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Published: January 23rd 2007
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WTF??!!!
At first I thought it was a really strange natural formation, but then when I saw another cow with the same thing I realized it's some kind of goats leg surgically implanted and healed onto the cows back. Just another day in India! I woke up in Jaipur really sick. I couldn't even think of eating Indian food for breakfast. Any food at all repulsed me. I knew I needed something in my stomach so we headed to McDonalds for some ice cream and french fries. I had to force myself to eat half the tiny ice cream and I think I ate about 2 fries. I was white as a ghost. I have no idea what made me so sick but it was hell.
Pushkar is a small little city of only 15 000 people only 3 hours away from Jaipur. I read in the guidebook that it has several restaurants that serve sheppards pies, baked potatoes and other goodies that reminded me of home. I knew I had to get here, because I just couldn't even think of eating Indian food.
In the middle of the desert, Pushkar is a charming little dirty town with 100's of temples lining a little lake. The lake is said to be formed when the hindu God Brahma dropped a lotus leaf. So naturally this is a sacred place for the hindus, who must make a pilgrimage here at least once in their life.
Typical Indian Menu
Believe it or not it this makes perfect sense to us Meat and alcohol are strictly prohibited here. Through the streets you can see and hear people ringing bells. Chanting and praying, religeous hindu music over the loud speakers. Cows and people everywhere, and evil looking monkeys on all the rooftops. Parades of men in colourful Rajisthani turbans, and women in their nicest sari's, danced and drummed through the streets in preperation for the upcoming wedding. Indian weddings are a big deal.
It's also a very touristy place. More touristy than anywhere we've been in India so far. It attracts a different type of tourist than what we're used to seeing. Mostly hippies and people on spiritual journeys. So it's hard to meet people like us, but we're content with it. Reminds me of the Shambhala music festival crowd in Vancouver.
There's not a hell of a lot to do. Luckily by this time I wasn't sick any more and feeling much better. You can see the whole town in a half hour. If we were interested in staying longer we could always stay for a yoga retreat but we move pretty quick and usually just stay in a city for a few days at most.
Walking around
Typical Street scene
Pushkar is one of Indias oldest cities and many of the old buildings and temples are still standing after 100's of years the lake seeing the daily Indian life of people bathing in their holy water is fascinating. Not as crazy as Varanasi, but still pretty cool. We quickly ran into a "priest" who decided to put flowers in our hands.
We've been warned about these types of people. They basically explain a bit of Pushkars history and ways of life. Place flowers in your hand, brings you to the holy water, says a puja (prayer), and has you throw flowers into the water. Then after demanding a "donation" of $20 to $50, which of course doesn't go to the poor at all but rather himself.
I figured why not, we're in India and in Pushkar so we have to have a puja done to bless out families. At the lake side he had us repeat our mothers names, fathers name, brothers and sisters names, aunts and uncles names, he would have us repeat after him. Good Blessing puja, Happy family puja, long marriage puja, long life puja, donation puja........ I started laughin cause I knew this was coming. I repeated it. he then asked how much, I said I don't know I have no money. He was pretty smooth
India is full of Hazards
Sometimes if we're lucky there are signs to warn us and said no worries, money doesn't matter, only karma matters. He asked where my hotel was and when we could meet him for a donation. We told him some other hotel.
He then went on praying for us, but this time it was more like this. Donation puja, good karma puja, money puja, feed the hungry puja. He then had us throw the flowers into the water and began to tell us how important the donation was or our wishes shall never come true. I wanted t believe him but I think he'll have bad karma for trying to scam us. I told him my Mother was at the hotel and would love to meet him and give him a donation in exchange for puja. We would meet him tomorrow.
He saw us later that night on the way to a restaraunt. He remembered my name and is really excited to meet my Mother. I told him to make sure he waits for us and not to be late. In reality we're leaving the night before, on a sleeper bus to Jaisalmer near the Pakistan border.
My goal was if I were to see him again I
was going to say that my Mother has a big donation for him but must have my Fathers permission who is home. I would tell him to take picture of himself holding a sign saying "AGROculture puja" (AGROculture is my business at home). The after emailing my father with the picture. we would meet him. It would've made a great trophy picture to keep for myself. Unfortunatly we never found him again. I guess we'll save it for the next scammer!
Pushkar is not a sanitary place. Really I don't think anywhere in India is clean. We try our best to eat at nicer restaaunts. We can definatly afford it. Everything is rediculously cheap we've been getting by very comfortably for less than $10 per day each including all meals, hotel and anything else we do and buy all day. Also I've been sick, an although by this point I am better I don't want to risk it.
We found a place in a nicer hotel full of people who did nothing to complain. "I want my bucket of hot water!" (haha) "Is there cushions for your seats?" "The table is too low" They went at it all
Hi
I'm in front of the tiny Indian city of Pushkar and it's lake night. I always wonder why come to a country like India and expect luxury, especially in the middle of the desert in freakin Rajisthan.
The following day we climbed a small little desert mountain to get a better view of the city. On the way we saw a dead body being paraded in front of us through the streets as everyone threw flowers on it. We saw it, and pointed but quickly went back to our previous conversation as if it wasn't a big deal. We're actually getting used to this random stuff and nothing seems to surprise us anymore. Shortly after we saw the cow.
It was just standing there decorated. The man asked if I wanted a picture for 10 rupees. It was decorated but I still said no as I get these offers every two minutes. Then he lifted the cows 3rd leg. It looked as if the cow was serverely deformed with a smaller leg growing out of its back. I took the picture wondering what the heck was wrong with the poor cow. Then I saw another one and quickly realized that these people are somehow surgically implanting a goats leg on the
back of the cows so that people like us can take pictures of them and pay 10 ruppees. At least that's my theory anyway. In reality I have no idea what the heck is going on with it. It looked perfectly healed and alive, but didn't move. We definatly ate our words and know that each and everyday there is something t shock us in India!
That night we were invited to the Indian Wedding. We arrived and the guy who invited us was nowhere to be found. We were the only white people there. We didn't feel uncomfortable because Indian people are very welcoming, but felt really out of place. Then the music started and everybody started to eat. People pushing and shoving to get their hands on all the food. In Indian culture this is not rude, its a way of life. So if you don't push your way in, you don't eat! It's kind of fun haha
The wedding was really interesting, however without alcohol it. it seemed kind of boring. And the music was strange. it went between classical Indian folk music to pounding rave techno. Tonight we leave on the "sleeper bus" to Jaisalmer"
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Jenn~
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OK WTF??????? Im still not getting this goat leg on the cows back thing???? If you can please explain it to me when you get back.....lol. Glad everything is going good....Hope your still picking up postcards for me along the way! LOVe you!!!! Jenn*