Camels in Bikiner

My next stop was the desert in Bikiner, Rajasthan. Here I spent two days camel riding out into the desert and back again. Four of us were part of the trip. We had four camels between us. One was used to pull our cart full of all we'd need, along with the camel's owners and one of the four of us, as we took turns riding the remaining three camels.

Having the chance to sit on the cart was actually pretty good. When you ride a camel, even if only for a few hours, the tops of your legs start to really hurt. The camel riding itself wasn't all that exciting. The desert all looked the same and it was hot. The people I was with though were all really nice, as were our camels. We were told the camels didn't have names, something we felt needed to change. So we soon came up with names for all four of them - Manfred (Mani for short), Margot, Geoff, and Dave. None of them ever tried to bite us and we didn't see them spitting once. We all spent the night sleeping out under the stars. This was the reason I'd decided to come on the trip and so I was extremely glad that the sky was clear. There's something I really love about sleeping out in the open, especially when you can just lie with your eyes open and see a sky completely full of stars.

After we'd escaped the desert and Mani, Margot, Geoff and Dave had all gone home, we visited the near by unpleasant smelling Rat Temple. There were rats everywhere, alive and dead. People who visit the temple consider the rats to be auspicious and buy sweets to feed them. I'd happened to buy some sweets earlier as I'd needed change for something and so I too fed a little to the rats. They were so used to people that they even let you stroke them. It is considered very good luck if you happen to see a white rat and along with a fellow visitor we spotted one just before he returned to his hole in the wall. The good luck thing may have some truth in it... later on I had to buy a bus ticket for my next journey, and the office wasn't particularly near to where I was staying. I set out on foot anyway in the slight cool of the evening. Almost straight away a guy and his little son offered me a lift on the back of their ox cart. We couldn't really talk as none of us could speak the other's language but I got a lift to the end of the road anyway. Then a bit further along I was given a free lift on the back of a motor bike for almost the rest of the way. I found the bus I was to get was my favourite type of bus in India - cheap, no air-con but good windows and beds ( I was taking an overnight journey). Then on my way back a guy from the guest house was passing and so gave me yet another free lift on his bike all the way back.

Before my bus left the following evening I was able to have a bit of an explore of Bikiner. There is a beautiful fort there and lots and lots of colourfully dressed people. There is also a somewhat moody cow. Generally I greet the many cows who wander the streets here. I've found they like you to say hello to them and like it even more if you stroke their necks. This particular cow looked quite clearly to be in not the best of moods so I didn't even try and say hello. Still, I had to pass him as he was walking down the street I was walking up. To the amusement of passers by, as we got almost level he charged at me. It was a half hearted attempt though and thankfully after a quick jump to the side to get out of his way, he didn't turn and try and charge again.