11/12/13

Arrived around 8:20 so I was worried Ba would not be there. The guy from mewar warned me about the touts and it would be intimerdating. Before arrival one of the bus guys reiterated this, but said he could drop me off for free at hotel mirage as part of the bus service. He seemed genuine enough as he knew the name of Ba, and even knew I would have a letter in my pocket from the mewar inn explaining please take mark laws so the hotel blah blah blah, and it was full of business cards. All of this was true, but I still didn't really want to trust him. I got off the bus to loads of touts, with one guy with a hat haplessly holding one nice jazzy sign above the crowd saying Hotel Mirage, Mark Samuel Laws. That was me! I asked him his name, he said Ba…. This was my man. Christian decided to join me and we took a free tuk tuk to the hotel which was actually inside the fort itself, amongst all the little streets. Lonely planet refuse to advertise such accommodation on the grounds of sustainable tourism. The chilled on the roof top balcony in the morning sun and discussed the camel safari. We went ahead and paid 1700 for a night in the desert. Met Danny, dread locks, tattoos, gothic styled clothing a jewellery, US and his gf, Julie, African decent, French/Belgian nationality. They were coming to the end of a two year trip, which they had spent 14 months around NZ working. Danny was such a nice guy. We all started talking about economics and the market, and Chris came into his own, was so amazing meeting these people. Also talked about working for a NGO on my trip, which would really boost my CV. Also found out Chris was a twin, and that Julie had made the sign lol. Aslo met Aki, Japanese guy, 22. Dumped our stuff in our rooms, 100rs, and me and Christian went to explore the fort. So many tiney alleys, so bright, with cows everywhere with the massive ridges on their backs. It felt like being in Persia say, 2000 years ago it is truly hard to explain what its like unless you were here. Every building had grand external architecture but are now just occupied my normal shops and such like, very odd. We explored the perimeter of the fought and caught some stunning views over the rest of Jaisalemer. Walked past some giant bees nest and had to turn back. These bees were on roids, couldn't help but think if my mam was there!

Was funny watching the Chinese tourist get freaked out my cows in the tight street, especially as one started weeing. There were lots of touts, all with the same lines of 'lovely jubbly' when you say you're English. Chris bought loads of Indian gear and I would loved to if I was flying back sooner, some of the shirts and stuff were mint. Later on we rented a motorcycle and explored Jaisalmer, and its local lake, from s guy who dubbed himself 'the desert Al Pachino'. The lake was full of catfish who all wanted feeding off the tourists. When we went back Chris didn't want to pay the full 150rs, but this was settle over a shot of McDowells rum. When leaving the guy wished us 'goodnight, sleep tight, no mosquito bite' haha.

12/12/2013

Today was safari day! Me and Chris got some breky on the roof top restaurant, the sun was nicely shinning. Chatted on with Ba, and he told us he was 43. He then told us he didn't in fact know his birthday. He passed us his official ID card, which was basically just a laminated piece of paper, and asked, how old am I? It read xx/xx/1977. Turns out the guy was 40. he explained he honestly doesn't have a foggiest when his birthday is, and doesn't celebrate or have one.

After we went downstairs and met Aki and Camino, a Spanish woman from another hotel who was joining our tour, but was going to stop at the mirage for a few nights after. We took a jeep for around 40 mins to a random drop off point. The drive there was effing mental!!!! The road was only narrow and every time I seen a car on the horizon I thought to myself… please don't let this be the time where he misjudges it!! I would literally hold on. There was once a time when the road when down, so the car readjusted to the shape of the road, whilst we had to simultaneously passa car. Everyone in the car winched. There was 5 camels waiting for us, one each and one for the driver, Abhay (pronounced Abhi). The camels were all politely waiting, their faces are well funny. We waited as Abhay tied all quilts, food and water to the camels and we jumped on. My camel was called Mumula, a girl (they all were). Abhay warned me Mumula likes to get up fast, hence why he probs picked me for her. Man it was fast alright! Had to real hold on. you don't quite realise how big they are until you see one stood up. Abhay lead up the front, Camino, Aki, Me then Chris at the back. Despite being in the desert Aki was wearing jeans and hooded jacket the whole time, with the hood up too! Crazy Japs.

The convoy steered off the road and cross the dry land, where we eventually came to a small village full of other cattle farmers and herdsman. They too had lots of camels. First we checked out abhays house and it was a real mud hut type place. Cow dung, water and sand for the walls was the recipe apparently. After we had a walk down to the watering hole, we arrived just at the right time as all the cattle we getting fed. Our camels got their needed slurp, then came a literal stampede of goats! Hundred of goats running over all jumping over one another, some jumping in the actual water hole. There was so many cows as well, it was crazy. All the herdsmen all wore bright orange turbans and white indian shirts, and it was real authentic rural middle of nowhere-ness!

