Blogs from Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 3

There are few things as intoxicating as the swirl of a busy bustling market. It is a true assault of the senses from the sparkle of the lights to the aroma of the exotic culinary delights to the constant hum of people shuffling past. There is an excitement, an energy, a pulse that is felt while wandering the endless alleys filled with stall of goods. And Pushkar will not disappoint. The market around the sacred Pushkar Lake is crowded with pilgrims, hippies and people like us who are in town for the fair. The market is also crowded with mopeds,dogs and the sacred cattle. There is endless shopping possibilities for foreign and local guests alike. As you know, Kyle loves to come to India for more than just the culture, the sights and the food. Kyle ... read more

They say you cannot return home, but I am not sure who "they" are or why there is such a rule. I guess I will not lose any sleep worrying about it. We have arrived in Pushkar, which feels like our home in India, and we are happy to be back. We have checked in at Camp Bliss (our luxurious tented home), reunited with some of our favorite vendors who treat us like family, and walked all around the familiar fairgrounds. Feels good to be "home!" We have been spending our days walking among the animal herds, shopping the frenetic markets, and making daily stops at Sunset Cafe for Nutella pancakes. The weather has been a bit warmer than normal during the day, but the evenings cool down quickly and nicely for excellent sleeping. I suppose ... read more

We left Bundi in the early morning and headed northwest towards the town of Ajmer. Dylan was a bit apprehensive to push his bike too fast after all the mechanical issues that happened. I didn't mind, considering that my skull was still the only thing protecting my brain while flying down the Indian highways. It took about three hours (minus a chai break) for us to reach the city of Ajmer. We then cut through some mountains and 14 km later found ourselves in Pushkar. Pushkar is more of a small town then a major Indian city, and I think that suited everyone just fine. Sitting in the middle of the Thar desert and surrounded by large hills, Pushkar is considered one of the oldest towns in the world, and is home to some of the ... read more

H’s app was showing that the train to Ajmer was an hour late but we didn’t want to take the chance as the trains go very slow so we thought they might catch up a bit. We said goodbye to Sushma and Amer and the taxi whisked us through the chaos to the station where the board suggested the train was even later than when we left. In all we spent about 2 hours waiting for a train journey that was only going to take 2 hours! The train was more comfortable than the last one though and we arrived only about 1.5 hours late into Ajmer. We had a taxi arranged to take us from there to Pushkar, a sacred Hindu town set around a sacred lake, said to have been created by Brahma. The ... read more

The first thing I have to tell you is that I've been for a run, in Rajasthan! The running app on my smartphone even mapped the eventful five miles along Adinath Nagar and Ranthambore Road. The town of Sawai Madhopur hasn't got a huge tourist footfall, its few visitors coming specifically for the tiger safari. Ours was a well organised and adventurous Jeep ride showing us monkeys, deer, peacocks, birds of prey...but nothing striped! Anyway...you get noticed 'walking' through this town, but try being the white boy in singlet, shorts and florescent running shoes, in 31c, when everyone else is wearing thick tunics, trousers and sandals! Every...head...turned. Cars, motorbikes, street traders even walked into the road to watch. Then, disaster, right alongside me! A motorbike with 2 passengers (not the normal 3 or 4 thankfully) collided ... read more