> Camel Trek to Remote Village
After getting settled in at our camp we set out on an trek to a remote Indian village by camel. I believe the village we trekked to was Udam el Kabas and located in the mountains. The experience starts when you mount your camel. Once in the saddle you lean forward as the camel raises with his back legs. Then you lean back as he raises with his front legs. Once in the air it is like riding a horse. Of course dismounting is similar but in reverse.
Let me explain about the homemade truck you see in these pictures. The truck with the strange engine is a locally made product called a Jugaad.
A Jugaad truck can be made for less than US $2000. They are known for having poor brakes and cannot go beyond 36 mph. They are powered by a diesel engine which is supposed to be used for running agricultural pumps. The brakes of these vehicles very often fail and one of the passengers jumps down and applies a manual wooden block as a brake. These vehicles are not registered with the Regional Transport Office and do not have a vehicle registration plate. They do not pay any road tax. Later in our trip we actually rode in a Jugaad (see slideshow Abhaneri to Agra.)
In the Camel Trek to Remote Village slide show there is a picture of the engine in a Jugaad truck (India_4387) and some pictures of the engine as it was meant to be used to pump water (India_4413, India_4413 and India_4461.)
> Umaid Lake Palace Folklore Show
Next to the camp ground were some horses that made for some nice pictures. At night some local musicians entertained us with music and dancing..
On the road again. Every day brings another discovery. Today we saw a peacock (male) doing a mating dance to impress a peahen (female.) A farmer plowing his field with two oxen. We stopped at a local potter whose business is to make small clay cups used in religious ceremonies. He gets the clay locally and sells the cups for a few pennies each.
Abhaneri
Abhaneri village is located 95 km from Jaipur, on the Jaipur-Agra road. in the Dausa district of Rajasthan. Abhaneri was originally named Abha Nagri, which means the city of brightness, but due to mispronunciation, it was changed to Abhaneri. Abhaneri is known for its step wells. Step wells are the unique concept of India. These big tanks were used as cool places of resort and water reservoir in parched days.
Amongst the step wells, <Chand Baori > is the most popular. This colossal step well is located in front of the Harshat Mata Temple. Dedicated to Harshat Mata the <Harshat Mata temple> is considered to be the goddess of joy and happiness. The goddess is always cheerful, and she imparts her joy and happiness to the whole village. The temple is built in medieval architecture. Chand Baori is one of India's deepest and largest step wells. It is a ritual to wash hands and feet before visiting the temple.
- Northern