DAY 21, RANTHAMBHORE TO OAT CAMP

VILLAGE SCHOOL

We visited Adarsh Vidya Mandir
And met its superintender.
Students were being tested.
OAT has in this school invested
To augment its budget slender.


THE SAINIS' HOME

For us it was truly dandy
To visit the home of Narayan Saini
And there be privileged to
Learn how Indian folks make do
Who are no wise blessed with plenty.


DASTKARI KENDRA

To the park right next door
At Daskar Ranthambhore,
We made a short stop
So that we could shop.
It's a coop crafts and textile store.


LUNCH

Somewhere far from any town
In a colorful tent we chowed down.
Contrary to my surmising,
The John was right surprising.
'Twas just like downtown!


CAMELS

Farmers with camels happily abide.
Their value cannot be denied.
Working camels are males.
This rule never fails.
Females are herded through the countryside.


CHAND BAORI

Because he thought he oughta,
A ruler made a step well for water.
If you're fit and able,
Walk down to the water table.
If not, then send your daughter.


CAMPING

To the farms convenient,
We're sleeping in a tent
On a bed and not a cot.
Though roughing it this is not,
It wouldn't do for permanent.


CAMEL RIDE

We went riding on some camels,
And past farmers' huts they ambled.
This I can say for sure:
These folks are very poor
And by birth control untrammeled.


CULTURE SHOW

A culture show we watched then.
Performers there were ten
Who afforded us the chance
To enjoy their song and dance,
All local farming men.


We set out at 8 AM on a journey of about 155 KM to the OAT Camp near the village of Abhaneri and arrived about 4 PM.

First off, near Ranthambhore National Park, we visited the village of Ram Singh Pura, its school of Adarsh Vidya Mandir, and the home of one of the families there – that of Narayan Saini.

We next shopped at Dastkari Kendra, a shop near the park operated as a cooperative by women who come together and do their crafts while their men are off at work. They've been in business for 20 years and are the result of an effort by people displaced by the park to make new lives for themselves.

We drove over some very crowded, chaotic, bumpy country roads and finally arrived late in the afternoon at the OAT camp about at mile from the village of Abhanera.

Arriving in the village, before going to the camp, we visited the step well of Chand Baori and its adjoining temple, built circa 1100 AD. The impressive step well was much more than I expected. It is approximately 30 meters square with many steps progressing toward its center. It's about 70 feet down to the algae-covered water, which is about 20 feet deep.

At about 6 PM we had a camel ride from camp of about 1-1/2 miles past farm homes. These are one-hump camels. The saddle is such that you sit behind the hump. Each camel was led by a walking driver. The “road” was a sandy trail barely wide enough for a car and probably only very rarely saw a car but routinely saw camel carts and motorcycles. Sometimes it was less than that – barely a sandy walking trail. This is certainly a far different world than the one we know. Yet the people are not starving. They were very friendly. There were hoards of children.

In camp, before dinner, we had a little (very amateur) game of cricket.

In camp in the evening, after dinner in the dining tent, we were entertained by ten men – local farmers, not professionals. They sang and danced and played a large (nagada) and a small (dholak) drum and cymbals. Som explained that the dances told mythical stories from Hinduism. At the end we all joined them in the dancing.

After dinner some of us took a moonlight walk back to the step well.

Bernie :-)