Perfection

The Thar Desert

Have you ever considered the perfection of a camel's hoof?  I am at the most proximal end of these soft  undulating forms.  They carry me through the Thar Desert with perfect ease.  They are symbiotic with this ancient landscape.  They fold and change shape just like the dunes that surround us.

I look ahead at Kharu who leads us through the golden waves.  He sits with both legs slung to one side.  He is less fascinated with my camel's hooves. His small frame rises and descends with his vehicle.  I am pretty certain he lost consciousness for a while.  Despite the extreme heat, he is wrapped in heavy dark clothing and has on a pair of very smart black leather shoes.  I wonder if he wears those same shoes when he takes his wife dancing.  

We stop for a while and my camel whose name is Buffalo lets me climb down allowing my gluteals a small respite. 

I sink my feet into the sand.  Pure luxury.  Despite my slightly bruised gluteals, I was feeling both extremely strong and strangely vulnerable.  The sun was 40 degrees.  Anyone who knows me, knows I love the sun, but this is an inferno.  My water bottle has become an additional appendage.  

Kharu takes my camera and begins a desert shoot that is comical.  With the camera in one hand he uses his other hand to keep the dry wind from lifting his skirt.  Priceless.  

It was late afternoon when we arrived to find Bhajray preparing a meal.  Best meal in India yet.  Cooked over an open fire.  Veg and dhal and rice.  Perfection, like the hooves of a camel.

Watched the sun set and was feeling very grateful for the day.  Listened to my desert friends'quiet conversation as they washed the dishes, fed the camels and set up my little room under the stars.  A simple cot placed in the sand under the massive starry sky.  Perfection,  just like the hooves of a camel.