Pushkar Day 2 & 3

I know you've all been anxiously sitting by your computers waiting for the sequel postings on Pushkar; and I'm happy to say, its finally here! :)

I apologize for grouping day 2 & 3 together but when I sat down to blog the last two days I had a hard time distinguishing what happened on which day. . . as my good friend always says; "I think my brain is dripping out my ears!"

Day 2 began with an early morning wake up call once again for a sunrise camel ride.

I thought we were going to ride up a mountain to watch the sunrise. But it was more like riding around the desert for an hour until we ended up on a hill to watched the sun rise over the mountain. It could have been disappointing, but for so many reasons it wasn't. Riding the camel with Mishy was a lot of fun, and watching everyone huddled together atop their camels warding off the early morning chill, was well worth while.

After breakfast we scrambled back into our camel carts and headed for the village (Nacho, we see you from dee billage), where we hiked around the crowded streets, all 100 + of us. To say we stuck out like a sore thumb is probably an understatement and I could see the merchants and vendors licking their lips in anticipation. As if they were a hungry school of fish, and us, the fat, juicy worm dangling from a hook.


(Just in case your wondering what she's carrying on her head...its poop.)

We first wound our way through the fair and to the
Pushkar Lake at the heart of the city where thousands pilgrimage every year to bath in the lake.

After the lake, we walked towards the temple but as we got closer the crowd became overwhelming. I was beginning to fear for our safety or at the very least, of getting swept away by the current of the crowd. So we ducked into a little alley way throwing elbows as we went, where we regrouped and headed back into the crowd. This time going the opposite direction, in hopes to get down to an area a little less jam-packed. We continued to shop for a while and then met up at our designated meeting spot and once again travelled back to the fort by camel cart.

After lunch Dave, Richard and the older kids went to find out if they could forge the path up a neighboring mountain that had a temple perched on the top. When they returned we headed for the village again to do more looking and shopping. We bought a giant bell and a walking stick.

(Richard buying his walking stick)

We had Mo with us on one of these excursions. Which proposed a bit of a challenge. We encircled her with R & I, Dave and Angela, which she was not happy about, but put up with fairly graciously. Our fear was not that she would be hurt or kidnapped, but because she is young, beautiful and blond, it was more than likely she would get groped by the men or boys in the pressing crowd; and then R would have to go all special-agent on everyone and we didn't want that!

We took a ton of pictures. Everything was an assault to one sense or another. It was great.

The evening wasn't much different than the first night. Same entertainers, same puppet show, and basically the same food.

Day 3 began very early for R, T, & M. They hiked up the temple mountain leaving well before sunrise. They reached the top and took some amazing pictures of the city lights and the sunrise. Not to mention the shots of monkeys, people, and landscape.




After a breakfast of much the same as the two days prior, we spent the morning bathing, packing and getting ready for the long trip home.

The trip home was much like the trip there; a long bus ride followed by and even longer train ride. I finished one book on the train ride there and got a good start on another on the way home. The funnest part of the train ride was standing on the platform that connects the two cars together and looking out the open door watching the landscape blur past. I think had there been a ladder, R would have climbed on top of the train to ride. But alas he wasn't able to. Not because they wouldn't let him, there just wasn't a ladder from any of the open door ways we were looking out--as my friend told me the other day; "OSHA doesn't live here".

We arrived around midnight, exhausted. What a Trip!


Day 2


Day 3