Trip to Sam dunes in Royal Enfield...
Trip to the THAR...
After
finishing the Ladakh trip, THAR was there in the mind and it happens
after 16 month and December is the best time to visit Jaisalmer/Thar
desert. This trip was with three friends, Alok, Anil and Durga.
Day1:
Noida To Renwal
Started
from Noida, sec-126 around 1:00 pm on 31st December to Jaipur. Our plan
is to celebrate new year eve in some motel with bonfire and tent in
open space. As usual the Noida-Delhi-Gurgaon road was jam packed. Durga
suppose to reach Jaipur from Bhilwara and search some motels in the
outskirts but that didn't happen as he stuck up with some work in
Jaipur.
We
picked up Durga from Chomu bus stop and was my pillion from then to the
our stop. As we always pick some random place to halt for the night
stay to have more adventure and able to spend night in some rural area
with less facilities available. By inquiring about some motels and all
finally found a small motel in Renwal. New year celebration ended up in a
newly made motel and purely vegetarian. We arranged some non-veg from
outside and made the motel owner agreed to that.
It
was not that up to our expectation for a new year eve but shouldn't
expect more in that area. Had a good meal and made some preparation for
the next day trip to Jaisalmer. The most unexpected/annoying thing is
there the music that played by the localities is so heavy that it was
shaking the window glasses continuously :).
Day2:
Renwal To Jaisalmer
It
was a beautiful morning with birds tweet, camels grunt and without any
sounds of any vehicle. The sun waken up from his rays coming through the
ventilator. Tea is best drink to wake up with in the chilling cold
breeze in Rajastan.
Saddled
up and left for Jaisalmer from Renwal around 8:30 am. As we took the
state highway from Jaipur so the road is narrow and with small patches
which make us little slow. And the road connect all villages too. Did a
halt near shimbhapura for breakfast.
From
that sweet shop one old fort was visible so did a solo towards it as
others are taking tea there. It was pretty old and one part of it they
converted to a temple within. Met some villages kids there and they were
happy as offered them chocolates.
After Kuchaman city though it is two lane road but fine road. You can cruise in a constant speed their.
Came across a city called Nagaur and it was tough for us to came out of the city. Our phones ran out of battery to follow GPS. Normally I used to use a mobile charger connected to bike mains but I lost it somewhere. We asked one local person to go out of the city for Pokhran road and he escorted us on his bike. Really there are more than 5 circles you have pass to cross the city.
Our plan was to see sun-set in Pokhran, as we heard the sun-set is beautiful in the pokhran-jaisalmer road but we were late by 1-2 hr. It was almost 7 PM while crossing Pokhran. Halted there for a small tea break. You will feel little dusty/air-pollution in that area as the number of trucks increases as night approaches so if you are planning for Jaisalmer bike trip, cross pokhran before sun-set.
In this trip I felt that the plain straight road are little tiring as you won't change the posture often as we do in the hilly road.
Reached Jaisalmer around 8:45 PM. Because of the new year, we booked hotel in advance and that hotel actually didn't exist anymore in the same name. Anyway got a new hotel near Jaisalmer fort gate no.2 as far I remember.
The mistake we did there is we booked for camel ride to Sam dunes along with our night stay. If anyone going on trip on their own vehicle or bike do book your camel ride to dune near Sam by your own. You can get it cheaper than the hotel/agencies.
It was pretty tiring day so we had our dinner bit earlier after roaming around the fort to get a sound sleep as we had to spend the next day and night fully in the desert.
Day3:
In Thar Desert.
As we had to leave for desert early we visited Jaisalmer fort in the early morning around 10 am. But actually if you are going Jaisalmer in festive or peak season do visit the fort early morning.
Most
part of the fort is now commercial place. As we asked they said, from
very beginning Jaisalmer fort was also a colony as all the relatives of
king also used to stay in the same fort. As compared to all other forts I
have visited its bit small and the king's and queen's rooms are very
compact.
Fort from the hotel terrace |
Hotel we stayed in Jaisalmer |
You will see this structure almost in every buildings with the yellow stone. |
Leather market inside the fort. |
View from the fort top is awesome. You can see the whole city from here along with the border line if clear sky.
Jaisalmer map inside the fort |
Fort gallery |
After finishing our fort trip we had a lavish lunch in the most famous restaurant of the town and its near the fort only. The dal-batti-churma was delicious too. We had almost full stomach of lunch there thinking of night stay in the desert in our own camp.
After the brunch we pack essential things for the desert along with the food items for our dinner in the dunes. That food items pack was provided by the hotel as per the package and the camel person should cook for us in the desert.
After
a short drive from Jaisalmer reached Sam around 3pm. The road was
really a dream road to ride which is around 45 km for us. We drove
without our biking gears and helmet as it may difficult to carry in the
camel to the dunes.
