Crustville, India

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Not since being in Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu have we experienced a town as crusty as this. A town that is still very much integral to the hippie trail. A town where there are as many foreigners as locals and the major enterprise of the latter is servicing the former.

Pushkar is Chilled-out with a capital "C" (can you see it?) and very spiritual - a holy place for those seeking enrichment of the soul. To do that, one must respect nature and not do anything naughty - no drinking booze, smoking ganja, eating meat or eggs and definitely no public displays of affection - big no no!

Pushkar surrounds a lake, said to be the reult of Brahma (the creator) dropping a Lotus flower onto Earth. The town is therefore an important pilgrimage site for Brahma followers and has one of the only Brahma temples in the world. That's not all... There are tonnes of temples - in fact each building is either a temple, a guesthouse or a handicrafts stall - "spiritual tourism"!

For Laura and myself, Pushkar presented an opportunity to do some hassle-free walking and explore the place. A pleasant stroll on the self-dubbed "spiritual walk" took us past the lake, through the fringing countryside and past the many wandering Sadhus in the town. A walk up to Savitri Temple at the top of the sunset hill past many monkeys, was a stiff climb but the views from the top were special. The lake glistened from above and on closer inspection at water level, you can observe the pilgrims bathing in the Ghats - the mystique and spiritual atmosphere can be sensed on the water's edge.

Beyond wandering, observing and eating (veg food), there's little else to do. We decided to use the chill-out time to get some Indian head massages and Laura had henna done by a girl who had more interesting conversation on her mind than idle chit-chat. She was on the husband hunt and wanted Laura to explain to her the finer details of "conjugal relationships", if you know what I mean. Suffice to say, the henna experience was a tad awkward for our little Chairman!

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