This trip can be rated as the most unplanned yet the most thrilling trip i have ever made...The very idea of this trip was mooted by two of my juniors.They wanted me 2 plan something for 2 days of holiday that we got for pongal..I was not prepared for roaming at the very beginning of the sem..but those guys gave nice reasons 2 tempt me into the trip..since there were no tests round the corner..i decided to take 2 days off..It was saturday evening when those guys approached me...i thought it was too late 2 start on a trip and be back in the insti by tuesday(monday was a holiday)..i decided the destination as jaisalmer and sam sand dunes(750kms away from pilani)..we enquired the bus timings in the bus stand..and we decided 2 start at 10pm.since there is no direct bus from pilani to jaisalmer ..we decided 2 go via bikaner...but the bus 2 bikaner was only at 0230am..so we thought of catching the 0030 bus from rajgarh(42kms frm pilani)...we got a bolero for 25bucks per head 2 pilani..was a damn cheap offer..w
e reached rajgarh at around 11pm...we were told that a state transport bus from haridwar would arrive at 0030..so we were waiting at a nearby tea stall patiently..unfortunately the bus int turn up and we became bit restless..hours went by..still we were unsuccesful..at around 0230am we even decied 2 go bak 2 pilani thinking that uplanned trips wont do any good..but due to some pestering by one of the juniors we hanged on for a while..finally our prayers were answered..there arrived a crowded private bus to bikaner..we thrusted ourselves into the bus only to find a place in the aisle..the 3 of us sat on the aisle flooring one behind the other..the bus was packed 2:1 ratio..The environment was awful but we had 2 manage and we did !..we got to sit on proper seats only at around 0530am..the 100 rupee journey was pathetic and forgettable...since the sli
ding window got stuck ,freeing cold wind was killing me as we were approaching the desert city of bikaner...we finally made it to bikaner at 0750am...we took an auto to the bus stand from wer we could take the jaisalmer bus..at the bus stand we were wrongly guided by a travels employee..he informed us that jaisalmer is a 9hr drive from bikaner !!!now since i had to attend a lab compulsorily on tuesday morning i was initially hesitant to veture out that far fearing that i would not be able 2 make it back on time..also a 9hr drive would mean that we would be missing out the sunset at the sand dunes(45kms from jaisalmer)..we were left with the alternative plan of going 2 jodhpur(5hrs drive)...but since we had started the trip thinking of the sand dunes hence we thought we should make it there, come what may ! So we took the 9hr bus 2 jaisalmer..after an hour's jrny we came to know that the direct bus 2 jaisalmer takes only 6hrs and that we had boarded the village bus which would cover in and out of the thar desert belt and slowly reach jaisalmer..we felt very bad and cheated by that travels guy...but we got a nice opportunity to view the interiors of thar desert which oherwise wouldnt have been possible...the 9hrs through the desert circuit was memorable..we had lunch at a dhaba...the 20 rupee lunch was amazing..the guy was very generous..the best p
art was the curd..yummm..was like ice cream !...We then left the place to travel through the desert sands of rajasthan...we took few snaps...the highway was brilliant and well maintained..the pitch dark asphalt was in contrast with the yellow landscape but very soon we had 2 break away from the highway because we had 2 travel through the villages !there was a small ten minute stop at a place called Nachna...w
e go some mineral water here..finally after a day long journey through the baren land..we sighted the Jaisalmer WindMills...they are more than 400 in number...i remember reading somewhere that aishwarya rai and sachin tendulkar have invested close to 9 crores each in setting up few of the windmills..i was just recollecting them as our bus made its way into jaisalmer city...we were received by two touts at the bus stand..since we got a cheap offer of 120bucks for a 3 bed acco..we chose that ..The room was pretty decent..it had a Tv also !!!!It was 1830hrs..so we decided 2 roam the city in the eveing and make it SAM sand dunes the next morning...we booked a Sumo for the next morning after loads of negotiations..We were approached by a auto driver who claimed 2 be a tourist guide..he charged us 50 bucks for a quick trip aroud the city..we went to Gadisar lake..the lighting was pleasi
