We’d been told there was another camel trek out in the desert. They had left the day before us on a 4-day outing, + we had expected to meet up with them last night. But, for their own reasons, the camel drivers of the 2 parties decided to set up separate camps. Tho’ the others could not have been any distance away, for we heard them shouting, + their drivers came over to visit last night, doubtless to get some whiskey. But it wasn’t long this morning before we met up with them. The passengers were a couple from, I think, East or South Africa – they were white – a young Scotsman, + a very pretty young Canadian girl. They were friendly enough. But I wouldn’t have swapped our drivers for theirs, 2 of whom were young + cocky + showing off. They, naturally, were riding with the girls. The pace had hotted up with the competition, + there was quite a lot of moving at the camels’ other gait, a sort of lazy trot. But they can still move one along at a fair speed.
At lunchtime, Alison, Val + I had a discussion, prompted by the Canuck. Alison, who was quite smitten by her, I think, put forward the idea that it must improve one’s life markedly to be blessed like her, with good looks. Val + I were both exceedingly sceptical about this idea, thinking that it was as likely to make one’s path thro’ life as rough as smooth, that it would fade anyway, + that (certainly in the present case) the good looks did not indicate a correspondingly good temperament.
We stopped during the afternoon at an abandoned palace complex- the desert is chock-a-block with ruins of one kind or another, old + new. At this too, we were promised a swim, but the swimming hole proved to be a black + evil-looking well, 12 ft square, surrounded by high stone walls, at the back of the palace. We declined once again. Otherwise tho’, it was a green + pleasant place, + it was good to rest there before setting off on the final stretch. This involved a long slow climb up a rocky slope onto a barren + windswept plateau. From the far edge of the plateau, however, just before descending onto Jaisalmer plain once again, we were treated to the wonderful sight of Jaisalmer Palace rearing up out of the desert.
It took us about half an hour to walk back to town, + we dismounted on the outskirts – with the trek now over, we weren’t being afforded the courtesy of being taken to the door of the hotel. Man Singh had to spoil things of course by asking for baksheesh (thus throwing into doubt all his friendly kindness of the past 3 days – had it all been leading calculatedly to this moment?) but he didn’t seem too upset + didn’t press the point when I pretended not to hear him.
We celebrated our return with cold lassis – great for washing the dust from the throat – + then, rather than take the Rajasthani meal offered at the hotel – included in the price of the trek – we added a couple of rupees + ate egg + chips, or something of the kind – the vegetable curry we had eaten for every meal had been alright, but we were more than ready for a change. We had thought of staying the night at the Rama, purely for the sake of convenience, but they were full, so we plodded out to the Green Hotel once again, + were given our old room. And being Saturday, it was Saturday Special on the radio – no more to be said.
And then it was over – and just about long enough, in my opinion. Good though it had been, it was also good to return to proper beds, a more varied diet, and the lack of those riding aches.
