The camel fair!
Hi again,
Just want to wish everyone (that celebrates it) a Happy Thanksgiving! I met an American today by chance and he told me what day it was, I’m not out of touch or anything…
I’m at the Pushkar camel festival right now. Today is the last day, but there is another festival that begins today as well. Something about Brahman (the creator) coming to the lake in the center of town and calling all 900,000 Hindu gods, deity’s and manifestations for a fat Hindu party?
Pushkar is great! It’s touristy, but it doesn’t matter. It’s literally an oasis and is just like being in the movie Aladdin! The camel festival was amazing too. The biggest livestock market in the world! 10’s of thousands of camels, horses and cattle. Wild nomads with the huge mustaches and turbins, decorated camels and horses all over the place and best of all, beautiful Gypsies! The A-rab blood in me was stoked! =) I was getting to know a BEAUTIFUL Gypsy girl here and part of me wanted to live out in the wild like all these Rajasthanies (I never considered it though), but she’s a TRUE gypsie and she lives in a crazy world that only a Gypsy can deal with!
The people are great here though. I’ve been invited to so many camp sites (at the fair grounds) and the people truly are wild! I was invited to one family’s camp and offered some chai (tea), so I said sure. The old mother got up, chased a goat and started milking it right there, then she threw it (the milk and tea) on the fire and I had the freshest cup of chai yet! Pretty funny!
I did a little volunteer work here at “The Joshua Project”, mostly playing with the kids (beggars). I also did some volunteer work in Daramsala (with LHA) teaching Tibetan refugees English and just playing with the children as well. The kids are amazing! The stories of what they’ve already dealt with at such a young age and how they handle it all and continue on is just incredible!
Anyway, I’ve found a killer G.H. here and I’m sleeping in a tent on the roof for 20 RS per night (45 = 1 dolla). I’ve met a bunch of really cool people and some good friends. We’ve been keeping busy the last few days with “The Pushkar Super Special Mascot Photo Competition”!
There are “Super Special” people here, they live on the streets or dress or behave like total fruit loops! Every time I meet someone new (travelers) one of the “Super Special People” finds their way into the conversation, so we (me and my friends talking around our campfire) came up with a “mission” that we must accomplish! Whoever gets pictures of all six chosen super special Pushkar mascots first, with out paying baksheesh (a donation that everyone in India asks for,spl?), wins! We don’t know what the prize is yet, but we think it’s a cigarette or something really expensive like that. Just so you know who the “SSPM’s” are (I know you’re all very interested) I’ll give you there titles –
The six legged cow – Has two extra legs growing off of it’s back!
Umbrella head – No legs, but sits on a skateboard looking thingie and has huge sun glasses, and a huge clock around his neck and a beautiful umbrella tied to his head!
T-shirt man – My favorite, always walks around with the bottom of his shirt in his hands, revealing his stomach! When he smokes a beedee (tobacco rolls) he holds both sides (right bottom and left bottom, front of shirt) with one hand and smokes with the other. The best!
Thong man – About two and a half feet tall, naked except for a thong made from cloth and holding a HUGE umbrella! Dead sexy!
Happy man – Haven’t seen him yet, but supposedly he walks around with a big smile and is clapping all the time!
Star wars man – It’s a long story!
Anyway, I’ve got a competition to win and some overdosing on chai. I’ll try to stay in touch, I’ll be out of Pushkar in a few days. Enjoy the day off and eat lots of food for me!
Tags: My India
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