ng to the eyes..we then went to a temple nearby and later to the famous Jaigarh Fort..Since it was around 8 in the night..most of the entries were closed..so we decided 2 return back 2 the room..on our way back we sighted a few havelis from outside..we had nice south indian food at Riddhi Sidhi Hotel..We also purchased a few local coolers at a nearby mela !After a long tiring day..we got some nice sleep under the blankets...we set our alarm clocks @5am..our plan was to capture the sunrise in the sand dunes..but we were told that since jaisalmer is in the west and it was winter also..hence sunrise was only @ 0730 !!!!..We got up and after the morning rituals..left the hotel at around 0550...it was a nice 45minute drive to the Sam village(45kms away)..Our cab driver gave us some distorted facts regarding the camel ride costs and eventually convinced us in shelling out 400 bucks for 3 of us..We stopped in between at a Desert Resort for some so called "Tea"!Must have bee made from camel milk !!! it was yucky !!The sky was so stary that it reminded me of "yeh tara woh tara" song from swades..u dont get to see so many stars from a city..thanks to light pollution!It was around 7 am..we had 2 camels waiting for us..It was so cold that my body went numb..it was similar to the Rohtang Pass experience sans snow and sans altitude..Now came the Camel ride experience..when u are on the camel's back and it gets up..there is one feeling which cant be written or explained but needs 2 be experienced !!!!!I was a bit nervous after the initial jerk but then it became quite easy to manage..I tried to test my skills with the cam but th
e shaky journey prevented me from doing anything worthwhile with cam..I saw pure smooth sand dunes for the first time in my life !!! It was getting bright..The ship of the desert was sailing us swiftly deep into the sands..after about 15mins we got down from the camel( gettin down from a camel is also an exhilarating experience)..we were ready to capture the sunrise..That happened at around 0730am...We took snaps of the sun lifting from the silky sand dunes...we jumped and rolled al
l around with joy..we spent close to 2hrs on the sands..the sand dune experience would definitely add to the finest of things i have ever enjoyed in life.. It was time for us to get back to the car and head back to jaisalmer..by the time we reach
ed jaisalmer it was almost 1000am..we refreshed ourselves i the hotel room and had a quick brunch ..We had our bus to bikaner(thankfully the direct 6hr bus !!) @ 1400hrs..so we had 3hrs at our disposal..we decided 2 explore the fort thoroughly...we walked all the way..we visited the jain temples located inside the fort complex..took loads of pics inside..the architecture was brilliant and amazing...We then entered the private complex of the Maharaja family(they live in it even today)..we had to pay an entrance fee of 30 bucks per head..It was very well maintained and neatly organised inside..We had a glimpse of the raja's attire and the palanquins used in the olden days..There were beautifully decorated artfacts inside..We finally made our way to the highest point of jaisalmer..The Royal flag was flying high...after posing for a few pics we
quickly left the place headed towards the bus stand...We purchased few eatables onn the way..We finally boarded the semi deluxe bus..we got a reserved seat atlast !!(we had booked the tkt the day previous night)The six hour journey was very peaceful and comfortable,..on the way was Pokhran,the site of India's nuclear test programme...We finally zoomed into bikaner by 2030.
.We missed the 8pm bus to pilani !!!We were directed by few men that we need 2 proceed via Sikar..so we purchased 3tkts to Sikar(220kms from bikaner on Jaipur route)..the bus was at 2130 only..so we had some nice hot aloo parathas with butter in a dhaba...As we reached Sikar at around 2am..we immediatel got a govt bus 2 jhunjhunu(40kms from pilani)..reached jhunjhunu at arnd 0330am..we had to wait for around 1hr to get a bus to pilani..we finally got one at 0445...by 0530 we were back on the insti soil and thus our eventful two day sudden trip came to an end..
