Our camel trek was amazing, easily the best days in India so far...although not necessarily the most comfortable! Camels are hilarious, from the little tuft of blond hair between their ears to the natural upturned curve of their mouths and their bizarre bendy legs that seem to contort strangely as they sit down and stand up! We spent two days out in the desert with a company owned by the instantly identifiable Mr Desert, a truck-driver-turned-Rajastani-model-and-movie-star who now runs tours, and didn't see another tourist for the whole two days. Camel saddles certainly took a little getting used to along with the plodding movement of the camels and the long lunch breaks were much appreciated! Each day we'd stop in the shade and our guide Bengali would cook us up a feast from scratch on a hand-built fire and metal plate. We all tried our hand at making chapatis and the food inevitably tasted slightly sandy...but was still delicious. Our night was spent sleeping under the starriest sky in the world and was defintiely a memorable experience. And the trek, throughout which temperatures had settled at around forty degrees (!) finished with an impressive thunder storm! Huge black clouds came over almost instantly and we were hurried to take the camels to the high ground - the reason for which soon became clear when the place we had just been standing flooded almost to a lake in minutes! - and we all sheltered under a large plastic sheet until most of it had passed.

Jaisalmer fort itself was pretty impressive and the views from the top over the lit up city that evening were spectacular, tiny pinpoints of light in the distance the headlamps of cars moving across an invisible road. And a shower and cold drink much appreciated! This together with the eventful purchases of a whole array of beautiful leather bags made for an exciting few days.

Since we've moved on to Jodphur, the blue city and another impressive fort set high on the cliffs above the town, commanding stunning views of the winding streets below. And then by a bumpy ride in a non-air-conditioned overnight bus to Udaipur, India's most romantic city! We spent the day exploring the City Palace and last night ate dinner as the only non-Indian faces in a local retaurant, serving up all you can eat Thali - mixed Indian dishes - for only 70 rupees (about a pound!). Food was piled on our plates almost as instantly as we could eat it, easily the most efficient thing I've seen in India so far! We're off for cooking classes this afternoon then looking forward to Bundi in a few days time!