We were all set to visit the "Golden City - Jaisalmer," to celebrate the New Years's eve and to make some wonderful clicks of the city. We started on the 30th of December and reached there on the 31st. We already booked the hotel in advance through goibibo, which went to be a blunder. The hotel that we booked mentioned some terms and conditions which we missed to notice.
This hotel was some "Hotel Heritage Inn" on the main road. Though they took a payment for the rooms through goibibo, but while we reached, they asked us to pay an additional 6,500/- for some Gala Party for New Year's eve. While we said, we were not interested to attend it, they mentioned that it was mandatory. I had a word with their manager, who was eager to let us know that it is our mistake and he cannot do much about it.
I tried to bring him on a compromising state and told him that we already have a plan to celebrate New Year at Sam Sand Dunes, for which we have already booked the tickets. He said that he works for the owner of the property and he is only concerned about him. To this when I asked him, what about the customers? Will your owner pay you, if you won't get any customers or you will lose your customers because of your poorly managed schemes?
To this he got offended, as he had nothing to say about it and he left. It was difficult for us to get reservation anywhere else as it was the peak time then. We still stayed with them, paying a bit lesser and settling the amount for free lunch and breakfast. We were never interested in their Gala Party.
We were settled down with the hotel fuss, we got ready and headed towards Sam Sand Dunes. There were these huge wind mills all around in the way.
We entered the Sam Sand Dunes and searched for the Camp with which we booked the package of Jeep Safari, Camel Ride and New Years's Celebration Party along with Dinner. We reached the camp and had a word with their management for the arrangements.
We were asked to get upon the Jeep that was parked in front of the camp. I took my camera along with me, hoping to make some clicks. The driver took us along the straight road, which wasn't so much of a worry for me, as I was cool with that, but as we entered into the desert zone, he drove hell out of us. He was driving almost like a snake, all zig - zag. He drove the jeep over a desert hill and from there he rushed it down in speed. We were jumping back and forth, making a click with my camera during the drive was pretty tough, as I was afraid that my camera might fall down.
The life of my camera is more important than mine and so I kept it inside. After a ride of say 20 minutes the driver stopped his jeep in between the desert. There were a few camels, a snake charmer and a few local villagers in colorful clothes.
I asked a friend to take a few of my clicks.
We got down from the jeep. A snake charmer along with his daughter, requested us to see the her dance on the music played by him. We payed him and saw her dance. She was dancing almost like an Arabic or a Hawaiian dancer. She was really mild on her moves. I made a few clicks of them and the people around. There were a few camels sitting almost in a row. They looked beautiful.
We were then taken back to the desert camp from where we were supposed to take a camel ride to the sand dunes. A guy, seeming to be a local villager came along with his camel. We were asked to sit on it. I was already pretty uncomfortable with the idea of sitting over a camel, as I never did so in my life. I was already in the hangover of that jeep ride and now this camel!!!
I still managed to sit over it, but as and when it began to get up on its feet, I felt butterflies, french fries, house flies, almost everything in my stomach. It was like a take off. That was a very small ride, may be just a 10 minutes or so. He then asked us for if wish to have an extra ride, to a place where some scenes of Bollywood movies were shot. He asked us to pay extra for that, whatever we wish to. We agreed and then he took us into the depth of the desert.
Again, while on the camel, it was difficult for me to take any photographs. This guy was playing the same trick with us, taking the camel up the desert hill and then making it run down the hill, in speed. I almost had two by pass surgeries during the ride and almost a heart transplant.
That was a wonderful experience though. He got us down the camel and asked us to come back to the desert camp for the New Year Party after the sunset. We stayed there for an hour or two, until the sunset. I took some wonderful photographs of the people, camels and the sunset. This was the thing I was here for.
I saw this old man coming towards us with his camel. He was ethnic, looked connected to the roots of Jaisalmer. He and the wrinkles on his face portrayed him as the perfect representation of the city. I took a few clicks. He wasn't so concerned as may be he was used to it.
The I saw this another guy coming up with his camel.
The sun was almost about to get set and I could get to see a few glimpses of the moon. I captured one with the camels and moon.
It was getting dark as the day was about to set. I found it to be the best time to make a few more clicks of the sun and the camels all around. I tried to take a few good ones. I just hoped that if I could make justice to the place and the moment.
We then headed back to the desert camp. We were welcomed by a few people in folk dresses. There was a sitting arrangements for the guests in the camp. There was a stage from where the performers were performing the folk music and folk songs. It turned out to be an ethnic evening wrapped into the magical aura of culture and class.
There was this girl, performing the Kalbeliya Dance. She was really good at that. Not just this but she was extremely good at western dance too. I got to see that as she grooved on the English Songs, late at the DJ night. It was great to see her flexible moves which were full of energy.
The dinner at the desert camp was pretty good. I feasted on the dish of chicken. It was cooked pretty well. Though there was no arrangement to keep the food warm on the chilly winter night of 31st of December.
We then came back to our hotel, where some so called Gala Party was going on. They were playing some really pathetic old Bollywood songs of the 90's. It almost seemed like it was a bar, people were drunk and weren't bothered about anything around. They were busy listening to the songs and drinking as much as they can.
We saved ourselves from this Gala Party, as we made a choice to spend the eve with the core of the city, its deserts, the camels and the people.
We planned for the next day, to visit Kuldhara Village in the morning and then the Fort of Jaisalmer, which I will be writing about in my next blog.
We then had a sleep for the day, to explore the city further on the next day.
- Travel Wanderers
