“Life In The Desert” our Jamba Village Tour. Mike, 12/28

Camels On Parade in Jodhpur

The Original Farmers Market

We departed the comfort of the houseboat and landed in the Rajasthan city of Jodhpur to make our trek to the desert region of Jamba. This is a DRAMATIC contrast to our tropical local in Kerala. During the winter the deserts of the Northwest are wonderfully temperate during the day with sun and modest winds keeping us comfortable, but at night it gets FRIGID with jackets, gloves, hats and warm tea a must!

Daybreak Over The Rajasthan Desert

Jamba-Ji Temple Priest

Our first day started with a sunrise wakeup call and a long day planned touring local families and villages of the Bishnoi people who have populated this region of Western Rajasthan for as long as anyone can remember. In the 15^th century a Hindu Guru known as Jamba-Ji unified these people and they still carry out their lives and traditions relatively unchanged with the exception the ever-present cell phone replacing previous bronze-age methods of communication. Our fist stop was to see the newly built temple dedicated to Jamba-Ji which will take a total of 10 years to build with hand chiseled stone.

While these people are joined by their connection to Jamba-Ji, they collectively form a community that is divided into small nuclear groups of families dedicate their craft handed down from generation to generation to earn income and contribute to the greater whole. The first group was a small family of cobblers with nothing more than a stick and mud hut attached to a newly built brick and mortar two room building to house this 6 person family. Their handwork was amazing and to say that these shoes are hand made is an understatement!

Stuck Yet Again

Trading Gifts With Locals

We traveled (sometimes very slowly) in deepening desert sands to see more local people and I had to marvel at how spontaneously children can play with one another even when language and world are so far apart. Luke was quick to gain lots of local friends and tried his hand at using their toys with his own iTouch far from thought. Our group was soon jumping and running in the sand dunes along at least 15 other local children who ran from huts a half mile away. We shared some pens and bracelets with them as they showed us how to jump, run, and properly use a sand dune as a playground.

Luke Playing With Locals

Cate Making Mommy Friends

Not A Cuisinart! 

Grandma, Daugher, and Grandkids

The next village looked to be out of a Disney movie set. It was immaculate with grounds and huts that seemed staged by Martha Stuart. It was explained to us that this family of 3 generations were camel herders by trade and the men (not there during the day) were managing their herd while we visited. The women were making flour from millet gathered from the local scrub and ground with a stone wheel that had been used for centuries. The children and women were amazingly happy and ever so beautiful in their traditional dresses. This was NOT staged…this is how they live each day just as so many families before them have lived. We will meet the men and camels later that afternoon.

Loom In Process

Who Can Resist?

The final visit of the day was with a weaver family who make detailed carpets, shawls, and prayer mats out of cotton and camel hair. Again, the village and huts were immaculate made from hardened mud, dung, and grasses from the region decorated with their own artwork. The family dedicated their time to weaving rugs that are then taken into Jadhpur to be sold at market or perhaps a local Pier1 Imports near you! We couldn’t help but bargain for a few to take home with us.

Carpets At Direct To You Prices! 

How Cute Is He!

Evening Water Run

Wally Farm Jamba Style

Christmas On The Houseboat. By Cami, 12/26

The houseboat was an amazing part of this trip. When we got there we were greeted by all of the welcoming staff. The boat itself looked like a little water bug the way it floated on the water, it was put together without a single nail and was tied together with rope and coconut pitch. Each room had a beautiful old-fashioned door taken salvaged from old homes. There were nine rooms all with their own bathroom.

Visiting A Local Village

Every meal was amazing food that made us very full. In the afternoons we would go on walks through the small villages and talked to the villagers who had surprisingly good English. All of the children were adorable with their big eyes and little noses. Most times we would give out small gifts, but once one was out we would get a swarm of all the village children coming over saying “Pen? Pen? One pen?” It was like the seagulls in Finding Nemo.

Handing Out Gifts To Our New Friends!

