Osian, India: Captured the Sun, Lost a Diamond

Continuing with my alphabetical order of posting about destinations, I choose Osian, India for the letter "O."

Osian is in the state of Rajasthan. A stop in Osian at Reggie's Camel Camp was a bit of luxury after some uncomfortable evenings in other accommodations. (http://www.camelcamposian.com/).

Reviews on TripAdvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g970112-d951147-Reviews-Reggie_s_Camel_Camp-Osian_Rajasthan.html

On the way to Reggie's from Jaisalmer, our car got a flat tire. This gave me an opportunity to chase a photo of prairie dogs. 

[to view larger images of the photos, click on them]

There is a prairie dog in here

Our newest driver (eye roll...and a whole other story) changed the tire. I suppose the poor interior of the latest car assigned to us should have tipped us off that this might be an interesting ride.

I wanted to see how far were were from Osian. Quite convenient that a marker was nearby.  That's our ride in the distance.

Our one-night stay at Reggie's refreshed us, just as we had hoped. We chose to stay in a tent. The single beds were comfy. 

The bathroom inside our tent almost made me forget I was in a tent - nice sized stall shower, sink, vanity space and toilet. I think the bathroom was marble. If not, the material was a great imitation.

The pool area is an indication of how well kept and beautiful Reggie's is.



We arrived in the late afternoon and opted for a sunset camel ride. We were disappointed.

You are not led into the middle of the desert with nothing but sand all around. You and your camel are led just outside of Reggie's. The grounds and the main road are in sight.

However, I did capture the sun. 

Within the walls of Reggie's is a camel race track.  We had a bit of fun--well I did. Our young guide recognized that I had some horseback riding experience.  The camel and I let loose a bit on the track. 


At the end of the sunset camel ride, we dismounted in a sand pit. It was here that my diamond earring fell off.

I had thought part of the camel's gear had fallen.  I didn't realize my earring was missing until we had departed Reggie's. The owner and I communicated by email about my loss.  He had his staff search for my earring, but they didn't find it. My earring remains lost in the sands.

Thankfully, CSA covered my loss through the travelers insurance policy I had purchased. They paid me a claim amount equal to the purchase price of the pair. A jeweler designed a matching earring using the one I had remaining as the model.  It came out great.

Because I had no idea I had lost my earring, and perhaps even if I had, the evening atmosphere at Reggie's enchanted me.

Have you had any good or bad experiences with travel insurance?  What types of places do you prefer for a refreshing stopover?