Sleeping with Camels

The night before our camel safari there was another dust storm. It battered the shutters and left piles of sand in the open air rooftop restaurant. I hoped it wasn't a nightly occurrence.
We met our camels after a jeep ride 40 km out of Jaisalmer. Looking back the fort resembles a giant sandcastle in some child's sandpit.
My camel was called Mr Magoo and he contradicted all the stereotypes I've heard about camels. He was quiet and gentle, not lazy and didn't spit once. He was very tall though. Apparently the jaisalmeri camels have particularly long legs.
The Thar desert is dotted with trees and small villages. We stopped at a couple of  villages for chai and to see how the local people live in such a harsh environment.
We stopped for lunch in the shade of a kejri tree. The largest tree in the desert it also has a bean shaped fruit which is a rajasthani delicacy. Sarjun our camel driver cooked a 3 course feast over an open fire -pakora, potato chips,vegetable curry and freshly made chappatis. It turned in to quite a sociable lunch. A man appeared to harvest the fruit from the kejri tree and 2 stray boys with an axe wandered out of the desert and joined us as well.
By 2pm the temperature was hitting 45 degrees so we stayed in the shade and dozed until things cooled down. Back on our camels at 4 and a gentle trot onwards through the desert. Apart from the kejri tree the rest of the plants are downright evil. Warped stunted bushes and cacti with lethal barbs and hooks just waiting for a passing camel and rider. I was surprised at the abundance of wildlife. There was frequent herds of gazelle, moles and mice,peacocks, colourful chamelleon and lizards. Because people live in the desert there's also herds of goat, sheep, donkey and horses and foraging camels.
We set up camp for the night on a desert dune and after dinner crashed out on our mattresses on the sand. I watched the eggshell blue dome of the sky change to mauve and pink and then stars and darkness while lying on top of a dune, in the middle of a desert, with our camels munching happily alongside.
I must have slept because waking up was a surreal experience. Still on top of a dune but with an indigo dawn, a fading sickle moon, the camels still munching and Sarjun bringing over piping hot chai. Bryan saw a fox. I saw fox footprints and lots of other tracks in the sand I didn't want to think too much about(snakes,scorpions,mice?)
Our route back took us through fields of windmills. They generate a lot of the power for this area especially to help suck the water from deep below the desert. Monolithic and with an eerie hum they're not really out of place in this alien landscape. Our camels cruised through the desert at a steady trot until Bryan calls a halt because his legs are killing him. Time for more chai.
We're back before the heat of the day hits. An incredible experience although a bit saddlesore and weary because of it. We say goodbye to the desert and our camels and head back North and the cooler mountains again.