We just left Pushkar. We're leaving with the car which a friend, Didi, bought and we are heading south. Traveling with a private car is a very different experience from traveling by train or bus, that is what I can tell you after five minutes of being in this car.
First, you are the master of the way. You can decide when to stop, where and for how long. We are not traveling by night, so we have a few hours of traveling every day (of course we're not waking up at 6 am). I like traveling during the day, because I can see the views India has to offer us. India's driving culture is completely different from what we know in Israel, and you need to feel comfortable enough with it to drive. Fortunately, Didi is this kind of driver. Renana wants to add, that driving the public transportation is very alienated from the street, big busses where you sit above the street or trains that hardly pass through town; a private car is part of the street. We just passed a long street in Ajmer that is full of cars, everyone honking and talking to each other, and we are a part of that. Didi has to push to get forward, needs to know when to honk.
Something which I do miss from driving by local bus is the people. I know I'm repeating myself, but Indians are very curious about tourists and when you walk the street or go up on a local bus, everyone starts to talk with you, asks questions, takes a selfie. It can be very exhausting but also very interesting. Everyone wants to know where I am from, what I do, and to see pictures of my family and Renana (if she's not with me). Most of the times they hardly speak English, and all they can ask is "which country?". But we try to understand each other, and we get to see the differences and, in my eyes even better, the similarities.
Didi is the driver, he bought the car in Parvati and traveled from there to Pushkar. He's a friend from where I live in Israel. Now we are going to Goa, and thinking of doing it slowly, maybe stop in interesting places on the way. (Ideas anyone?) Today we will sleep in Udaipur, stay there for a day or two and continue forward. Udaipur should be beautiful and I hope my hopes are not set too high. It's called The city of lakes, or the white city.
Last week was the Diwali in India. I celebrated the first day in Jaisalmer and left to Jodhpur on the next day. I actually came there without much patience, because Renana and I were going to meet again in Pushkar on Thursday, so I mostly had that in my mind. Jodphur was ok (for me), but that was mostly because I didn't prepare enough. Jodhpur is called the blue city and there is a part of the city which is blue, mostly the old city. I didn't know exactly where it was and I booked a hotel on the wrong side of town, thinking (by mistake) that all hotels were in the blue city. My hotel wasn't in the blue city, and I just thought that the small number of houses that were in blue were the reason for this name.
Just a day before I left to Pushkar someone asked if I saw the blue city and then I realised my mistake. So I had a two days in Jodhpur as a tourist, went to Mehrangarh Fort and The Jaswant Thada mausoleum and to Umaid Bhavan Palace, and of course the blue city. What I really liked to do in Jodhpur was climbing up to the fort, and from there climb a bit more. There's a temple on the mountain peak, with a great view of the desert and the sunset. I went there every evening to see the sunset and think.
We arrived to Pushkar just a few days before the camel festival. It's a huge festival to which many camel owners come with their herds, to show and of course to sell. It's a big celebration, with four ferris wheels (I just learned this word :P). It also means that Pushkar is full of people and the guesthouses prices rise. Rise to a point that many Israelis including us are leaving. Pushkar is one of the tourist places in India that are full of Israelis, and even though I'm looking for quiet places I felt the need to visit it. It's one of the holy cities for Hindus and a site for pilgrimage.
There's a big difference between how I feel that holy places should look and how the Hindus feel about it. You can see this contrast in Pushkar. The main site in Pushkar is its lake, with many pilgrims walking around the lake barefoot, bathing and having different Puja ceremonies. At the same time, the lake is very dirty and you see many cows, dogs and pigeons walk (or fly) around, doing their business everywhere and nobody cares. A few meters from the lake you find Pushkar's huge market. I grew up learning that holiness comes with cleanness and India surprised me in that aspect.
We slept in Pushkar for four days, one day to rest, and three days of shopping. I didn't see much of the city other than the market and the lake. The lake is very beautiful at first glance, and from far , because its shores are all built into big white steps that go into the lake. But as I mentioned, once you start walking on its shores you start seeing all the dirt and cow poo everywhere.
Savitri Temple is recommended. It's situated on the hill top above Pushkar and you can walk all the way to the top or take the cable car. We took the cable car, it was 90 rupees both ways and very nice. The cable car stops for about 30 seconds while in air to let you enjoy the view, we weren't prepared so it was a bit alarming, but afterwards I saw the signs telling us about it and we relaxed and really enjoyed it.
On the last two days we got to make many good friends in Pushkar, in a restaurant called The Koala. Great food, great deserts, magical lassi ;). I suggest Thali Pinukim – Pinukim is a Hebrew word meaning treats – and the portion is served in a thali dish with each part of the dish filled with ice cream or chocolate syrup and as chapatti you get very fluffy pancakes. You have to taste to know. We really enjoyed sitting there and came back more than one time.
Will continue updating from the road. See you on the next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment