone as the fort. Shreenath Palace, where we stayed, is a beautiful 450-year-old Haveli, once inhabited by the prime minister under the maharaja. I can only imagine that the gorgeous archways, alluring alcoves, and decorative rooms opening onto small balconies must have been quite grand back in the old days!

What a fantastic finale to our tour of India!!