A Night in the Great Thar

Khuri, Rajasthan

I decided to head out on my own for a night to a small desert village outside of Jaisalmer to see what life is like at the fringes of livability. It took 2-1/2 hours to go the mere 40km on the local bus - stopping, going, stopping. There was alot of stopping. The bus was jam packed, and that included the entire roof of the bus too, so it took awhile to offload anytime someone would yell out or bang on the roof. It was 105F that day and I was exhausted, drenched + covered with sandy dust by the time I arrived. Within minutes of my arrival though, I was drinking a cup of chai (hot, of course) and had decided to immediately head out on camel-back to watch the sunset and spend a night in the nearby dunes. (Photo: My Driver leading stubborn, young camel away from the village)

Camel (elephant, horse, etc.) riding is torturous on the rear + thighs if you're not used to it and I was soon glad to have made a decision to do an abbreviated trip. An hour later we were at our stopping point for the night and I watched both the sun set + moon rise, simultaneous, from my perch on the dunes. The great Thar stretched as far as the eye could see. Back at "camp" the camel drivers had cooked up a simple meal which I enjoyed by the fading light. After this early dinner, I lay on my mattress on the sand, listening to the Drivers dine on my leftovers and the jingling of the camels. The moon was near full and I lay staring up at only the brightest of stars. I felt totally at ease. After awhile, I popped in my earbuds and listened to a spacey playlist I'd compiled - perfect for the occasion. The moon was luminous and the face of the man clearly visible. It was way too bright to sleep and I lay awake for hours watching the moon arc far across the sky. (Photo above: Note the new piercing on my camels nose. It was driving him crazy so he was doing the weirdest things with his tongue to try and touch it. Photo below: Moon rise over the dunes)


The Driver's dog kept watch all night along our camp perimeter, growling softly but menacingly at strays + other bumps in the night. In the moonlight, I could clearly see the silhouettes of the camels sleeping near their masters. They're restless animals, and I watched with interest their nocturnal fidgeting - the raising + lowering of their heads from the sand. It had become surprisingly cold, especially considering the heat of the day, and I was grateful for the thick blanket I was bundled under. (Photo: Me with Camel Drivers in front of traditionally painted village house)


I awoke after what must have been only a few hours to an even more pronounced lightening of the sky - the rising of the sun. My Driver served me a too-sweet cup of chai, which I stealthily rewarded the faithful watchdog with, before loading up our camels and setting out. The sun finally broke the horizon of the great Thar as we crossed the final set of dunes on our way back to Khuri.