a perceptible bottom. 
At one point along the way, we came upon a parade in a tiny village - a celebration for one of the gods, and we were able to get out of the coach, take photographs and actually gave out some "goodies" from what Roy Wise had left on the bus the previous week. The children loved the bracelets and candies, and we moved on toward Ranakpur. To this, one must add the fact that we were not the only vehicle traveling this road, but rather every few minutes, we would encounter large tour buses or huge trucks loaded with stone, either trying to pass us from behind, or meeting them head-on. Sprinkled intermittently throughout this drama was the occasional goatherd doing his best to control his flock which would much rather walk down the center of the road instead of wandering off into the wooded areas alongside it.
When we finally arrived in the region of Ranakpur, we decided to have lunch first and then to tour the 15th century Jain temple, which was nestled in the shade along one of the hills. We pulled off to the left side of the road and slowly proceeded down a dirt road leading to a parking lot, disembarked our coach, and were greeted by two young Rajasthani boys, one playing a small drum, while the other smashed a brass cymbal with a stick – all to greet us and welcome us to an oasis for lunch. Patrons were sitting beneath small tent roofed areas at rudimentary tables, and we were led to our table, which was situated right in the center of the eating area. A small stream that originated in the hills tumbled over rocks, spilling down under the eating area. We enjoyed a great meal and checked out the restrooms before boarding the coach.
On the way back to the Jain temple, we stopped to observe how Dhourry carpets are made – these woven by a very skilled and well-spoken young man, who worked with his two brothers, his wife and little boy. 
The designs are simple, geometric and often referred to as tribal in nature. The colors are beautiful, being created by use of only natural dyes, produced from seeds or leaves. Following his demonstration, we looked over his carpets, and purchased a few of them, each one being folded into a small package, about the size of a Michener novel.
As we left the Dhourry carpet shop, we met a group of young ladies carrying bundles of tree limbs on their heads; each dressed more colorfully than the other. The bright red head coverings, being the only common color among them.
We proceeded back up the road a few kilometers and entered through the gates of the Jain temple property. 
After some confusion regarding proper clothing, we finally were able to enter, meeting the Brahmin of the temple, a handsome young man of about twenty-five years, who would show us the temple. His name was Sandeep and he had been the Brahmin since he was twelve years old, which to me was quite impressive and astounding. 
His knowledge was extensive and to think this young man had been leading the prayers and worship since the age of twelve??? He explained the differences between the two sects of Jainism, and indicated that this sect was not as strict as the other, with respect to decoration and adornment. There were 1444 pillars which supported the roofs of the temple and each one is carved and no two are alike! The designer of the temple was a man who had a vision which corresponded to the patron, but who was illiterate, and had no formal schooling, but was able to nonetheless conceive the design and draw it out to a sufficient degree that the craftsmen could follow his plans and erect this magnificent edifice. 
Statue after statue of the god sitting in the lotus position were sheltered in niches throughout the temple, each one with adornment of the eyes, so it appeared in the light that the god was looking back at you! 
The simple yet ornate beauty was breathtaking. Once finishing our tour of the temple, we checked out the restrooms (this seems to be an ongoing study for our group!) we boarded the coach, bid farewell to Shakti and settled in for a ride of another few hours to our next destination – Siana.
By early evening, we arrived in the town of Siana – population of 10,000 – and were greeted by our host, Pradeep Singh. He had begun Siana Camps and Safaris a few years ago, and has two separate and distinct parts – the cottages (stone and marble condo-type units, complete with porch, sitting room, sleeping area and full bathroom and then the other part, where we would be staying for three nights. 
After being welcomed with garlands of marigolds placed around our necks, we had some refreshment and then piled into an open jeep, our bags placed into a trailer hauled behind the jeep, and departed from the cottages for a half-hour drive out into the dessert at the base of the Aisrana hills. Winding our way through the narrow streets and alleys, we eventually were moving further away from the town on roads which disappeared into sand dunes and scrub growth.
Arriving at the campsite, we got out of the jeep and each of us simply looked up at the magnificence of the heavens above, sparkling with the stars of night. We heard the sounds of distant birds and animals, dulled somewhat by the sound of the generator that was providing power for the two lights in each of our sleeping tents, and the two lights in the eating tent. A crackling campfire provided additional light, as well as warmth after the chilly ride. We were then all shown our accommodations – tents having two beds, two chairs, a small table and then a bath tent, connected to each sleeping area, containing a flush toilet, a platform with a makeshift shower (using the same apparatus as we have at our kitchen sinks at home for spraying dishes) and a sink. Behind each tent was a five gallon pail filled with water and propped up by a tree limb, to create a gravity feed for our water supply, either for flushing or for washing. The only thing missing seemed to be Joan’s hairdryer! “I HAVE to have my hairdryer!”
When we came back to the eating tent area, Pradeep said, “The first drink is on me, so what would you like?” Red wine seemed to be the choice of each of us, and we sat around the campfire, sipping red wine and enjoying some snacks of nuts. We then entered the eating tent, sat down for a delightful meal and shared some stories from the day and from other parts of our journey. Pradeep explained our itinerary for the following morning and we went to our tents, to get rest before our morning trek. Although we had not attended church, we certainly had been immersed in religion today.
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