….’India Diaries

February 2018

After the bustle of Jaipur, we were more than ready to dial things down a notch, and heard Pushkar might be the place to kick back for a few days. With a population of around 22,000, and set on a holy lake where Lord Brahma (the “Creator” in the Hindu religion) is said to have dropped a lotus flower, it’s very picturesque. Just a small town, laced with hundreds of temples, many of them with a chalky blue appearance and it’s easy to understand why this is such an important destination for devout Hindus.

When travelling over a short period of time (1 month), we attempt to hit the highlights of each destination but the calendar doesn’t always cooperate. The highlight of Pushkar would have been the annual Camel Fair, which typically runs between the end of October and beginning of November, depending on where the Hindu month of ‘Kartik’ falls. In 2017, the Fair was scheduled to start about 1 week after we passed through the region, so alas, we weren’t able to experience this small town in all its dromedary glory. On the upside, the drive to Pushkar was a mere 3.5 hours, so no need for a 06:00 am start, and an early afternoon arrival provided ample time for some initial exploration before nightfall.

Notwithstanding the fact that we didn’t make it for the main event, day-to-day life for locals and tourists alike still revolves around the camel industry, as it were, in addition to the more serious business of prayers. There is also a distinct laid back “hippy” feel to the place, which made for a chill few days.

As much as we love them we dare not keep chips within reach when at home – because they last for 10 seconds max. That being said, chips, and more specifically ‘Lays” have been a favourite “road trip” snack of ours for many years, so you can imagine how chuffed we were to discover India has it’s very own spicy brand! I wish this was an offering at home….maybe I’ll lobby Lays Canada!

The Seventh Heaven Haveli http://inn-seventh-heaven.com/ish/ was a unique little haven with a backpacker feel, and plenty of common area nooks to chill, read a book or just contemplate life.

Pete took one for the team when I ordered a Banana ‘Lassi’ thinking it would be cool and refreshing beverage after our drive, only for it to arrive at room temperature (the ambient air being around 35oC), and not ordinarily being a milk drinker, the gag reflex went into action.

It was a bit of a haul up 4 flights of winding stairs to access our room, but worth it to wake up to the beautiful morning light filtering through an amazing aqua dome…and hey, we are doing this kind of travel now because we don’t yet have to rely on an elevator to take us where we need to be!

Would like to see this on every light switch in every place we ever visit

I had mentioned previously that locals often ask for their photo to be taken, and this was one of those occasions, however I didn’t clue into the fact that she was looking for compensation for modelling, which made for an awkward exchange.

Bathing ghats around the lake in restful late afternoon light.

Love the juxtaposition of the cow and scooter in this one….a common sight.

After many days of delicious Indian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner – we were craving some greens, and found (via TripAdvisor) this little gem of a cafe with a limited menu, but all salad and veggies were market fresh every morning and the owner shuts shop when they run out.

Even the cows know where to line up for the good eats!

We enjoyed the food so much, we made a pit stop before taking off on our next leg and the owner/chef, Siddharth was very accommodating, he has such a passion for serving up health, tasty bites.

The ladies adorned in their best and brightest en route to afternoon prayers.

My first henna experience….hard to beat.

My sense is that the smug look on the camel’s face above is due to the knowledge that dear husband is going to be hanging on for his dear life, in not the most flattering poses, momentarily….(I don’t agree with the nose pin btw!).