We got our bags and made our way to the exit. I was surprised because rather than the usual 'you want tuk-tuk' palaver there were simply men holding up placards with their hotels name on it. It was all very civilised! Eventually I saw my name on a placard and we were taken to a waiting jeep. The driver left us there for 10 minutes or so while he waited at the exit trying to scout for more custom. No one took him up on his offer so returning to the jeep he drove us to the hotel. Once there we were shown to our room where we slept for a few more hours.

We arose from our slumber boiling hot as the power (and therefore the fan) had gone off! A lovely luke warm shower later, we dressed and went to the roof terrace for breakfast. It was a delicious breakfast and we also enjoyed a view of the fort.

We registered at the hotel and booked a camel safari for tomorrow which is exciting! The man was really helpful and gave us information on Jaisalmer too with a map showing the way to the fort. We went out walking through the bazaar into the fort. It's weird because people still live in the fort - so it's not like other forts we have seen so far. It also has shops, hotels and restaurants inside of the walls. It isn't a museum like the others. The alley ways are winding and charming - we got lost a few times! We enjoyed a drink and chat about life on a roof top overlooking the desert land next to Jaisalmer.

We were approached by lots of people selling things especially ladies with jewellery lined all up their arms, but they were not as pushy or rude as they could have been. It was a scorching day so we walked back to the hotel to chill under the fan for a while. Later we headed back to the fort for some dinner passing some children playing cricket. Surprisingly for a cricket mad nation we haven't seen that many people playing cricket. We ate a yummy dinner and headed back - it had started to look black over bills mothers so we guessed it'd rain. We got some supplies for tomorrow and were back in the room when the heavens opened and it rained for a good 2 hours, which also meant a power cut so no fan and us sweating a lot! We spent the time packing up our big packs as well as our day packs ready for tomorrows camel adventure!

We were up bright and early for a filling breakfast before our camel safari. We checked out leaving our big bags in the luggage room until we return. We got into the jeep with our safari companions, another couple called Holly and Dougie from Scotland. We set off and on the way stopped at Bata Bang, a very old cenotaph made of sand coloured stone. It was beautiful but also weird because it was in the middle of nowhere. After a mooch around taking some photos we got back in the jeep and headed further into the desert to our camels.

We stopped at the side of the road and our camel guide plodded along with 5 camels and a young boy of about 10 years old in tow. We were introduced to our guide as we watched the jeep speed off! We were each given a camel and one by one got on - mine was called rocket. Any of you who have ridden a camel know how scary and funny it is getting on and off! For those of you who haven't, it isn't as easy as it seems! First of all I couldn't get my leg up and over the heavily padded saddle probably because I am so short (I think Holly had the same trouble too!). Once I was sat on the sitting camel he then had to stand. He put his back legs up half way first so I was flung forwards squealing, I then squealed some more as his front legs went half way up followed in quick succession by his back legs fully and his front legs fully! Scary!

Once everyone was on their standing camels (after much squealing from Holly - and some from Dougie and Neil too!) we slowly started plodding along. It felt very cool to be on a camel in the middle of the desert even though the desert was not huge rolling sand dunes it was still the desert! After about 30 minutes of enjoying the scenery and the ride it started to get a little painful with our legs dangling and swinging. Camels aren't very rhythmical walkers so it was hard to get into a good pattern. By the time we stopped for lunch 2 hours later I was in so much pain I could have cried! The camel was lowered to the ground so I could get off in the same petrifying manner it was risen so more squeals from me!

When I finally got my leg off the camel having momentarily lost all strength in it I couldn't walk - my thighs were so sore! The guide and his young helper laid out some rugs for us and unsaddled the camels so we could all have a rest. He then constructed a fire and made us some well needed delicious chai. After chatting with the others, I was so relieved that everyone else had been in as much pain as me - I thought I was just being weak!

The guide cooked a delicious lunch of noodles, spiced cabbage and chapattis all from scratch on a desert fire - awesome! It was a truly magical and memorable moment. We enjoyed sitting in the shade of the tree eating and chatting. We learnt that our guide had been doing his job for 11 years and that he currently got paid 2000 rupees a month - Neil worked this out to an ANNUAL income of about 270 pounds!!Shocking! He also told us that the boy was his friend's son who he was teaching how to be a guide - he already did a pretty good job but I felt sad that he wasn't at school. I later thought that this kind of was his school - his way to earn a living - something we don't need to think about at home because someone will always make sure we have food. Sadly in India people simply aren't that lucky.

After lunch I headed for the loo behind a rare bush. This was pretty scary in the Indian desert with lots of black bugs, red bugs and hisses that sound like rattle snakes. We asked the guide if we would see any snakes and he answered 'if you're lucky' - if we are unlucky we all chimed! The camels that had been loosely shackled by the ankles had disappeared so the young boy went to find them, about 20 minutes later the guide also wandered off to help find them. It was a little scary - 4 British tourists alone in the Indian desert! We were all relieved when they both turned up with all 5 camels in tow!

Once saddled up again, we all got back on squealing and all, and plodded on. It wasn't long before I had to ask the guide to let me walk as I was in agony. Holly also got off with me and we walked behind the camels. At some point the camels (with the boys on) seemed to speed up and we were walking as fast as we could to chase them. They didn't seem very concerned that we were falling behind and Holly and I joked that we should lie down in the shrubbery to scare them but we changed our minds when were heard more rattling - do rattle snakes live in India?? I didn't want to find out.

