SEPTEMBER 25, 2004
On Monday, September
20, we were ready to leave Bikaner. Dan and I woke at 4:00 AM to load
our camels. As the time for departure drew closer, reporters and a TV
crew arrived. They requested interviews and the cameras started rolling.
We felt like movie stars.
Bubbles Singh, our friend and advisor, had arranged that we be outfitted
in ceremonial turbans. Dignitaries from the community placed garland after
garland of flowers around our necks. Then a priest arrived for a puja
ceremony. This is a ritual to bring luck.
Then it started. In the Hindu religion, there are thousands of gods. If
there is a god of humor, we made him very happy today. Less than 100 yards
from our start, one of the loads slipped from its ropes and dragged a
saddle off a camel. The camel went wild trying to get rid of the awkward
load. With 50 people trying to help us, we fixed the gear back on. This
was a continuing problem throughout the day. Our route out of Bikaner
took us down busy streets with four jumpy camels. We decided leading the
camels would be easier than riding. This was an understatement. Controlling
1200 pounds of camel every time a truck went by was like juggling dynamite.
Then a large truck came by blaring its horn. My camel went crazy. Wild-eyed,
she swung to the left. I held onto her reins to keep her from bolting
into oncoming traffic. That's when she lost her footing. Toppling onto
her side, she landed in a ditch. The ditch contained raw sewage. A wave
of sludge hit me. Rivulets of poop water ran down my shirt and trousers.
A big piece of rotting spinach-like material was plastered to my waist.
Minutes before we had been celebrities. Now I felt like a leper. All I
could do was walk. Crowds of well-wishers greeted us. They looked strangely
at me as I smiled and greeted them in Hindi -- Namaste. I'm sure they
were wondering why I was covered in poop. Outside of town, a kind family
let me use an earthernware pot of water to wash and change. The first
day was tough. Very tough. Our loads fell off the camels a number of times,
I was baptized with sewage, the traffic was hectic, Dan got heat exhaustion,
I spilled juice over my pants when a hand- sized spider ran up my pant
leg, and then -- it rained that night in the desert, drenching two adventurers.
Over the next three days, Dan and I made many adjustments. We got rid
of half our gear. This simplified packing. We bought a goat hair camel
bag to tie items on like the locals do. We tried different tie-down systems.
As we approach difficult traffic, we look for other routes or wait for
things to calm down.
It took us three times as long to arrive at Deshnok, site of the rat temple.
If you like rats, we'll tell you what it is like in our next entry.