Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

So here is the real reason to visit the town of Jaisalmer as its main tourist attraction is trips out into the surrounding desert.  There are numerous options and different places to see but the general theme of the trip is camel trekking out in the desert, seeing sand dunes and getting to sleep out under the stars.
And it did start well, we left late on in the afternoon to avoid the highest temperatures, set off in a jeep to get out of the town by about 50km and started our camel riding.  Which was good fun but I am glad it was not for long as I have a bruised/sore backside today and we were probably only on the camels for an hour or so.

After we reached an area of sand dunes this was to be our camp for the night.  Whilst the guides set about unloading the camels and getting a fire started to cook the evening meal we climbed up the sand dunes to see the sunset (although it was rather cloudy) and take some more photos.


We had a good time here and a local kid had walked several miles out to the dunes so he could make a few rupees selling us a beer to enjoy the evening with.
Unfortunately I should first say that the evening before whilst sitting on my guesthouse rooftop there was alot of lightening.  This was turning about to be the case out in the desert this night also, whilst finishing our freshly prepared veg curry, rice and chapatis the guides told us it would probably be best if we didn't stay out in the desert due to the lightening and it may rain.  Obviously we were disappointed but listened to them and had to make a move back.  There was correct in getting us to return as no sooner had we set off did it start pouring down, wind swirling around and great forks of lightening.  We still got abit wet driving back in the jeep, we stopped in the local guides house for abit whilst the storm let up then carried on along a somewhat flooded road back to Jaisalmer where they got us a guesthouse for the night.
So an interesting evening, we didn't get to see the stars; I guess the weather can't be helped, but I did get to go camel riding and see the sand dunes, maybe next time I'll get to sleep out in the desert.

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