would you like some kotu rotti?
The bus into Pushkar wasn’t bad at all, didn’t feel like 7 hours that’s for sure, I didn’t get much sleep but that’s fine, I’m more than happy to look out the windows. Getting into Pushkar two men got on the bus demanding a ‘passanger tax’. The Indians on board didn’t look very happy about this at all and a couple got into an argument with the guys. The first asked for Rs 2 per person, then when I go to pay that, another guy demands Rs 5 per person. It did seem like a bit of a con, but the Indians paid so I did too, and after all Rs 5 is 15c. Got off the bus, and a man immediately comes up to us, (yes, at 5:00 am) hello sir, please come stay at my hotel it’s very lovely very nice, rooftop villa, restaurant etc etc etc. (more etc are needed). I explained we had a place which he then kindly walked us too, the whole time trying to poach us away convincing us that his place was much nicer and cheaper. It sounded good, but we had a booking so I thanked him for his time and went inside. It was 5:00 am, and checkout wasn’t until 10:00 am, so he said we could sleep in the massage room until someone checked out. So there was Ashleigh and I, trying to sleep on a massage table in a room stenching of various aromatic oils, needless to say I feel asleep immediately, Ash didn’t fair so well, haha. Woken up at 10:00 am, we had some breakfast and went to bed. Our room is nice enough, tho lacking any windows, and my side of the bed feels as tho it’s got a plank of wood running vertically through the mattress. Whilst eating lunch on the rooftop I came across a banner for an famous Indian musician who was putting on a concert. It was for Rs 500, which is a hell of a lot of money to most Indians, so I knew that it would be a worthwhile thing to see. Left half an hour before it began and had to do a lot of running around, having no idea where to go, I got a ‘taxi’ (an old army jeep with no doors), he took me to an ATM, and then the show at the Old Rangji temple. The concert was filled with so many hippies, quite a few who look as though they’ve been here since ‘69. So funny to see 70 year old turbaned and curry dotted white men, with dreadlocks and granny glasses, speaking in hindi with all the locals. The concert was a dude on a bamboo flute accompanied by another flute, some sort of stringed drone instrument, and a tabla. It was one of the finest performances of music that I’ve ever ever heard. Feeling a bit cold afterwards I warmed up with a chai, and got invited by some Danish hippie girl to come back to her hostel. Of course I declined, but it did give me an idea of how much I was going to love the place. Got home and went to bed.
Yesterday was again a fun day exploring this little village in the bright of day. Firstly, it’s an oasis in the middle of the desert so its either road or sand, no grass. There are more animals here than I’ve seen anywhere else. Add to the list pigs, boar, more monkeys, and camels. Headed to the main bazaar, which is a 1.5km strip of stalls selling all sorts of hippie clothes and trinkets. Got a shirt and ash bought some jewellery like things. Saw some dudes sitting by a ghat (the concrete steps that go down to the lake). They enticed us in and told us all about the very holy nature of this town and the lake. Pilgrims come from all over India to wash and clense themselves in these waters, the site of the first Brahma temple. Around the lake there are 52 ghats and 1000 temples. It’s pretty fucking cool. So these religious sorta dudes got us to come down, and took us through the Sanskrit mantra, showed us how the Hindus come to pray. Gave us some flowers to throw in the lake, wrapped a piece of string around our wrist, put a curry dot on our heads and demanded an exorbitant amount of money. Which of course we paid. I paid Rs 1000, and Ash Rs 1300. Later, checking our guide book it suggested Rs 50 as a fair amount. So we got royally done, but the money is for charity so it’s all right. On our way back some little boy was begging for 1 biscuit. 1 biscuit bro, how could I say no? So I go to the shop and buy a pack, which I hand out a few a piece to the now milling beggar children. A lady with her baby comes and I give her whats left. So, ok, I’ve given the beggar children more than what they’ve asked for, you’d think then they might leave us alone, but no, now they follow us everywhere demanding more money. An Indian man explained to just give them a sharp hard push and they will go, but I didn’t have the heart so I just kept like, grabbing them and steering them away. They thought this was the most fun. After I pushed one:
Kid: Miss Miss, your husband broke my leg, now you pay Rs 5000!
Me: Haha, fucking kids.
Kid: You call me fucking kid? Fuck yooooou.
Was pretty funny, and eventually they left us alone. Afterwards went into a sweet little Nepalese run restaurant and had the best meal I’ve had since I arrived here, coincidentally it was Italian..? On our way back to the room, stopped off for a drink of strong bhang lassi. Ash opting for the medium. And a quick game of chess. Went back home cause Ash had to pee (as always).
Gotta run. Byeeee.
Leave a Reply