A Desert Night in Jaisalmer

The sun has gone down behind the sand dunes. Far away, the old fort of Jaisalmer glows golden in the last light. Then, slowly, the gold fades.

We are sitting on the sand, on a soft quilt. The day was hot. But now the desert is cooling down. Let us feel it... the air turns gentle... the sand turns cool.

Let us slide our fingers into the sand... It is soft and fine, like flour. Cool on top. Still a little warm, deep down.

Slow... slow... the desert goes to sleep.

Not far from us, the camels are resting. They fold their long legs and kneel on the sand. One by one, they settle down. Their bells ring softly as they move. Ting... ting... ting...

An old camel man brings them water. He pats their necks with love. He hums an old desert tune. The camels drink slowly. Then they close their eyes, with their long, soft lashes.

Ting... ting... the bells grow quieter.

Slow... slow... the desert goes to sleep.

Now let us look up. Oh... the sky! There are no city lights here. Nothing hides the stars. They come out one by one... then by the hundreds... then too many to count.

A soft, milky river of stars flows across the sky. Some stars are bright and white. Some are tiny and twinkly. Some look a little blue, some a little gold.

A gentle wind moves over the dunes. Shhh... It draws soft lines on the sand. It touches our cheeks, cool and kind.

Let us lie back on the quilt... and breathe in... and breathe out... The sand holds us. The sky covers us like a big, starry blanket.

At first, the desert felt so big and empty. So much sand. So far from home. But now I see, we are not alone at all. The camels are near. The wind is near. And above us, thousands of little lights are shining.

So much sand below... and so much light above.

Slow... slow... the desert goes to sleep.

One camel bell rings once more. Ting... Then all is still. The night is cool. The stars keep shining. And we rest here, slow and soft, under the great, wide sky.