Blogs from Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 10

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 ... read more

Pushkar.... "Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth and Pushkar floated to the surface", or so the stories say..... The small hindu Pilgrimage town is a serene oasis of shops, temples and holy men. The town is built around the "Magically Magnetic" lake.... but due to 'refurbishments' there was no lake for me to be drawn too... although the empty hole left was still pretty spectatcular! The ghats surrounding drawing everyone in with their spiritual air, temples line the steps and the array of different rooftops, domes, spires and hilltops decorate the bright blue sky line. This is Pushkar! I arrived midday on the Sunday after a long and early train journey from Udaipur... thankfully I had a couple of Brits to keep me entertained, the volume of their london accents also stirred the rest ... read more

Hello fair people, So it's been a while since the last blog, we have obviously been rather tied up seeing the world and all that : ) We left Delhi bright and early on the 2nd January full of excitement about our first train experience to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The train experience has left Lucy and I with a new found respect for the UK rail network. After an initial delay of about one hour we managed to barge our way onto the train and into our seats (helped by the huge backpacks). We were in 2S (the lowest class seats- we are on a tight budget). The train then proceeded to move at no more than jogging speed for the entire journey so instead of taking just under 3 hours it took ... read more

In Rajasthan we visited towns and small villages, some in remote areas. We especially enjoyed the villages, where we stayed in either old palaces or forts. In one fort Catherine's room was in a turret overlooking the broad, flat plains. These places had enormous bedrooms with marble floors, and elegant sitting rooms. Another night was in established tents beside a lake - Intrepid kept the surprises coming, and kept us healthy. In the rural areas the people were so friendly, the children bright and happy. Sunset and sunrise very special. On the first phase of the Rajasthan excursion, our group of 12 moved from Agra in two 4X4s. The backpacks were mounted on the roof racks, which was a bit of the problem because drizzle had set in. The roads got narrower and the potholes deeper, ... read more

Hi All, Since my last post a couple of days ago I have continued my time in the holy Brahma town of Pushkar. In the guesthouse I am staying that I have befriended an Israeli and a Swiss; who have been fun to hang out with and it has meant I am not a complete loaner! They have actually invites me to join them when they move on from Pushkar and head to the Desert city of Bikaner; I gladly accepted their offer. Hopefully from Bikaner we will be heading on a camel safari into the north western part of the Thar Desert for a couple of days. This generally involves sleeping under the stars, visiting small desert villages and having our meals cooked by the camel driver. We shall also be visiting the weird "rat ... read more