Racing Camels & Broken Scooters in Pushkar

We arrived in Pushkar, Rajasthan after a long drive through many very small, authentic Indian villages and lush scenery. Pushkar is a very old, holy city at the edge of the desert surrounding a lake. After arriving at our hotel, we immediately decided to extend our stay. Just like most places in India, Pushkar is very unique, with a good balance of locals, pilgrims and westerners strolling though the main market street in town. Vendors were stocked with silver jewellery and bright natural stones and crystals, along with the typical travel apparel that can be found all over India.

When hoping to explore a temple beside the holy lake we were bombarded by hundreds of pigeons and a number of men who proceeded to sit us down individually and take us through a blessing process where we sent thanks and love to our families and made a wish as we threw pink flower petals into the water. As expected we were asked for a donation which supposedly goes to the children in need around Pushkar - although skeptical, we all gave a small amount hoping that it would find its way to them. We were then given a piece of string to tie around our wrist as our passport to Pushkar - which shows that we have been blessed.

We had the intention of exploring the neighboring villages but found ourselves stranded on the side of a road because the scooter we rented decided to breakdown. Luckily the breathtaking scenery helped us keep our cool, while we met many friendly Indians. It was amusing to us that each and every person that drove passed us whether on a bike, truck or tractor stopped to lend a hand. We got a tiny taste of what an Indian party must feel like... in the middle of a road!

Later that same day a couple of us discovered the amazing world of reflexology and yoga, while others literally raced camels through the desert and played with the locals amongst the sand dunes at sunset.

After only a few days, we felt at home in Pushkar and found it extremely hard to leave...