OFF THE BEAT

Toward the end of our stay in Jaisalmer, Kate, Adam and I took an awesome camel trek through the Thar Desert. Our guides took us to some sand dunes to watch the sunset. It was probably the most touristy thing we did but it was definitely fun. We spotted a couple dozen other camel trekkers also heading out to watch the desert sunset. Pants–not shorts–are highly recommended.

Kate steps through a dark corridor at the Jaisalmer fort museum in Jaisalmer, India.

Even for cattle. Nandu is a regular guest at the Royale hotel in Jaisalmer. He licked my leg as I was exiting the hotel.

Staying at a place in Jaisalmer that shares the name of one of my favorite bars in St. Louis was a comforting way to travel. The hotel was called The Royale.  No vodka gimlets here, as far as I could tell, but there were plenty of other treats.

Lovers of the paan. Or just lovers? Where’s that guy’s hand going?

Spotted this shop in Jaisalmer, India. Lots of English words are spelled phonetically throughout India. This pair, of course, stood out for obvious reasons.

We sat next to a couple and their two children on a bus ride from to Fatehpur Sikri, India. The mother covered her face every time an Indian man walked toward the rear of the bus, where we were sitting. However, the woman left her face uncovered around westerners. Their kids were adorable.