Ab in die Wüste

Hi guys,

On our to-do list was a camel safari through the desert. As soon as we arrived in Jaisalmer, we took care of it and booked six days in the Thar Desert, 265km from the Pakistani border. Mattresses, food, drinks, suitcases, and we were all set to ride the desert ship. And what is it like to ride a camel? Pretty high and wobbly, but you quickly get used to it. After four hours, our asses were pretty sore, so we decided to set up our camp for the night in the dunes. The tasks were clear: find firewood, cook food, play cards, and sing. We spent the first night under the starry sky in the desert and then moved on to a village nearby, where we had contact with the locals, who were very hospitable and offered us their shelter because of the bad weather, which we gladly accepted. After a warm dinner and Chai, we slept inside on the rainy night.

After an unfortunate situation, we decided to cancel the tour after the third day. Nevertheless, it was worth it all the way until then.

Once back in Jaisalmer, our guesthouse manager Patan invited us to have dinner with his family. We spent time with his wonderful family and visited the fort of the city.

On January 18, 2017, we arrived in Pushkar, a real hippie town in our opinion. I really like it there because in the narrow streets around the lake, you are well taken care of with cafes and, most importantly, very good falafel stands. At this time, many ceremonies take place daily around the lake. The locals wash themselves and pray to their various gods in the ghats (small pools).

Around the lake are the temples Gayatri and Sheetri, both on different mountains, a maximum of 45 minutes and 30 minutes walk respectively. The temples were built in honor of the two wives of the founder, Brahams. Apparently, many decades ago, he dropped a lotus flower, from which the holy lake originated.

The city is perfectly located between mountains and deserts, perfect for a day trip to explore the surroundings. We did this one day together with Johannes, renting two scooters and just riding aimlessly. Our journey took us through small villages, we sat in many cafes, and eventually ended up in Ajmer. From there, we drove back to Pushkar to have lunch, of course at the falafel stands.

After the wild scooter ride around Pushkar, we fell exhausted onto the bus that was going to Agra.

Best regards, your Egger girls

Hi guys

Our next city was Jaisalmer. It's near the border to Pakistan and well known for their camel safaris. So we also joined up for a 6-day tour.

We had 3 camels, 2 guides, lots of food, mattresses, blankets, and water. All we need.

To ride on a camel is like you are on a horse but much much taller. And you have to be careful when it's going up and down. On the first day, we rode for 4 hours. That was enough for our booties. First we had to collect firewood, then we cooked, had a campfire, played cards, and sang songs. All in all, it was a great first day and night.

On the second day, the weather was cloudy and it started to rain in the afternoon. So we only rode for 1 1/2 hours to a village. It was a shock to see how people can live like that. In mud houses without running water. Only a little fireplace in each house, to cook and warm yourself up. In the evening, we got an invitation to eat with a family. So we did. The weather got bad and our guides didn't show up, so we slept in a mud house, with the family. It was very nice of them to host us.

The morning after started with an unlucky situation, so we decided to cancel the trip. But we had 2 amazing days in the Thar desert.

Back in Jaisalmer, our manager took us to his family's house where we played with his kids and had a delicious lunch. Afterwards, we got a special tour from Tony (8 years old) through the fort. From the fort, you have an awesome view over the city.

Exhausted in the evening, we slept in the bus to Pushkar.

Pushkar is a hippie place. All around you see strange people, weird clothes, and many, many cafes. They have a festival in the city, so we went down to the ghats (small pools) and prayed for peace and our families. Around the city, there are 2 bigger temples, Gayatri and Sheetri, which we both walked up.

The next day, we hired 2 scooters and drove with Johannes (a German guy we met) outside the city. It's a wonderful landscape around and it's so much fun to drive there. We drove all the way to Ajmer, where we turned back towards Pushkar.

In the evening, we slept, again, in the bus to Agra.

Love, Klara & Luci