pushkar

---

wow

pushkar is great. it's like a permanent hippie festival... only with temples. and cows.

all those clothes and bags and jewellry you see on sale at festival stalls is from here. no really. all the shops do wholesale and much of it is made right here in pushkar. every second shop is a parcel mailing shop. everyone is going mad buying loads of stuff they are sending back home for themselves or to sell.

this does mean it's a bit touristy, but not in a bad way. all the tourists are hippies and it has a really good vibe. the people in the shops are quite laid back and it's nice to haggle and chat as you shop.

i am trying to only buy things that i will use as a i travel though. i wore my indian suits (by the way, some people are sending me messages talking about the "sari" i am wearing. these are not saris but punjabi suits. sorry to be pedantic) to travel here, but felt like i should wear something less traditional here, and probably in goa, so i have bought a couple of wrap-around skirts and a dress.

i left a few things at apk cos i will go back later in the year, but i still carried some stuff i realised i really am not gonna wear. my black marks and spencers trousers are just too dark and tight to be any good in this heat (it's now even hotter and sunnier).

so, the way thinks seem to work is you just give things away, or swap things with people you meet on the way. so, i gave the trousers to a lad who works in the hostel, he really appreciated them. and i have swapped some books with other travellers but the new book i got was bigger than the books i gave away! doh!

we have met some really nice people here. everybody told me not to worry about being on my own, as it never needs to happen, you meet friendly other travellers and can go along or hang out with them all the time. i am still with monica now, but lizzie arrived with two boys in tow! one is the guy from the t-mobile advert. i am not give any more specifics cos i don't know if he minds if i put that on my blog and tell the world, but he doesn't know about my blog so it shouldn't matter!

we also met a lovely girl from germany called Kinga, who we had previously met in agra in unusual circumstances. i don't think i put all the details in that entry, but stay tuned, later i might do a flashback.

a guy with dreadlocks from Leeds, Andy, but who works in egypt in human rights, and Chris, a guy from berlin who is a hairdresser and colourist. i met him just after i had got my hair henna'd so we bonded immediately. later, he cut mine and monica's hair! it was fab. you just never know what is gonna happen in india.

the time passes very strangely here. you also feel like you have been somewhere for ages when it's a few days. we left apk on friday and now it's only (erm...? wednesday?) but it seems like ages ago.

last night seemed special cos it was Chris's last night, he is going back to berlin, but we had only met him the day before!!!

oh yeah, about the lake.

pushkar is famous (ish) and holy, because the lord (god) brahma droped a lotus flower which created the lake, and he liked it so much he said he should only be worshiped here. so in pushkar is the only brahma temple in india. and he is quite a important god, as he is the creator. but then, there are hundreds and hundreds of gods here, and in hinduism everybody is a god, so when you look at like that it's not such a big deal.

lots of the tourists here are indian people come for the the temples etc, and there are ofs sadhu's and priests all over.

but anyway,. yes, the main feature pf puskar is (was) the lake.

you may remember in my previous entry i was pleased to discover that jaipur - the pink city, did indeed have many pink buildings. however, pushkar no longer has it's lake.

from asking around and different information from different people, it would seem the lake had some sort of infection which they tried to clean, and it had to be drained, but also, the monsoons recently have not be so much as usual, so the lake does not re-fill, what little water gathers evapourates, so it may be a few years before it is restored. but strangely, i am not disappointed, pushkar is still really nice even without a lake!

---

Comments

[marcia]

envy you
Hi there i envy you but will follow this blog. where are the pictures my kids love the ones of us on holi day

[Deirdre]

Hey
Hey I have been reasing some of your blogs but not all I keep forgetting when i get home as I switch off. Its good to see you are having so much fun I hear that you are now a movie star!!!! Will have to get the video to show us all. Just to send a blog at work its the same s**t just a different day lol. Its not actually that bad but the temps leave this week, nayyar is staying and dilip handed his notice we have not seen him since he had his trip on the car park roof SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!! We have not been to the three tuns much since you left so must have been your influnce on that one so hurry up and come back so we can start going again! Well try and send message again but I am now late picking jack up from cubs. Vicky says hello but does not have a pc at home so can't check your blogs that often. Have fun speak soon Deirdre