Blogs from Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 5

We were all up early and in the foyer of the hotel at 5.00am, ready for the train trip to Pushkar. The railway station, when we got there, was more like a refugee centre, crowded even at this early hour. People seem to set up camp - out come the floor mats and everyone lies down to sleep while they wait for their train. Food stalls were busy and there was a pack of dogs roaming the platform. I kept well out of their way. We found our carriage, definately 3rd class, and looked for our seats. They were padded bench seats with upright backs with a small padded area for back comfort. Each one sat three, but two would have been more comfortable. Luggage was put overhead, we all squashed in, pushed up the metal ... read more

By our last morning in Pushkar, we realized we were residing more than traveling. I guess that is what happens when you spend 10 days in the same place. The owner of one of the cafes in the camel section of the fair called us by our first names, the residents near our campsite said hello to us each morning and each evening as we trekked back and forth to the fair and one person asked us directions and inquired if we lived in Pushkar. We saw a lot of interesting scenes at the fair. These photos do not even come close to demonstrating them all.... read more

When we were not walking around the fairgrounds or hanging with the camel herders, we found ourselves in the stadium pushing and jockeying for a good spot to see the competitions. We witnessed the camel decorating contest, camel dancing, horse dancing, turbin tying and the moustache competition. Of all the experiences, our favorite had to be the Camel Races. As a matter of course, there are no photos. The event seemed to only last a few seconds, but we have been laughing about it ever since. With little pomp or notice, the camels left the starting line only to find themselves in utter chaos. One camel cut through the middle of the course and ran to the finish line even though he did not even come close to covering the entire course. Another camel started running ... read more

Due to the mass influx of visitors and pilgrims to the small village of Pushkar during the fair, tented camps are set up as temporary hotels. When we first thought of making this trek, Kyle did a little Internet research and the first place he found was Camp Bliss...a small tented camp among an orchard. Unlike us, we searched no further and booked it for nine days. It has turned out to be an excellent decision. Dad and I arrived before the fair actually began because we wanted to see the herds of camels coming over the sand dunes and arriving before everything was set up. We were the first guests to check-in at the temporary camp and we have seen guests come and go as the week has progressed. Everytime we see someone check out, ... read more

It took a little planning, a lot of traveling and some patience, but we have come across the finishline...we are in Pushkar! There was a little apprehension before we arrived that we may be making this journey for naught and that we would get off the train and find about three camels lined up. Fear not...the Pushkar Camel Festival far exceeded my expectations within the first 15 minutes of arriving. We left our hotel on the first morning with the goal of walking 10 to 12 miles in exploration, by the turn of the first corner we were face-to-face with a camel caravan heading to the fair. There were about 50 camels and five herders driving the herd. We determined there should be 7 herders, so we joined in the process and made sure our herd ... read more