There
is a small confusion with the camel owner and the middle man who booked
the camel for us to ride to deep dunes and stays in the night. He
thought we only wish to take a small ride in the camel and return. After
a long phone conversation with the hotel guys it was clear and we
parked our bike in front of a resort and took our camels to the dunes.
It
was the 1st ride in camel in desert for all four of us, so we all
excited about it. We took two camel for us and hanged all our luggage
and food box in the camel hooks. It was little tiring who seat in the
back seat of the camel for long tour as there is nothing to rest your
leg as in the front seat. It was Durga who in the back seat and little
uncomfortable.
Finally
reached Sam dunes after a 75 min long camel ride. The sunset was really
beautiful in the desert. You will feel the coming cool breeze as sunset
approach in the desert but not that cold.
sunset in Thar desert |
After giving the menu details to camel guy we started preparing our tent and bonfire. It was new for Durga and Alok as they never camped before.
After
spending around 2 hr near the bonfire with snacks and drinks our dinner
came and we enjoyed the desi murga curry (chicken curry) with roti but
Alok has to struggle a bit with his menu as its over spicy for him.
We
have one concern there as the jeeps are coming there to show the dunes
to the tourist. We thought by means if the jeep driver fails to see our
tent in the top of the dune he may run-over. So we thought of tying a
focusing torch light to our tent from a distance so it will visible to
the drivers. Along with that we discussed to put another torch upside in
one corner of the tent. If you are camping so it is essential to carry
torch and lighter as a must bring item.
The
new year night was really unforgettable for four of us. We prepared
three tents for four of us. As my tent is for three person, I share it
with Durga. It was a mistake i think in the night as he started snoring
in the night because of the temperature came down around 2 pm and
didn't carry his sleeping bag. Anyway able to sleep for 2-3 hr only.
Jaisalmer to Bikaner
bonfire before sunrise |
Before
sunrise I heard some jeep sound there and people are shouting loudly. I
peek out of the tent and came to know that tourist jeeps are started
coming to show the sunrise in the dunes to the visitors. The torch was
still on his guarding duty to avoid any vehicle, again I went for sleep.
After 30-40 min we able heard that some people are approaching towards
our tents. After listening to them we came to know they are college
students and planning to scare us as fun. As they approaches closer to
our tents suddenly me and alok opened the zip of the tent and it
happened opposite, they ran out of scare.
Before
sunrise we prepared our bonfire again to get little warm and ask the
camel to prepare tea. The sunrise was adorable and really its breath
taking. You will feel the same as in the sea, as the sun just came below
the sand.
After
having tea there we started packing our tents and sleeping bags. In
this the camel guys theft the solar light the one Anil used to carry on
his trek and trip. I saw while the camel guy pick it up but I didn't
reacted to it. Actually in the night we are talking with him about the
village condition and all. They facing electricity problems in the night
and we told him about the solar light and we gave it him while he is
cooking for us.
After
reaching to our bike parking area after the camel ride of 75 mins, we
headed for the hotel to get bath and breakfast. All our saddles were
with the hotel manager room as we already checked-out last afternoon. He
is a nice person. Helped us in many ways.
Now
its time wrap up and saddle up again for return journey. I really hate
this part every time. Anyway after breakfast we headed to Bikaner. As we
have to drop Durga in bikaner so that it will be easy for him to go to
Bhilwara from there by bus.
Just
before his bus time we reached at the bus stop in Bikaner, said goodbye
to Durga as its end for him in this trip on bike and we started
searching for hotels. We found one dharamsala near main market there.
Its spacious enough to park more than 5 buses in the parking area.
As
a city we experienced little unfriendly for visitors there and all are
in the verge of earning money only. Anyway we had our dinner went for
bed around 10 pm as we have to cover 450 km next day.
Day5:
Bikaner to Noida
Woke
up early and started saddling up after taking bath. After taking tea we
started for Delhi and thought of having breakfast in the outskirt of
Bikaner. After driving around 100km we had our breakfast, the famous
kachori and samosha there. In the way we saw a narrow road going towards
a village and its white sand. We thought of entering into that road.
After half km we saw big white sand ground near by a small lake with
lots of hibernating birds.
After
little shooting and exploring the near by area we left for delhi. We
had our lunch in a dhaba in the NH11 side. As in all trip the last
100-200 km is very much tiring, it always feels why its not finishing
after this many time. Finally reached home around night 10 pm and here
end of another bike trip of around 2000 km long. We gathered lots of joy, happiness, good/bad memory, being welcomed, being cheated and many things.
Till the next one, drive safe, wear helmet/seat belt, don't mix drink with drive and drive in lane.
Regards,
Sameer Prakash Pradhan.
Indeed a very nice trip Sameer with loads of fun and masti. Your blog is really wonderful. Try to add some safety precautions as you mentioned " the torch thing". Try adding some locals stuff and culture.. Wish you good luck for your next trip. Waiting for it..
ReplyDeleteThank you...
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