Relaxing On The Upper Deck

The first day we got on the boat we ate lunch on the upper deck and then we went downstairs to find our rooms. We would stop the boat and got off and took a walk in one of the villages. As we walked mom always said, “hi” to every person there, talking the same way she does to all of our animals with a high-pitched voice and simple words. The village were amazing with all different colors and welcoming people; everyone was so nice to us. We finished our walk and then went back to the boat and relaxed until dinner.  

On Christmas Eve we got firecrackers and other explosive things and set them off on land over the water along with every other family in the villages surrounding the boat. The sky was full of fireworks and sparkling lights. It was the most fun Christmas I have ever had.  The next morning we woke up to stockings and newspaper wrapped presents under our little travel size Christmas tree and then sat outside and enjoyed the hot weather. I never thought that hot weather and Christmas would ever be used in the same sentence before but I guess there’s a first for everything. We then drifted along the river and watched the small houses and water plants float by.

Christmas Day Outfits

Catholic Church In Kerala Backwaters

After relaxing we went for a walk in another village where we went into a Catholic church, which was breathtaking. The ceiling had intricate drawings of angels and Jesus in beautiful colors. Around the side of the church there was a graveyard, instead of gray boring tombstones that we use they had many multi-colored crosses over each grave. Since the graveyard was so small not every body could fit so they would eventually dig up the bones of people who had been their a while and placed them in the corner of the graveyard under a large cross and another body from that family would be put in that spot. That night we had Christmas dinner, which consisted of GIANT shrimp like things that we had bought at a small store along the river that we stopped. We asked for candles to put on the table but that must have gotten lost in translation because we ended up with the lights being covered by orange napkins and not to mention the little bugs flying around that would once in a while get stuck in your food, a few times I found myself questioning weather or not their was a piece of pepper in my food.

Shopping Excursion For Christmas Dinner..fresh Fish Perhaps?

Leaving The Boat For The Next Adventure

The next day was our fourth and last morning on the boat; it had been an amazing time. We stopped off in one last village and unloaded our bags and the staff carried it over to the bus. We then had to say goodbye to the boat and all of our wonderful staff, I will miss this boat and everyone on it. I just want to thank Sanjay Saxena and everyone else with Destination Himalaya. More to come!

-Cami    

Sunset On The River. Christmas Day! 

At The Resort! By Luke, 12/23

Cochin Airport At Last!!

After going on a LONG day of traveling we finally got to a fly on a “good” Air India plane with lots of actually good movies. The next plane on IndiGo was very boring except that I was with my friends. We got to the Cochin airport only to have to take another 3 HOUR bumpy bus ride and my head was soaked by the water from the air conditioning above me.

The COOLEST Pool In The World!!

As soon as we got to the resort hotel we were given fresh coconuts to drink from and Mom and Hollie were already there. For dinner I had a lobster pizza which was VERY good. After that me and my friend Seth went to the half mile long pool that was RIGHT in front of our hotel room door. As me and Seth were getting into the pool the lights were turned off because it was after 10:00, but we still went swimming.

Making A Reed Mat With Seth

Luke Lands A Big One
The next day we had lots of fun doing pottery and matt weaving. Later we found out that you could go fishing in the little river that was in the resort and I was the first one to catch a fish. It was especially fun to be at the resort with my two friends Seth and Arjun!

Luke Teaching Numbers To The Locals

On one of the days at the resort we went on a small boat to visit the school that Mom and my sister were volunteering at before we came. Everyone was very excited to see me, Seth, and Arjun because we were the first American boys their same age that they had ever met. I helped them learn numbers in their class that was the same age as me. Their school was very poor and they can only afford one room and each grade is separated by a cardboard wall. They did not have many books to teach with and we had a hard time finding chalk to write on the boards with.

Traveling On Kerala Boat To The School

Riding Fast!

After staying at the hotel for four days we had to leave but we got to go on a speedboat instead of the bumpy roads. I liked it a LOT and Seth and I sat in the very front. When we got to the other side of the lake we went to a school for children that are mentally retarded (editors note: their words) that helps them learn very simple things and to be able to better live with their families. After this we got on another bus to take us to our Houseboat! 

Very Special School In Kerala