TIMEZONE 7 - INDIA

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Camel Trek - Part II

December 27, 1998

It was pretty cold that first night, but our sleeping bags and covered camel cart kept us warm enough to sleep. Breakfast consisted of bread, jam, fruit and chai (milk tea). After we ate, we set out. The dunes rapidly gave way to the more arid desert grass, brush, and even some farms (more pipe dreams than productive realities). After an hour and a half we stopped for more chai, and switched from camel back to cart riding. We shed most of our clothes again, and Mike began wearing a traditional Indian wrap around skirt for men called a 'lungi'. For lunch we had spicy vegetable curry and chapati - the exact same thing as the day before. We had a feeling this would be our daily lunch until 1999, and it was.

While we were having our after-lunch chai, a jeep with seven men in it pulled up. It was then, as thoughts of violent death, kidnapping, brainwashing, buggery, and other horrid scenarios such as our mothers might conjure up, that we understood once again how far in the middle of nowhere we were. We also second guessed our Chris McChandlisesque decision not to tell anyone other than the hotel manager in Bikaner, Sadat, where we were going. The men just gaped at us, laughed at our white skin, had some tea and cigarettes, and then jumped back into their jeep and tore off in a cloud of dust like sands borne away in a gusty sirocco. For the rest of the day we kept thinking they would pull up at any moment with their machine guns and blast us. But they never did.

After lunch, because of aching loins, Jeff and Josh walked. Marc continued to ride a camel, and Mike took a nap laying atop the camel feed in the back of a cart. We pulled into our second camp site early, and went out to gather a plentiful supply of wood (twigs) for the night's bonfire.

Before we left on the trek, Vino told us there would be four crew members: 1 guide, 1 cook, 1 camel man and 1 assistant. Three were with us from the beginning, and the fourth was planning to meet us on the second day. The sun set on the second day, and still no number four. We began to think he wouldn't show. During dinner, a man strolled quietly into camp, and sat down. Since this occurrence was by no means out of the ordinary - random Indians are constantly entering and exiting our lives - we thought nothing of it. After some time, Amar informed us that this man sitting at our fire was no average man from a nearby town. No, this man was Moodly, father of five at the youthful age of 35, owner of two of the camels, and none other than the, by now fabled, missing camel man. After introductions, Moodly proceeded to take charge of the camel situation. We could tell by the tone of Moodly's voice that he was somewhat annoyed at the care that had been given (or not been given) to his camels by Jagdeesh and Gopal. He had Jagdeesh bring him a handful of the camel feed, which he scornfully inspected, picking out a few twigs, sifting the feed through his fingers, and finally dumping the rubbish on the ground. Not understanding what he said we put English words into his mouth, that went something like this:

Moodly: "Gopal! Jagdeesh! You fools! What is this crappy food you've been feeding my camels?! There are sticks of wood everywhere!"

We asked Amar what was the problem was with the camel food. Amar told us that the camel feed was great quality and said Moodly was wondering if he could get more back home for his other camels.

One particular item, which lent no small amount of consternation and bewilderment to our nightly discussions, was the question of how this trek had been put together. Who exactly were all these dudes, and what exactly were their roles? Why did we need four of them? We figured that, in the States, this trek would probably have one guide and one assistant, but because of India's overpopulation, unemployment, and slave labor wages, it was not only possible to employ one man for each tourist, it was necessary.

We should interject here with one quick note: as you will see in camel trek story IV, our constant conjecturing eventually leads to some unfortunate misunderstandings within our little party of desert travelers.

After the crew went to sleep, the four of us stoked up the fire, and sat around soaking up the silence of the desert while watching the stars glow and flicker. We talked about how bizarre it was to move from dodging traffic and cattle in the terribly overcrowded, polluted metropolis of Delhi to sitting around a camp fire in the middle of the desert with no one around for miles and miles.

Recipe for every meal we ate (except breakfast): (For those who have time and are willing, give it a shot, it may take a few times to get the seasoning down, but its worth it!)

Note: feeds 8 healthy eaters

In a bowl, combine these elements to make the "masala" mix:
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
1/8 cup turmeric
1 cup coriander

Mix with water to a thick soupy consistency.

In separate bowl combine:
cubed (cut up) potatoes
cut up cauliflower
cabbage (or any other vegetables you want)

In a big pot sauté':
1 tablespoon oil
several garlic cloves
1 cup chopped up green chilies (this is for the kick factor, and should be adjusted according to palette)
After 5 minutes add 1/8 cup cumin and the masala mix

Fill the big pot, containing aforementioned sautéed items and masala mix, with enough water to cover the aforementioned vegetables. Bring to a near boil then add vegetables. Veggies should be 97% submerged in the masala/water mix. Simmer over medium heat (small camp fire if possible) until potatoes are cooked.

To make dal (lentil dish):
cook lentils first, and set them aside.
Follow above directions substituting lentils for vegetables.