Return to Rajasthan

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Qu: Which is your favourite city in India?
Ans: Jaipur

Finally Jason and I have managed to agree on ONE thing in India: We love Jaipur. On our journey from Delhi to Pushkar (our last adventure on the subcontinent) we made a short (far too short) stop in Jaipur, mainly with the intention of picking up a few souvenirs we had refrained from buying the first time round (thinking we had many months ahead, and not wishing to be overly encumbered with superfluous baggage). However, our day and night in Jaipur reignited our love for the pink city. Although we missed the elephants from our first visit, and the weather proved to be less temperate than last time, the architecture and the vibe of the city were unmistakable, and we wished we had more time to spend. Having re-lived a favourite dinner in a favourite restaurant (possibly the best food we've had in India, both times), we wandered 'home' hoping to return some day soon.

The next morning we were up early to catch our train, but unfortunately our train was not there to catch us... Unwittingly, we discovered from the local newspapers, we had been keeping one step ahead of trouble, first in Delhi, and then in Jaipur, as peace talks between the government and local groups broke down and there were riots and violent outbreaks. No wonder the hotel staff had raised their eyebrows when we told them we were off to Jaipur! Our Jaipur hotel staff in turn were surprised we'd got out of Delhi at all, informing us the roads and rails had been blocked for days. Taking it in our stride, we determined not to head back to Delhi just yet, but to carry on with the original plan and head further into Rajasthan. At last our train arrived, and two hours later we were deposited in the holy city of Ajmer. Not wishing to sightsee with our heavy packs, we ate lunch and caught the first bus to Pushkar, another holy city half an hour away.

Ah, pretty little Pushkar! What a beautiful little city! Overhanging upper floors frame squares and courtyards reminding us of Venice. We can only imagine how beautiful Udaipur, the "Venice of the East", must be - and vow that we will be back to see it for ourselves! But back to Pushkar... The lake is framed by temples on all sides, and hotels across the city offer rooftop restaurants from which to admire the view. Our attempt to climb a nearby mountain before dawn this morning failed miserably as we found ourselves at the end of our dirt road and walking several miles across sand, seemingly into the desert, *around* the mountain. No matter, we're going to try again, as soon as I finish this blog, now that the sun is setting and the heat is less oppressive. Instead the day was spent wandering the town (less than a mile across), collecting a gaggle of kids as we did so, and visiting the temples around the lake. Jason is disappointed that we're not going further into Rajasthan, as am I (most of the time), but we will have to save it for a return trip as we've only two days left and hundreds of miles to travel.

Glad to have seen Pushkar, it's back to Ajmer tomorrow to explore the city before we head back to Delhi one last time and then home.

Yes, home!!!

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