I had been wanting to visit Jaisalmer since I arrived in India, having readabout the wonderful fort and desert safaris, and so this trip was longoverdue. After nearly 20 hours on the train I finally reached this tinytown in the far west.On the horizon the fort looked intimidating enough as I approached, but onceI got there I noticed that it was quite ordinary, even lacking the grandeurof many other forts I have seen. Apparently what makes Jaisalmer sonoteworthy is that one, guide books need something to talk about out there,but more importantly two: the fort is still inhabited.
I checked into my hotel, within the fort walls. I had been offered "freehassle" at a different hotel outside the fort by a young non-english-speaking tout but decided to buck the appeal to "ethical"tourism in my guidebook and instead indulge in the full fort experience. I have to admit it was pretty damn cool wandering around and checking outfort-life. I was fortunate enough that the heat kept most tourists awaymaking my experience a bit more authentic. Inside the fort though, lifecarries on like it does anywhere in urban India and so it still
required some imagination to get a sense of the ancient. Once I finally left the fort the desert took on a different look. People no longer had runningwater or intricately carved facades on their homes. Instead they had extremely austere mud hut homes, maybe access to a nearby well, and blistering heat. I mean blistering. It made Delhi feel pleasant.After a short jeep ride which included a visit to two desert villages (in which these pics were taken) I had mounted my camel and was headed for the dunes. Village life in the Thar Desert is unbelievably
brutal. I still cannot get over how anyone can survive out there. I'm glad I decided to do the camel thing. Sitting atop my camel approaching the dunes seemed to provide the greatest insight into desert life and what it must have been like hundreds of years ago, and forsome, today. It was awesome. But I was hurting when I got off. My advice is be cautious of long camel safaris. I watched the sun set and then hopped in my jeep for the bus stand. I am a contender for the world's shortest safari. The trip did provide some of my most cherished images of India though. The bright colored sarees and turbans contrast so sharply with the blinding sun scorched desert sands, and the image of such sarees blowing in the 120 degree breeze is one that is hard for me to forget.
