India, Part 4: Pushkar

Pushkar: 'Special lassi', Camel Fair

I'm a firm believer that in order to fully experience a country and its culture, you should make an effort to eat what the locals eat. Within reason, of course - I'm looking at you, Iceland...

Lassi is a yoghurt-based drink and can be either savoury (with cumin and other spices) or sweet (with various fruits, sugar, etc - for example, mint and mango are popular flavours). It is very tasty indeed and also serves the purpose of cooling down one's mouth after a particularly spicy meal. So when we got to the holy town of Pushkar, sat down for dinner and saw that the restaurant was proudly offering their 'Special Lassi', what else was there to do but order it?

It arrived, piled high with shredded coconut. The waiter, grinning from ear to ear, set it down on the table and disappeared off to get the rest of our food. Delicious (intensely coconutty!) and very drinkable, we each polished off our lassi in short order.

I think it was about halfway through the meal that the room started to spin. We all noticed this at around the same time. Then, as various other effects began to kick in, I think we began to realise that there was something other than just coconut in our lassis.

Yes, it turns out that in Pushkar - a holy town, like I said - there is quite the market for products that aid in meditation and enlightenment. This is completely legal, to the point where it's on restaurant menus... it's just not actually named.

The rest of the night could best be described as 'interesting' and also, unfortunately, 'largely forgotten'. Still, it's these unexpected experiences that make traveling so fun and rewarding... even if those experiences do come in the form of hallucinogenic yoghurt drinks.

Frankly I'm not sure quite how we managed to make it to the camel fair the following day, but I'm glad we did. I think I'll let the photos do the talking there, though!

India, Part 3: Udaipur

Udaipur: Jagdish Temple, City Palace, Saheliyon Ki Baadi 

Udaipur was a city of contrasts. During the day we wandered barefoot around Jagdish temple, with it's incredible towering carved walls, and navigated crowded streets by auto-rickshaw - dodging the occasional elephant in the process. In the evening we strolled around Saheliyon Ki Baadi garden with its extravagant water-features, then spent an hour in a dusty backstreet 'school' doing yoga with an old guru who defied his age. Then at night we retired to a suite in the city palace - still the residence of the Maharaja - to watch a stunning sunset from a private terrace, surrounded by by unbelievable opulence.

Only in India, I think, could you experience such diversity in only a few hours.

India, Part 2: Jodhpur

Jodhpur: Mehrangarh Fort, Siddhnath Mahadev Ashram

The plan was to take a 17-hour sleeper train between Amritsar and Jodhpur, but we very nearly didn't make it. We jumped on the train at the correct platform and I left Grecia in one of the rear carriages while I went to find the conductor to upgrade our tickets. Upon finding the conductor and showing him our tickets, he began yelling at me to get off the train - apparently this was not our service! After a frantic run down half a train's worth of busy aisles, I reach Grecia just as the train is pulling away from the station. We scramble to the door, throw our bags onto the platform, and leap off after them. Too close!

Thankfully we managed to catch the correct train (at a different platform, half an hour late) and spent 17 hours in surprising comfort before reaching Jodhpur in the early morning.

India, Part 1: Delhi & Amritsar

India is a visually stunning country, and I figure if I write too much, that will get lost amongst words. Besides, detailed descriptions of places aren't going to mean much if you haven't been there.

So instead of swamping the photos with words, I'm just going to post 10 or so at a time, over a few days. I'll throw in tidbits of writing with my favourite stories and experiences here and there, but not too much.

So just look, take in the colours and the sights, and enjoy.


Delhi: Red Fort

Amritsar: Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple

We were lucky enough to visit the Golden Temple during Diwali - India's largest festival. The place was packed - even more so than usual - with pilgrims and worshippers, many of them bathing in the waters surrounding the temple. Despite the endless thousands crowding the temple grounds, volunteer workers gave masala chai (spiced tea) and fried onion snacks to anyone who wanted them. Sitting on the floor of the dining hall, enjoying hot tea dispensed (half of it on our feet) by a remotely-operated drum being wheeled between rows, proved a well-needed respite from the unending hustle and bustle just outside.

India

Well, the past couple of weeks have been pretty incredible. So many fantastic experiences in a truly amazing country. And it's all been a real adventure.

More when I get back.