Little Rann is a vast salt
plain in the middle of (my now beloved) Gujarat which is the only home of the Indian
Wild Ass or Khur. These ancient equines
live like Zebra on the fascinating 5000 square kilometer Rann keeping company with
flamingos and wild cows! Yes the Indian
Nilgai (formerly known on this blog as the “wild cow”) resides here in great
number and I have photographed the female of the species especially for Danny (who
would love it here and take better photos!) and of course ...Mica the Finn!
Around the fringes of the
not-so-Little Rann are fascinating largely livestock-herding villages where we were
welcomed in to homes for chai, smiled a lot and dropped in on what I believe
was a hair-cutting ceremony for a small boy dressed as Michael Jackson. Odd as it was, by all accounts, the dancing was
a rare treat to witness and my driver particularly rated the lady in the red
sari…
(sorry, I waited 2.5 hours ...must rememeber
that this site does not upload videos
no matter how hard I will it to)
In addition to the diverse wildlife and the huge domestic flocks/herds that this stark terrain supports; semi-nomadic groups set up villages on the flats during the dry months and workintensely as a team to produce container loads of bright-white salt from the ground water which is sold as far away as China.
On the salt flats we were invited for delicious and
light black tea and I was particularly impressed by our host's pristine mud-floor
kitchen which was just beside the satellite dish …they do everything from TV to
mobiles using solar but still cook on open fires …you’ve got to love those
Indian contrasts!
My super safaris were with Desert Coursers, an outfit that don’t half feed
you well (probably the last thing I need right now!) out of their marvelous
Camp Zainabad where I am staying in a luxury mud-built cottage complete with
dressing room and Bathroom. I am on my
own here with the affable staff as their benevolent boss, Danraj is away with
his family. Despite this, Danraj has
been calling to ensure all is well and I had a lovely evening with his horse,
Dalmatian and pack of Salukis before sitting down to an engaging and relaxing
conversation with his mum and her Labrador pups! …Thank you Danraj for your
kindness and the dose of pets and parents which has diluted my pangs for home!
