Day-1 (23 Dec 12)
The train 14659 Delhi-Jaiselmer-Barmer Exp chugged into Delhi Cantt Rly Stn
almost an hour late and the doors of the AC Coaches were locked from inside. The
train stops here for 2 minutes and a closed door is nightmarish. Anyways, it
was later found that it is a trick by the railway staff to capture some seats
and capitalize. The poor legitimate passenger would be left frowning and
panting as the train just moves on. So, the lesson learnt is to board the train
from the starting station itself.
Anyhow, the NDA Trng came in
handy and we were on the moving train. The train condition in the 2AC leaves
much to be desired. The coupe seems to be at least 20 year old and not well
maintained. The compartment is full of foreign tourists and I can visualize
their reactions.
The train speed is good though and the major stations touched were Alwar, Jaipur,
Phalodi and Pokaran. Jaiselmer is about an hour away as I write this piece and rest
follows. The stay is at Club Mahindra at Jaiselmer.
Day-2
The train 14659 moved into Jaiselmer
station on time and the quietness of Jaiselmer was written all over the
station.
The Rajasthani simplicity
is still on and one is bound to speculate on the decision of staying in tinsel
cities versus these sleepy towns!! There are not many porters on the station
and one needs to push own luggage. This is our second visit to Jaiselmer. In
2008, we had driven down from Delhi and welcomed 2009 at Khuri desert. This
time around also, I had called up my trusted Man Friday ANAND BASU (a local
guide -Mobile 9413705717) and he was waiting for us at the Rly Stn.
Anand
had hired a Toyota Innova for us @ 10/- per km and the vehicle dropped us at
Club Mahindra which is 12 kms outside city and 1 km before Jaiselmer Airport.
Club Mahindra was all rigged out for the Xmas Party with Rajasthani local dance
and music troupe. The party began at 1930 hrs with 100 Pipers, Fuel and Bacardi
Black in tow. The Stage was set on fire by the Club guests and children. The
sumptuous spread was a delight and the night stayed young for long.
Day-3
Day 3 at Jaiselmer was the Xmas Day.
What a pleasure it is to sleep in a place which has no din of traffic. Our
house at Delhi is on a busy road and the “chak-de” Delhiites keep plying on
this road at all hours. So, the Club Mahindra at Jaiselmer is a boon.
After a great breakfast and with
packed sandwiches, we set off towards the Indo-Pak Border and to see the famous
TANOT RAI MATA Temple. The idea was also to travel the Fox Memorabilia till
this famous Border and to visit this famous Temple. A Google search of this
temple would bring forth the amazing feat of this temple. Along the way we
crossed a sleepy village Ramgarh and had lovely tea. Also, to convert the visit
into a picnic on return leg, I bought 3 bottles of Hayward’s 2000 beer.
We reached the temple located 122 Kms
from Jaiselmer by a scenic road and it’s a pleasure to ride on this road
without much traffic. On entry to the Temple , we were received by Sub Satbir
Singh of 11 Grndrs. He just saw the Fox Cap and came forward. Then the visit was
a cake walk. We were served best food from the langar and were looked after well. Also we met a Coy of 14 JAKRIF
and nostalgically remembered my course mate Kuldeep Kalsi who has commanded
this fantastic unit. A quick call to Kuldeep and his boys were happy and
thrilled.
Now,
in this adventure, an incident took place. Immediately on reaching the temple,
a beer bottle exploded and we took it as an omen. Maybe on Guruparab (Xmas) the
Lord and the Goddess had another design.
We reached back at the resort along with our
Man Friday ANAND BASU, the guide of Jaiselmer and rolled the day over with the
trusted FUEL in the company of SPRITE. 2 bottles of Hayward’s 2000 survived to
see another day/night.
Day-4
The best part of Jaiselmer is the bright
mornings. This is our 2nd trip in Dec to this city and it is much better to be
here rather than suffer at Delhi. Though, personally, I love winters and the
entire trousseau dressing which is complimentary with low temperatures.
The day began with a visit to the
world famous Jaiselmer Fort (also called Sonar Fort).This fort presents a
magnificent look and has many stories associated with it. Our guide ANAND BASU
was at his wittiest best and took us around the length and breadth of the Fort
along with the great history of the brave warriors of Jaiselmer. The Fort
complex is unique as the common citizens still stay inside and there are many
hotels and Jain temples inside the Fort. Ladies enjoyed shopping of traditional
bangles and peeks inside the antique shops.
A quick Rajasthani
lunch at a restaurant filled us all up and we began our drive towards Kuldhara
and Sam Desert. Kuldhara is located at a distance of about 20 Km from
Jaiselmer. It is said that one night, 84 villages belonging to Paliwals just
vacated their homes with whatever they could carry and left after the King
levied a 1 paisa penalty per person. The ruins of those villages can be seen
today. The best part is that no one can stay inside Kuldhara after sun set as
it is haunted.
After a quick look around Kuldhara, we
cruised towards Sam Desert to visit sand-dunes. Sam is about 20 kms ahead of
Kuldhara. We reached Sam well before Sunset and camel ride was arranged for
kids and adults. The sunset at Sam is heady and many a hues are visible in the
sky. This is the peak tourist season and the desert resorts were packed with
tourists who were enthusiastically waiting for the Rajasthani Folk Programme
(which interestingly now also has Russian Belly Dancers!!!!) and local
cuisines. The bars were checked correct.
The night at Sam is a treat for some. Anyways,
we cruised back towards Club Mahindra to be a part of "PUNJAB di RAAT" and to
honor the 2 bottles of Hayward’s 2K. The night was brilliant at Club Mahindra
as the Fox Josh and vigor swept the guests away. We rocked, sang and danced and
honored the 100 Pipers, Fuel and Hayward’s 2k. Wow, there were no baggages left
and the magic of Sam Desert (minus the belly dancing!!) was created at Club
Mahindra. The young staff of Club was a josh team too and ensured best time for
us. The day was refreshing and the night was great and cool fun.
