Mardi Gras...Hindu Style

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I am now on DAY 3 of festivals. Yes, that is correct...I have now seen no fewer than three parades in 3 days.

When last we left off...I was on a choose your own adventure, truly unsure as to where I would end up the next morning. Here is how the rest of the evening/morning played out. After arriving at the train station with a couple of Swedes frm my guest house, we found out that our train was 40 minutes late...not bad. One might even consider that early.

Climbing up into my car...a sleeper car with air conditioning, I was greeted to the knowledge that my bed was the top bed in a compartment with 3 men. Now, if this were Amtrak on a DC-Boston trek, this would not be an issue. But let's go back to the part where my simple presence presents a great opportunity for a staring contest in the streets by the locals, and perhaps you can understand why I immediately made a beeline for an empty berth on the side-demanding them to change my seat. Interestingly, even they saw that this was a problem...and several men were then woken up in order to accomodate my request. So, off I went, but not before attaching my fabulous pack safety lock to the pack and rigging it to my bunk. Six hours later, I was startled by someone touching me...and found that the ticket man woke me to tell me I was supposed to get off. However, after a little cajoling...and 550 rupees...I was allowed to extend my ticket...and here I am...now in Jaiselmeer. A city with a fabulous fort...that I would say is somewhat reminiscent, on a much smaller scale, of the Old City of Jerusalem.

And it is here, completely without intention, that I came across my 3rd (and hopefully final) parade. Apparently the king of this town would be completely remiss if he did not sponsor a festival of his very own...and with as much pomp and circumstance as this little town could muster...off we went marching through the square, and down the ramparts...and apparently all the way to the lake. I will admit, at this point, I lost interest...and with my new friend from Holland (who I met en route to the parade), we decided to have a chai...and then head to dinner where I ate my first Tibetan food.

So, here I am...in Jaiselmeer...and looking forward to another Indian day.

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Comments

[ben b]

so coool
Marn, that sounds like such a great way to spend a few days! I wish I was there!