2/9/06: Sunny Rise Yog and Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer Mucho

We awoke at dawn to see the sands light up with the morning sol, and to practice 20 minutes of yog (the “a” is anglicized) breathing, led by our multi-talented fearless leader, Suryaveer. Sunny did not join us for breakfast, because Thursday is his weekly fast day. A quick Range Rover ride back to the bus was followed by a smooth 3-hour trip to our hotel in Jaisalmer, a newly constructed sandstone palace, quite elegant in design and appearance, although a bit crude in cuisine, service, and comfort. We relaxed by the pool, then got back on the bus to visit Sam Sal. Once again, our trek required us to get over the hump, this time aboard heffalumps named Michael Jackson, for the 40-minute jostle up to the beautiful, but not-too-intimate dunes. We, along with hundreds of other butt-sore tourists were serenaded by local musicians and dancers, had our skin sand-blasted by desert winds, and enjoyed the ochre hues and long shadows cast by the setting sun. Mercifully, the camel-gallop back to the bus lasted but 10 minutes, and Rick’s future sex life was rescued by Susie’s word of wisdom, “Relax.” We continued to heed this advice, showering and leisurely eating our way through the hotel’s barbeque dinner, before calling it a night after another day full of new, exciting experiences.