I rode a camel today.
That in itself was so much fun and so different to anything I've done before. We rode across deserted sand dunes, towards the sunset, wearing a 'laurence of Arabia' turban (dupattas really can be turned into anything!) with our guide and camel wrangler David (not entirely sure if that's his real name).
David lives in the desert. He doesn't own any camels himself as they are very expensive (25,000 rupees) but he is employed by 'the boss'. The boss has 50 camels and several camel wranglers and when hotels say they need camels he gives them to people like David who then takes out tourists.
Because David has a boss he also has a monthly salary. Before I continue, yes I know where this is going and yes he probably sold us a sob story, but I still think this is worth telling.
David's salary is 4000 rupees a month. A paltry amount at around £40-45 depending on the rate.
We tipped him 200 rupees for an enjoyable and exciting new experience. This is his daily pay. We increased his salary that day by 100%. I can't imagine anyone at home tipping any professional their daily wages, yet that's exactly what we did. And all it cost us was equivalent to 1 coffee.
I don't have any startling opinions or witty remarks just... It makes you think.
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