Desert Mar 7

To the Desert (Mar 7)

At 8:00 am we load the 10 suitcases on top of the van and head south to the Cholistan Desert. The camp party had left the day earlier to setup and we were destined to arrive at sunset of that evening. Our driver, Maneer did an excellent job at dodging the procession of trucks on route. En route we stopped in Multan so Aisha could see if she could find the famous blue and white Multan tiles. We stopped near a downtown market and further into a tomb like store from which we could purchase the wares of Multan. Unfortunately we could on by pots and cups - the tiles seemed to be reserved only for the walls of the nearby buildings. After a haggle with a gem seller over some unpolished rubies and emeralds we boarded the van further south. We headed further south and then east 40km into the Cholistan Desert. The desert in this area is not Sahara like but scruby with some 30' dunes. As we neared the camp we say in the distance the Derawar Fort and 400 year old structure of the Abasssi family. Near the fort are some beautiful tombs and and the local village. Of course every pocket of the country has a 10x10 village store with pop, snacks and cigs.Our camp was already setup - Cooking/sleeping tent for the crew. Small tent for the guide. Eating tent and three sleeping tents. We stowed the carrying-on luggage and were shortly served an excellent dinner of soup, roti, meat, desert - excellent cook - very Raj style - it made us feel rather British!!. As our dinner came to an end a camp fire was built and a local trio of villagers with drum and 2 stringed instrument began to sing and dance local Choli and Punjabi song. The boys and I joined in the dance - quite the cultural meld. The desert , the song, the wind. - we will get to the wind later!! The boys in one tent and the girls in another we crashed to sleep. In the morning breakfast was served - Raj style again. In the morning the wind had picked up and , at times, great clouds of sand and dust would fill our teeth with grit. After lunch they had brought 3 fully dressed camels for a desert safari. Aisha did not think she and the camel would do well so she took the picture and passed on the ride. Amir and myself, Khalil and Hanna and our guide Ahmed mounted the 3 camels and headed away from camp towards the dunes. We spend about 3 hours with the camels, first traveling away from camp then continuing in a circle again over the dunes. A got to 'steer' the camels but when we were 'driving' they seemed to take the opportunity to eat the brushes rather then get on with the moving. My butt was sore so I walked ahead back to the camp. Me and the desert looming Derawar Fort coming closer back into view. Sweet!!! After lunch we played cricket with the local Choli. After a rest we took the walk to the tombs and Derawar Fort itself for a history lesson and a drink and a wash on the sand at the Mosque's open well.As evening appoached the wind had returned and and as we were eating dinner a lite rain fell. Our eating tent was slapping well in the gale and Khalil was concerned that it might blow over - 'It's OK Khalil - this is a strong tent' I said, calming him that all was well. Mean while I went to check the tents. The third tent that I had emptied, with the busted zipper had caught the wind and had started to pull from the ground. I shouted back (in the dark) to the crew - who rushed to help be grab the tent as it moved by. We had finished tearing down that tent when a blue flashing light came from the other tent - It was also coming undone. In the meantime the kids had retreated to the van and were witnessing the destruction by wind and man of our camp. After the second sleeping tent had come down the eating tent was at it's last peg. This was hard to dismantle as the gale++ wind and sand pushed west. With all our stuff back in the van and half the camp flattened I had to say that Khalil was correct about the wind. One of the sleeping tents was still standing and suggestions were made about the 6 of us sleep therein. I new that Hanna would have nothing to do with this so we needed a plan B. A local villager would had helped us at camp, Mugkthar, offered that we could sleep at his house. We loader the sleeping pads and bags over top of the distressed children and drove to the village, 2min, His room was a stone floor and walls beautifully decoracted with metal pots and chine teacups. Warm, dry and sprawled with cots for our pleasure. Within 20min all were cozy and warm in bed away from the storm. Breakfast would be served at 4:00 am for our long drive further south tommorrow. Certainly a full featured desert experience!!After we left in the morning we debated the stop in Moenjo Daro. We figured that we were dirty enough and tired enough that we could bypass the ruins - it had also started light rain and we didn't need any more mud. The Pakistani mud and rain had turned the van black with a creasy mud. We determined we would drive straight through to Karachi. 16 hours later and 1 oil change we arrived in Karachi. We brought our dirty faces and bodies into the warmth of our familes home in Karachi. Kids shortly to bed and I and Aisha with hot showers to sooth us t o bed. We will spend the next 2 weeks in Karachi - laying low - going to markets - minor adventured only. We shall see.