24th of February to 9th of March, 2023.
Something that is very cute and I will miss from Rajasthan is, looking out of my room window and seeing a cow passing by. A cow going somewhere, walking slowly and peacefully to her “destination”. That’s not a scene you see in any other country. Of course, that it is not so cute when, someday, one of them give you a run in the streets. It happens rarely, let’s admit, but can still give a quick chill feeling just before you crack on laughing for being told off by a cow.
But apart from that, life in Rajasthan can be tricky. It all depends of what bothers you or not, and of course people are different, so different things annoy different people. For example, my nose and my sight are very sensitive, so I cannot really enjoy a walk around here because the streets are dirty and smelly, that one cannot take a deep breath or entirely enjoy a view. Obviously, the cows contribute for the dirt and bad smell with their droppings everywhere, but there is also the huge amount of rubbish everywhere, which are then trashed around by the cows. That’s the main reason why I couldn’t possibly live here or stay longer, as some foreigners do. And the noise produced by all types of vehicles it is another strong point.
Jalam is the manager or the Camel Safari Company, which is owned by his uncle, Shobbu. They both spoke speak English but not to a strong level that we can have a deep conversation. Actually, I haven’t had a conversation with neither of them because either they are too busy or it simply doesn’t seem as they want to talk. Which is a bit weird / contradictive because when I arrived, they repeated many times that I should few at home, as part of the family. And it is not that they are rude or unpleasant, but is that they are not very kind and friendly as I expected. Perhaps I am just spoiled with the concept of “as family” which I received in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan.
I am mostly working in the computer, answering e-mail, reviews, editing some photographs, etc. For that I come to the office every day in the morning, come back to their guest house, where I am staying, for lunch, and then come back to the office for one more hour of work. Sometimes if I am alone at the office and some clients walk in, I also explain to them about our tours.
The guest house is just acceptable in terms of cleanness and it is very simple indeed. I couldn’t imagine someone paying to stay in such establishment. But I am sure that it is just my western mind talking. The bathrooms have stains in the sink which seem to be there forever. I cannot even imagine they using any anti-bacterial to clean the toilets and the floor. Plus, the walls of the room are falling apart a bit. And I thought that my room in Kazakhstan was bad.
But what to do? I came here because I wanted to finally do a Camel Safari Tour in the Desert. I have never been able to it, even though I have been to Morocco, Mauritania, Namibia and Egypt. This time, I decided to go over my principle of not volunteering with companies, just so I could finally have an experience like that. After all, they are desert people here, so I am still helping local people.
The food is prepared here in the guest house, by Raju, the cook. He is a very friendly man, although some rare times he behaves weirdly, as he didn’t want to talk with me at all. But most of the times we chat in a very friendly and funny way. I like the food! It is tasty and spicy enough so I can get more used to spicy food. But it is quite the same thing all the time: either red lentils, or vegetables, or a dish made out of fried onions, spices and yogurt, plus chapati. I don’t really have breakfast because by the time Jalam arrives to the office and offers for me to eat something, it is already too late for me.
The weather is hot but still bearable. But I don’t go to many places or do long walks every day.
I visit the Fort a few times. It is for FREE! Once you are inside, it doesn’t look as big as from outside. But I do love it! It is gorgeous with its alleys and traditional old buildings (some almost falling apart), all very colourful and attractive to the eyes. And I also like the feeling of being here. It is something I cannot explain, but I feel like back in time. The harassment of the shop keepers is almost zero, mostly when compared to other countries, like Morocco, for example.
One of my host’s friends owns a café in a great spot inside the fort. It is called The Big Tree (because there is a huge and nice tree just by it), and it is located in one of the corners of the Fort, in a very high position, so the views are amazing! Even though it seems like a nice place, it is not really my kind of place. But then, again, none of these eat / drink out places really attracts me. Plus, the two times I came there, it was mostly populated by tourists. I don’t travel or go anywhere to meet other travellers. My goal is to meet locals.
Another important marc for the city is Kothari’s Patwon Ki Haveli, a marvellous series of buildings from the 1800. It is truly hypnotic how beautiful these buildings can be.
A lot of people like and recommend Gadisar Lake. I went over there just to check and it is OK. I guess that, if you have the time, it is not a total waste of time. The temples in the middle of the lake are very charming. And if you go there, stop by for a coffee at Adonai Coffee stand. My host’s brother, Harry, makes some delicious coffee over there. His Instagram is @mr_harry21_. Support him by following! Their coffee is fresh, made with delicious coffee grains from farms across India.
I will make a special post for two special events: My Camel Safari and Holi. He-he.
10 Years Around the World 