November 1,2,3, 2013

Camel Trekking

Camels are amazing and humorous creatures…….. with attitude!

We went to the desert for 3 days and two nights and slept under the stars, ate simple food prepared over an open fire, rode through beautiful and harsh terrain and endured camel farts!

It was an hour’s drive out into the desert to our starting point. There we met our guide and his helpers; 3 boys between 11 and 13 years old. We asked our guide how it came to be that these boys were with him and he told us that it was because they all have camels. These boys were being groomed as camel trekking guides, thus providing a source of income for their families.

Each day, we rode in the morning and stopped for lunch and a siesta, then we rode in the afternoon until around 5 pm. Each time we stopped, the boys removed all the gear and saddles from the camels, hobbled their legs and let them roam.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were prepared on an open fire; sticks were gathered, water boiled for chai (Indian tea) and then the food prep began. We ate first and then the guide and the boys. After, the dishes were ‘washed’, which consisted of a rinse of each plate with about half a cup of water and then the plate was rubbed down numerous time with sand. With no water in the desert, except in wells here and there, the camels had to carry it all, so no excess amounts were used nor a drop wasted.

Riding a camel has a very different rhythm than riding a horse. They step with their right legs – front and back – together and then their left legs, causing a rocking gait. On a horse, it is a front to back movement and on a camel it is side to side. We trotted a bit and it was a very bumpy ride, there didn’t seem to be a rhythm to fall into. Liam and Maia tried galloping and said it was a pretty wild ride!

We were together the first day and night and then Michael, who had a cough deep in his chest, woke up feeling worse, so he and Zoe went back to Jaisalmer to see a doctor and Maia, Liam and I continued on until lunch on the final day.

Camels are such neat creatures and we found ourselves laughing at their behaviours and antics. They are very talkative and let you know when they are not pleased. The desert and camel riding were two very new experiences and we are very happy to have tried them.

See 'Camel Trekking' in the Photo Gallery, for more pictures and details about our trek.