Pushkar

21st June.We arrived mid afternoon in Pushkar feeling a bit jaded. It was a drive of 320 kms but on what must be one of the best highways in India. Four lanes and quite a good surface. However it had taken is 1½ hours finding our way out of Udaipur which was very frustrating. The signage which can be quite good in the countryside comes to a complete halt once you reach the city's edge. It's a matter of asking, checking the compass, keeping an eye on any deterioration in the road surface which may mean you are on a minor road, and asking again. Pushkar is famous for its Camel Fair that is held later in the year when farmers and tribesmen smarten up their camels and other animals then bring them to Pushkar to buy and sell. It is a conglomeration of colour, dust and smells I believe. Yet it is only a sideline to the main celebration which is the washing away of the Hindu's sins in the sacred lake which is surrounded by the town. There are over 50 ghats on the edge of the lake and to see the masses bathing then lighting candles and setting them afloat must be a spectacular sight. The rains have not reached this area, the lake is low and the large fish in the lake are dying due to lack of oxygen. It's a sad sight but one that happens every year, it appears, before the rains. Pushkar is a very sacred town where alcohol is banned as is non-vegetarian food and even eggs, though I have been offered hash hish as I walk down the main street. There are many hotels here but most are in the budget range and a bit grotty. Those in the mid range that we try to aim for are quite expensive. I think trying to find one that suited put us off a bit and it wasn't until we climbed on to the roof of the hotel and saw just how magical this place was did we appreciate it. It was dusk, the chimes were clanging bringing the people to the temples, the sound of children laughing across the water, the flying foxes were heading off, the surrounding hills were changing colour with the setting sun, the bathing ghats had emptied. Quite moving.Later in Jodhpur.A short drive today across flat semi arid land much of it ploughed waiting for the rains. A very pleasant drive with a good road and few trucks. Rajasthan is off the main north/south routes meaning the traffic is more local. Quite fitting that the owner of the place we are staying is in to polo as that type of pants horse riders where gets its name from this city.