Very, Very Special Post

We are here in Pushkar after a whirlwind couple of days here and in Bundi. Although Pushkar is a relaxing detour, with oodles of shops and probably the best food we have eaten thus far, I am sorry to announce that I do not share in the much ballyhooed love of Pushkar. All I can say is, it is nice; not the ringing endorsement that we have heard from scores of travelers.
Pushkar is filled with a large amount of cookie cutter shops selling the same materials to cater to the eager tourist. While I can enjoy a good time, it seems Pushkar's appeal is predicated on ordering vast amounts of Bhang Lassis- a yogurt drink that has, let's call it, some special ingredients. As an example, one menu had a selection of very, very special lassis or chocolate balls- regular or very, very special. To generalize, Pushkar is a veritable hippies paradise, and needless to say, they are here in droves. While Varanasi had its share with the spiritual aspect, Pushkar's hippie per capita is exponentially larger than what I have ever seen. The countryside and surrounding mountains lend the idea of attaining spirituality. Its remote location is conducive to the feeling of isolation and peace, a hippie sanctuary. By the looks of some, many come here to return to the salt of the earth. Temples are abound and the city quietly pulsates a kinship with the earth.
Unfortunately, we have in our hotel, a more than zealous group of French hippies that have formed quite the band; their music is an irritating mixture of repeating chants that last about 25 minutes too long, which is 27 minutes too long for me. To punctuate the music, a drum is involved along with some bells. I am enthused they are enjoying the spirit of life and India , good on them, but when it is 10:30 to 11:15, lets get the ipod- side note, I realize I am a curmudgeon, but you should see Sam, she mutters to curse words at them and last night fully intended on breaking the drum.
We have come to the conclusion though that any traveler should begin in Rajasthan to ease into Indian culture and style. Here, as I mentioned with Pushkar, Rajasthan offers the familiarity for travelers as the services are far better than in other places. Once sufficiently filled with your dose of touristic endeavors, I surmise that you will feel comfortable to branch out and really explore off the beaten path.
India has also re-calibrated my semantic understanding of words: jungle and desert for instance.
In Bundi, we enjoyed arguably our best day in India, with a candid, jovial, robust self-proclaimed archaeologist known to Bundi and supposedly the entire world as Kukki. With Kukki, on the suggestion of another fellow traveler, we went exploring in the "jungle" to look at pre historic and historic rock paintings. When you picture a jungle, George swings into your mind; you hear the phrase "Dr Livingston I presume;" the loud whack of a machete reverberates in your mind's eye; sunlight dribbles through thick, dark, green canopy and so on. Our "jungle" was......... open, scorching heat, acrid air and sporadic clumps of dead trees. As I mentioned, Rajasthan has not had a good monsoon since 2003, this has left the land dry and more dry. I have had a difficult time picturing the green landscape that every tells me happens during the monsoon season. The color green is so out of vogue here. It is through this rough terrain we went rock hunting and had just a helluva day. Kukki, a man who screams for his own blog, was a more than eager host and guide. A genial man, he has dedicated his life and subsequently "destroyed all his money" for these rock painting pursuits." In this countryside we were able to witness the fruits of his labor. He was one of the nicest people, along with his genreous family, we have met and made Bundi and our experience in India that much richer.

We decided in Pushkar to go on a Camel Safari in the desert. Again when desert comes to mind, you think waves of sand dunes; long laborious camel treks stumbling in the sand; unrelenting heat and most of all, isolation. Our safari got off to an inauspicious start as rain pelted the city- a strange turn of events considering that it is not supposed to rain for another three months. In this climate, we trekked out into the desert where it was just us, our camel drivers and the camels.......and countryside construction with a bevy of workers.....and villages overflowing with children......and..........a group of tourists returning to their hotel. We walked for about 15 minutes on these beasts and the serenity was overpowering- at least that I perceived and then remarked to Sam, pointing to a person in the distance on the balcony of our hostel in town; he looked alone in a desert of thoughts. Our trip had to subside because of the inclimate weather and we returned, more like never left, from our excursion in the unrelenting commotion of the desert.
Today, we are off to Jaipur where I will leave Sam for her 10 day mediation course, and I go on a journey to find the real desert- hopefully some presents too.