Desert Birthday

December 14

Woke up early and went for a run down the sleepy back alleys of our neighborhood on the outskirts of Bikaner.

Bikaner is a Rajasthani desert town near the Pakistani frontier. It is home to a half million people, but after Mumbai and Jaipur, Bikaner, at least our part of it, is downright bucolic.

White people are uncommon enough in this neighborhood; a 6'3" man with sunglasses running - that is an exotic site to the men, women, children, cows and goats with whom I share my morning - acutely aware that I am running within a context in which they are normal and I am VERY weird.

Returned to Vijay's Guest House and Vijay was waiting for me - to congratulate me on my birthday and present me with a birthday gift - a leather bound journal.

Vijay (also known as "Camel Man"), has been running camel safaris since 1982 along with a 10 room inn. Vijay is very old school - hospitable, friendly, efficient; he embodies an India that I've imagined - warm and friendly and correct and proper, with heavy British colonial influence - but I'm not sure how much still exists. His dad was a colonel in the British, then Indian army, and photos of his dad in various military scenarios and marches and hob-knobbing with Indian and British leaders abound around the inn, interspersed with pictures of Hindu gods.

Vijay offers home hospitality - his wife cooks the meals and the guests sit around one table together. You don't have to eat there, but it was convenient, friendly and the food was good. It's their home as well as ours, and it has a very homey feel.

After breakfast, we left for the desert. 3 of us, 4 camels (one to shlep the cart), 4 camel drivers and our guide, Ajendra.

The Great Thar Desert spans northwest India, northern Pakistan and even some of eastern Afghanistan. We were on the eastern edge and Ajendra believes Osama bin Laden is living on the western side of this desert.

The most fun part of riding a camel is getting on or off. A camel is a very large accordian - it folds down so you can mount it, then - up-up-up fast, like an amusement partk ride. Riding the camel is not such a thrill experience, but it can be meditative.


This camel is ready to be mounted -then it straightens its legs and rises.
I have a feeling you will be seeing a lot of camel photos in this post...


And here's Becky, ready to go

Most interesting aspect was seeing the desert wildlife - gazelles, musk deer, quail (I think it was quail - Ajendra tried very hard but his english is not so good, so when I'd ask him about an animal or plant, he could tell me the Hindi name -- the bird I think is a quail is called a teeter in Hindi).

After an hour or so we hit a little desert village. Homes constructed from straw and dung.

The little kids in the village got a kick out of seeing our little camel caravan, as the camels stopped at a well to stock up on water. No English here at all.

Raphael took the opportunity to teach them the words, music, and dance moves to "YMCA" by the Village People.



Our little desert village


Our welcoming party. Soon these village people would be twisting into "Y-M-C-A"






Feeling far away from the Mumbai crowds


...very far...

At the end of the day we reached camp - a clearing on top of a large sand dune.

Watched the sun set over the desert and went for a run across the sand dunes (people don't run here and they find my propensity quite odd). Found a really big one to roll down - which is always fun.



When I returned to camp, everyone was lined up to sing Happy Birthday - Raphael and Becky, Ajendra, the camel drivers, and the other guests from the inn who had been driven out to meet us for dinner and my birthday celebration.

We were serenaded by Rajasthani musicians playing Rajasthani music on harmonium and drum, as we watched the sun set over the desert and danced to the music.


Rajasthani music in the desert


Dancing in the desert

After dinner, they brought out a cake on which was written - "52nd Birthday Mr. David." On top was a plastic flower with a candle in the middle - when the candle was lit, the flower opened to a bunch of separate lotus petals, each with its own candle - and it played "Happy Birthday" (incessantly - we eventually had to kill it in order to go to sleep). I made a wish and blew out the candles and the musicians played some Rajasthani birthday song in my honor (i could tell because the Rajasthani lyrics went - yada yada yada mr. David yada yada yada).

Then, a series of fireworks were launched - they make a big deal out of birthdays around here. Meanwhile, the desert sky was lit up with stars - from from the light pollution of the city. We laid down on sand and stared up at the brilliant starry sky.

Then, as if on cue, the moon rose - full and burnt orange - providing the finale to the evening light show.

Thus, in the Great Thar Desert, I celebrated by 52nd birthday.