After riding the camels on day one we opted for a camel cart ride into the desert to camp out for the night under the stars on day two. The view was strangely hypnotic....
In true British camping tradition by late afternoon the clouds had started to gather and our camel cart man was looking uneasy and muttering under his turban about monsoon rain. Sadly he was right. Just as Gemar started the dinner preparations, a sudden sandstorm and heavy rain whipped across the hills and into our camp. We toughed it out for a little while huddling under a tarpaulin, under which we gave shelter to a confused young camel driver, also caught in the storm, who couldn’t work out if Bella was a man or a woman, but in the end it we had to turn back. Gemar was crestfallen. The first time he’s had to abandon his ship (of the desert) in ten years, much to the amusement of Meewar who couldn’t stop giggling as we unpacked the camping gear back into the hut.
So, thanks very much to Gemar and his whole family. He’s a very intelligent and astute character and we very much enjoyed chatting with him at length on any subject from the origins of chai to the local wildlife or the indian economy. It’s definitely been a highlight of our trip so far and dare we use the cliché, a rare and real insight into the true India. For more info check out Gemar's website at http://www.hacra.org/
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