Thar Désert

This day will leave a little off the beaten track (if we can say).

Today no visit of fort or palace.

We stop near a school.
Classes are sketchy and the painting is made of a piece of shale.
No benches, students, all in uniform, sit on the floor.
They will rise to sing in our honor, the national anthem of India.
They will ask us to sing ours.
It has not really been a success because many of us do not know the lyrics anymore.

After a long road through the desert where we see from time to time peacocks, gazelles, antelopes and camels we climb in small groups in 4X4 vehicles to browse the sand dunes.
The experience is funny because our drivers enjoy driving off-piste but especially to make dizzying descents.
A roller coaster but in real life!
Of course, it's also an opportunity to make some amazing pictures of the desert fauna.

The second part of this special day is the camel ride.
For those who have never experienced it, the most bizarre moment is when the animal gets up, on its front legs, from its supine position and where the passengers have, for a moment, the impression of pass over their mount.
But when their swaying walk takes us back to the setting sun, silence sets in and our wonderful companions in the desert guarantee us a moment of happiness and tranquility.
No wonder they were chosen by the caravaneers to cross the desert regions.

And it's not finished yet.
We visit a Bishnois village and discover with astonishment that daily life was stopped there at least 200 years ago.
We are attending an opium ceremony organized by the village elders.
It is now banned by the government but we could taste their narghile and a special drink of their manufacture based on opium (?).

Here, I have to tell you about our installation for the night in tents (well appointed with every comfort) and where after an aperitif lying on the sand, with dances of the Mangayar tribe, our sleep, without air conditioning has been more peaceful.