This was what a typical relief ride encompassed:

A maximum of 12 riders embarked on a 15-day journey to 5 remote villages in rural Rajasthan. The caravan included 8 – 10 pack camels, a herd of goats, and our supplies.

With the exception of a night’s stay at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi, 3 nights in forts, and a night in a haveli, a traditional Rajput Villa, our accommodations consisted of tented encampments set up by our support team along the journey route. Riders averaged 20 - 25 miles a day, about three to five hours a day of riding at a comfortable pace, stopping for three meals a days.

Riders rode the beautiful Marwari horses of Dundlod, descended from the extraordinary war horses that served the ruling families and warriors of feudal India.

Occasionally some riders accompanied us by jeep or camel caravan.

There was, of course, ample water for all. In addition to our Relief Rider crew, we had a support vehicle carrying two medics and a doctor who accompanied us on a parallel itinerary.

We designed our 15-day Rajasthan relief adventure to create meaningful interactions between our travelers and local residents. At the beginning of the journey all participants, based on their life experience and skills, were assigned certain responsibilities including: helping to organize the caravan, volunteering with the medical team, and helping to facilitate the distribution of the supplies.

As we travelled to each village, riders helped to set up the medical camps, worked with the Red Cross team, distributed books and other educational materials to local school, or helped to give goats to families in need.

We travelled through areas of great natural beauty, with ancient villages and old forts, rich in culture and wildlife.

As we stopped along the way, we experienced and enjoyed some of the region’s unique cultural life, with performances of traditional dance in Kochor and drumming in Pachar, for example, and sampled the region’s culinary specialties.