Back onto the camels and off we were again. We saw some white eagles soaring in the sky, and wild antelope running around. We eventually came to a tree where the ground came real sandy, before it was just dry and dusty. It was nice in the shade in the sand under your feet. The camels sat down and started chewing away, their many bellys allows them to regurgitate stored food and chomp away when ever they need. Abhay put the small chains around their front feet and off they slowly hobbled to find more food. Abhay started on lunch. Found three boulders, dry sticks, next thing there's a fire rustling with pots and pans everywhere. First off a nice chai to warm the soul. Chai is up there with the best things in India, its not just sweet tea, its got cinnamon, ginger and all sorts of crazy spices in. Unreal! Afterwards he made a real watery potato stew/curry with chipatti's. So nice. Abhay rounded up all the camels, they cant go far as there legs are tied, and we packed up shop again.

We then trekked to the real sand dunes. Rolling hills of sand in the real desert like image. Amazing stuff. We parked up on the edge of it, by some shrubbery and bushes and starting having some desert fun. Lots of snaps as the sun set went down, running and jumping off the dunes and stuff. There were lots of tracks on the floor, which I thought first were birds feet, but were infact off dung beatles. It was funny watching them climb massive dune, then knock some sand and watch the scurry all the way back down to the bottom again.

Our little camp was just next to some bushes. Abhay was busy making dinner, chai first, then the same meal but this time with rice. We all had a great craic on with each other around the camp fire, and it was such a good night. We joked the camels that since the camels had disappeared they probs had went to cross the Pakistan border, but got denied as they didn't have a visa.

Camino is a PE teacher, and Aki is an electronics wiz kid and makes his guitar pedals and exports globally, called J-Stamp. Abhay was also hilarious as well, and would pop in with the random one liner which would leave the group decked. Later on he sand for us lol. Talked to Camino lots about Nepal too, as she had came from there and this is my next country on my hit list. The moon was in full blast so we were never short of light, but we kept the fire going. Later everyone went to bed but me and Chris stayed up. Had one of the most interesting conversations in my life! Such a privallage for joe bloggs guy like me to talk to some guy who is the highest echelons of employment, and when you listen to the guy you realised just how switched on these blokes really are. The guy graduated from London School of Economics, has had so many mad internships around the globe, has worked in Canary Wharf for Barclays acting as a consultant advising on regulation changes affecting the business. He told me of his masters and how he interviewed all the top boys at the Central European Bank investigating what policy's best meet the needs of innovative business. He then told me how he regularly attends all the industry forums and meetings to network like crazy, and how I should use the alumni network of my Uni to get myself into places. He's really into ethical business and says his dream job would be a foreign aid policy maker for the EU. It says he could easily be an investment banker but says the lifestyle doesn't appeal to him, he says it common for the first two years when you earn your strips to work 15 hours days and burn yourself before earning a spot at a more suitable pasture. The way he talked me think all this crazy world of finance and global economics is really just another stratosphere of understanding and calibre of blokes. Haha he also told me he has a mate who sold a company for 50m euros, there were another two in the deal who also got the same fee. 150mill!!! It called Kaufda and all they done was digitalise the catalogues super markets send you with all the advertisements like 2 for 1, and put it in one place online so people can see wheres good to get the good deals. Simple but a money maker. Apparently the guy is already chasing his next big company. The ironic this was the company Chris worked for bought it haha. We talked more about econmics, politics, as well as what we would do if we had unlimited money, as well as what we would do if we only had 10 years of life remaining. Very interesting!

Eventually called it a night and crawled under the big thick blankets. Kept waking up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and every time the moon and again moved, until once I woke up and it was completely gone, until it was nothing but star light. Millions of millions of stars shinging over the desert, not a cloud in sight. Absolote messmorzing. Times like this I wish I had someone to verify just how good this trip is and when you see stuff like this. I literally opened my eyes, looked up, and said f****** hell!

13/12/2013

Woke up and the group was already up. Such an amazing feeling waking up in the desert to glorious sun, not baking though, nice and cool, with loads of sand dunes around you. Breadfast was toast and jam, banana, papaya, and a boiled egg and chai. Awesome! Randomly out of nowhere a farmer pulled up too, and started chatted to Abhay. What!? Where did he come from. Then just disappeared again. Ok.

Packed up all our stuff and crossed the dunes. Got some more mad snaps as we went. Some of the antelopes charging around. Honestly didn't feel like India. We also watched a wild eagle tried to catch a smaller bird just over heard, swooping and diving about as the smaller one tried to escape. Again stopped under another tree for lunch, an oddly shaped thing because its branches and leaves where perfectly level, this was clearly as far as the camels could reach. Again same meal, but hey ho it was nice. Camino told an interesting story of how if you have an 15hr plus wait in the airport they are often obliged to give you some type of complimentary service. In which case she was in Istanbul, and ended up getting a full day tour in an ac bus, breakfast, lunch and sites paid for for free! Madness. Later Chris played some Indian music off his phone and we spent the remainder of the day relaxing under the tree. Met at a rendezvous point where a jeep met us, and we took another crazy trip home; the driver dropping off his mate, picking people up, close traffic encounters at ridiculous speeds etc. standard!

Later on the night Chris got into a bit of a panic as he was meant to skype his new team for his new job, but it didn't work, and they're not meant to know he's in India. Later said bye to him, and got his email address.

Later got a message off my good mate Lawrence who I met in Mysore if I fancied a meet up to do some trekking in Nepal… would I say no!!!!! Awesome news.