After about 30 minute of chasing we decided to get back on the camels and I was lucky enough to find 2 make shift stirrups hanging off my saddle. Putting my feet in these relieved the burning in my thighs - now it was just uncomfortable rather than agony! About an hour later we got to a brick building which was to be our shelter if it rained, we were 10 minutes from the dunes but after yesterdays torrential rain and the colour of the sky we decided not to risk sleeping without a shelter, so decided to stay where were.

We all got off our camels (more squealing) and hobbled along to sit down - we were all in so much pain! The guides unsaddled the camels and let them roam while we all drank some delicious chai. We enjoyed spending the time talking the Holly and Dougie who were very mature and well travelled for their young ages of 19 but were still lots of fun! I hope they enjoyed our company as much as we did theirs. The guides were cooking in an open room area and we were chatting when suddenly a random man appeared. I had made a joke earlier about getting away from the hawkers, and low and behold this man had ridden out on his camel to sell ice cold bottles of beer! I was gutted that he had no soft drinks but Dougie bought a beer before the man was back on his camel and riding off to the next tourist camp. It was then that we realised we hadn't seen another tourist all day which was great!

Just as we were losing the light we were called by Picasa (the guide) as dinner was ready. This time rice, dhal and chapatti - delicious again but we had to practically force him to eat with us as he was so intent on making sure we were ok. He added a cupful of chilli to the dhal before he took dinner for himself and his young companion. Neil decided he wanted to try some with chilli - it was hot but not unbearable! By now the light was pretty much gone so we made up our beds by torch light. Unfortunately the torches drew in LOADS of huge flying insects which were literally dive bombing at our heads - not nice! We did it all as quickly as possible covering ourselves in insect replant and getting long sleeves on. Going to the loo in the dark was rather scary but necessary! We all then settled in for the night. It was still really hot and we were all baking hot but stayed covered up as we didn't want to get bitten. Thank goodness once the lights were out the insects thinned out and we had an enjoyable time listening to the guides singing funny songs using the empty water canister as a drum. The two funniest songs were the camel safari song made up of all different parts of our day and a short rendition of the Macarena!

Once they had finished entertaining us we all chatted for a while, adamant that we were too hot and uncomfortable to sleep but surprisingly at about 11pm the conversation petered off and we all slowly dropped off into an exhausted sleep!

We were awake really early - our alarm call being the guide and his young helper whispering to each other as they made our morning chai! We'd all had a pretty good night's sleep despite the hard floor. We drank our chai and ate our breakfast of bread, jam, biscuits and pineapple before clambering back onto our camels. Just a 10 minute ride away were some pretty impressive dunes so we dismounted and enjoyed roaming around them for a while. Unfortunately my tummy wasn't 100% so I had to relieve myself twice behind a bush before we set off again (never before has the saying 'if you have to go you go' been more true!).

We plodded along at what felt like a slightly faster pace but it may have been due to the building pain from yesterday. Again I was lucky to have the stirrups but I was still struggling. We had been going through the desert for about an hour when I asked how long was left. We all smiled with relief when the guide said 5 minutes! We were so pleased! At the meeting point we all got off our camels and took a few photos. We also gave the guide and his young helper their tip which they both seemed pleased with. We were all so happy to have had a great experience but I don't think any of us will be too keen to get back onto a camel any time soon!

We enjoyed the jeep ride back to the hotel in peace - we were all so exhausted! The only murmurings were from my pain as we bounced over speed bumps - ouch! Back at the hotel we told the manager what a great time we'd had and that we couldn't rate Picasa highly enough. Neil and I were kindly given a room for a few hours to shower and rest but after a cool shower each we just headed up to the roof top café to relax. We met Dougie and Holly for lunch, and enjoyed eating and chatting before going for our train. We said our goodbyes as they headed for the fort and we got a tuk-tuk to the station.

At the station our train was already at the platform, but we spent about 30 minutes sat on a bench watching stray cows wander along next to the train before we boarded. We found our seats, stashed our bags and tried to get comfortable - very difficult due to achy camel safari muscles! AC 2 was no different from AC 3 apart from there being fewer beds. It certainly wasn't worth the extra cash in my opinion. I snuggled down reading my book as India passed me by. It's such a different atmosphere to being in a sleeper carriage and I am so pleased I have experienced both. Before I knew it I could barely keep my eyes open so settled down for another different night's sleep.

I was not impressed to be woken at 5am by people getting on the train but my rage was soon forgotten as I fell back asleep. I properly woke up at about 9am and hopped down from my bunk to use the rather worse for wear facilities. Neil and I both sat on the bottom bunk listening to our music and gazing out of the window for a while. I was really pleased when the chai man came round, so we each had a small chai for breakfast - it was yum! After more gazing out of the window, my attention was stolen by 2 English medical students in the berths opposite us along with an Indian man. It all got rather heated between them with one of the English men being really rude to the Indian man - well in my opinion anyway! It is no wonder that the Indian people are rude to us if that is the impression they have of westerners. I was really embarrassed and was very pleases when the train rolled into the station and we could get off away from these rude and small minded people.

A great experience we hope you enjoyed reading about! Lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxx