Until I began researching the idea of a trip to India I didn’t know Jaisalmer existed, but once I did it had the most powerful allure. I have tales to tell about the places en route out of Delhi, but that’s for later. We left Bikaner early, to travel 200 miles across the great Thar desert, a place so hot it burns inside your nostrils when you take a breath. After some 15 miles on NH15, signs of life became scarce. We stopped for a stretch and a photo opportunity, and when the engine was cut we stepped out into the most complete silence I’ve never heard. The landscape was empty, vegetation was the odd scrap of scrubby weed, with an occasional bug burrowing around it. It was my first taste of really dry heat – the closest feeling I can compare it to is a hair dryer on dry hair, and yet I loved it. It makes little sense to be able to get so much from . . . nothing, but I could have stayed at looked at that nothing for hours.
The good Mr Singh had other ideas, and rounded up travelling friend and I into our jeepy thing, where our body temperature gradually normalised. Half way across the desert the little huts started to appear occasionally, with boys persuading a goat or two with sticks. A government restaurant was our lunch venue with an indifferent Thali – because it contained the dreaded gobi – and apple juice, for one hundred rupees. More desert road, and just as our eyes were growing heavy, looking at beige-gold sand, Magan slowed down to negotiate his way through a crowd of people. There was nowhere, no homes, enclosed land, McDonalds or anything, but somehow around twenty people had appeared, to argue over who had run over, and killed, a camel. Someone had to compensate the owner and somehow it had to be moved. It was macabre, just like hearing sirens on the motorway.
Magan must have watched our expressions in his mirror instead of watching the road, either that or he read our minds, because he always stopped just when we spotted something interesting. Later in the journey we became cynical, thinking that he had stopped at the very same place countless times, where the very same group of women always wore their best saris, for the delight of his western tourists. This time we had chosen a couple of striking brick and thatch houses a hundred yards from the road. As we took pictures some children came and invited us to visit their homes. Newly built and tiny but with a bed for each person, some shelves for clothes and one had a fire to cook.
Outside, another charpoy bed was under an open sided, four post shelter. In all there were three adults and seven children, the sum of their possessions would have fit under my kitchen sink but they were so happy and proud.
To celebrate Dussehra they had painted a Rangoli, a bit like a mandala, in white on the pressed ground that was their courtyard. The oldest child, a girl around twelve asked for shampoo but as Magan said we should not start a precedent, we gave them only sweets and they were very happy. He told us that they would tell the story of our visit for the rest of their lives, we would never forget them either, it was an encounter to cherish.
The countryside from then on was sprinkled with villages and a few military bases, including an area where nuclear testing was carried out in the past. In the greener areas there were castor oil plants and kedgeree trees. We knew were approaching civilisation when there was enough irrigation from ‘tanks’, concrete reservoirs, to grow water melons. Rather than the red we are accustomed to, these were white fleshed and Magan smashed them against rocks for us, a welcome treat.
Magan had a wealth of knowledge to impart including about turbans:-
Men wear them to protect against heat.
They can be used as a towel
They can be tied to trees to use as a hammock.
They can be used as a bag.
And, different colours represent different families.
Our last stop before Jaisalmer was when we saw some women working in a field, Magan thought we wanted to take more photos, but before he noticed, I started to stride across to talk to them. I’d gone a little way when I heard him call me so I turned to wave and carried on. He called louder and sounded quite panicky, but because he was such a mother hen worrying about his Western chicks, I ignored him. He ran after me and looking like he was going to cry, pointed at the bottom of my salwar kameez. I was covered in hideous, prickly, seed heads that had buried themselves into the fabric and were agony to remove. He was mortified, poor man.
We arrived at a point just outside Jaisalmer, an ancient city at the end of the earth and stood to absorb the view. But you’ll have to come back again to hear more.
Lucid Gypsy 
Gilly this brings back so many memorable experiences that went off to somewhere into the back of my head! Thanks for reviving them! You write beautifully about one of the best trips we ever took!
Love the mutli-faceted use of the head-gear!
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Thanks for visiting and for your nice comment Sher Wani!
I love this – can’t wait to read the next instalment. I remember similar seed heads sooo well!!!
Thanks Toni and it’s all so fresh for you right now! Wish i could go back. I’ve posted before about Karni Mata and will do more at some point but it happens as some memory is triggered.
The seeds sound horrible…ouch. I love the photo of the older gentleman!
He’s great yes, he took us on a camel safari in the desert.
That would be fun!
great article!
P.S.:
thanks for kind comments! I found your article via your gravatar NOT over the link lucidgypsy.wordpress.com – I don’t know, but there must be a mistake in the link – the path via gravatar is good …
mistake:
Gilly Goldsworthy does not lead to lucidgypsy but to the dead link marrakechmagic – maybe you should change this to get more traffic to your articles?
your frizz
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com
I’ve been trying to work this out for a few days because halfc said the same thing. I’ve poked around and found somewhere else to change something and may have got it now, but I’m not holding my breath!
I’ve sent a link from your article to twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/frizztext/status/139792146441043969
I hope that will support your work!
Frizz thanks that so kind!
I think??? I’ve just returned the favour!
now the link from Gilly Goldsworthy goes to lucidgypsy (right!)
not longer to marrakechmagic (wrong dead link)
– thanks, that’s good for all contacts!
Cool thanks, I had given up trying until you nudged me. I’ve only been blogging for 6 months and am pleased to have had anyone at all reading but the more the better!
This post was fascinating and awakened my travel bug. What a great experience!
Thanks pftlb I love travel and I love to write about it. Your blog is brilliant by the way!
Loved this Gilly – great post
Thanks Jo, you’ll have to visit India if you haven’t already? you would love it.
There are so many other places to visit in Rajasthan besides Bikaner, if you plan a trip again… Do visit Ranakpur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu, Jaisalmer to name a few. Loved your post. Thanks for visiting my blog.
I really hope to visit again! I went to Jaisalmer (my favourite place), Jaipur, Pushkar and quite a few more places which I intend to write about gradually.
Interesting unusual travel. Most people would take aback with this kind of trips.
Reblogged this on Lucid Gypsy and commented:
A couple of days about I posted about visiting India ten years ago, and that led to a comment from our driver, protector and Rajasthan expert Magan Singh. He now runs his own tour company http://www.heritageindiaprivatetours.com/ and I know he must be doing a brilliant job. If anyone wants a wonderful India tour Magan is your man. Magan it’s wonderful to hear from you and I wish you all the best for the future
What a lovely kind face he has, Gilly 🙂
Speaking of faces- I just spotted Rommel in your comments. Wonder where he is these days? I’ll check again but the blog was closed last time I looked.
Was it? the last time I heard he was in Greece. He disappeared before though so I’m sure he’ll be back.
Wonderful portrait pic of the man in the turban. Who knew they had so many uses, including a hammock? I’ll have to remember that. 🙂 I also remember feeling that dry heat in Egypt. I also didn’t find it unpleasant. The Rangoli pattern is very lovely. What a memorable visit, Gilly. 🙂
A mind enriching adventure. Next please 😊
This sounds so exotic, exciting and daunting at the same time. The pictures help a lot because I couldn’t imagine this place in a million years. Please do go on. What an adventure! ❓ 😎
Oh…that’s just not fair! I want to hear the rest of the story NOW, creep! I love the photos…especially the last one, and the one with turban!
I just noticed the date…is this a reblog? How did you do that? Just go in “edit” and post today…again? or what?
There’s a reblog button somewhere on every post, it’s good to look back on early posts that may not have had many views!
I see that button on other blogs…but hey, not on mine!!! what’s up with that?
I really enjoyed traveling along with you Gilly. The photos and your descriptions make your adventure palpable. I can’t imagine the heat the nostrils burning. Can’t wait to read more.
What an adventure. I can’t imagine the heat either… Reading your travel to India, I remember a friend of mine went with a travel group. They picked up one kid from a street every day to give them a shower, and they were suggested to leave a pair of their extra shoes the day before they left India.
This sounds like quite an adventure Gilly. I was amused to read “a place so hot it burns inside your nostrils when you take a breath.” as that it very much the way I describe intense dry heat. You are making me think about blogging about my travels to India, a very long time ago though! Glad you reblogged this.