Good bye India

Hello,

After a great last week in India I am now ready to write about my final adventures :O)

Let us begin way back when in Jaipur. We exit our hotel and pick up a rickshaw driver to take us around town for the day at the low low price of $200 Rupees ($5 US). At our first stop he introduced us to his other rickshaw driver friend name Sheck who was to take 2 of us in his rickshaw all for the same 200 Rupees ( at this point we should have figured out that this was going to be a scam- but we did not- of course- as always). Sheck was a joyful soul and spoke perfect English. We felt quite fortunate to find Scheck and I would perhaps call him the gem of Jaipur. So, we spent the next 2 days touring around Jaipur with Scheck . We went to 2 palaces the wind palace and the water palace as well as the royal gaitors. We also went to the amber fort ( where I was harassed by men selling pictures and small black elephants decorated with ugly rhinestones- at the low low price of 10 for 100 rupees ( $2.50 US) I bought them even though I hated them- you will all be getting a heinous elephant that somewhat resembles a bowel movement :O) with stones!! Sorry that was way visual.

Oh yeah the best part was when I finally escaped the harassers an Indian man asked me for a sip of the coke in my hand- was he serious? Yes!!! Was there weird orange gue on his lip??? Yes. Did I give him a sip???? Of course. Really people did you think I would give him a sip??? No of course I did not but it was so redic that he asked. Anyways the fort was beautiful as were the palaces.

So, the scam begins when the driver decides top take us to a cloth factory to see how the patterns are made in India. Oh yes, he happens to get commission off of everything we buy at the factory/store and of course if you plant me in front of a pile of scarves, bags and other trinkets I will buy them . Needless to say Sheck is now a rich man.

We spent part of the second day shopping at the bazaar and at night we went to the monkey temple. The monkey temple was great- well it was dark so we did not actually see the temple but we did see the monkeys and they would take peanuts right out of your hand. Envision the monkeys from the movie outbreak trying to wrestle peanuts out of your hand (can you say Rabies?). It was actually pretty funny because there were lots of cows and goats and dogs who also wanted in on the feeding frenzy and one goat actually mounted Chad in an attempt to get those darn peanuts.

Side note: It was raining all day and we had 1 umbrella which meant that on a day when we were all wearing white we had to have one person walk back and forth escorting people through the rain. It was actually pretty funny and I was soaked but giggling so it was worth it.

On the first night we went to a hokey Indian village. It was really fun. I got my palm read by 2 people ( juts to compare) and they said a lot of the same things as other palm readers that I have seen ( such as I am stubborn and I will be wealthy but I need to start a side business). There were also dancers and little boys who could balance on a pole and fling himself in circles. We also rode a camel the food was traditional Rajasthan food and we sat Indian style on the floor behind a little individual table. The servers came around every 2 seconds and forced food onto your plate. I must say it was quite delicious and the night was really fun.

The second night was spent on the hotel roof top with a group of Danish youngsters (they reappear later on in this blog entry).

That final morning in Jaipur Chad and Travis left for Agra and Sarah and took a 3 hour van ride to Pushkar... We made friends with some of the other travelers on the bus- a couple from Salt Lake City- a family from Holland (the father was a yoga instructor and has a guru in India- Bizarro- as he was telling me about the guru the man in front of him whips out a wallet sized photo of that exact guru (apparently people carry around pics of their guru) - what a small world!!


So, we arrive in Puskar and get take to a really far guest house – annoying!!!
After hiking through Pushkar in the heat we find a lovely place called Lakeview hotel- very nice, rooftop café – view of the lake- just perfect. We spent the next few days, drumming, shopping!!!! Riding motor bikes!!!! Hanging out with a gypsy family at their home and taking their sick children to the clinic!!!! Going on an overnight camel safari with those Danish kids (see I told you they would reappear) where our night entertainment was that gypsy family whom we met the day before!!!

I must say that getting to know a gypsy family ( the lowest caste) was a very unique and special learning experience for me. Basically, they spend all day begging on the streets of Pushkar. The kids ask for ingredients to make chippati ( then they sell them back to the store owner to make money). The women approach you and say photo photo so you take a picture and then they say give me money for the photo. If you say no they try to grab you hand and give you a henna tattoo so you feel the need to pay them for that. As a person in town this is how I came to know the gypsies. However, after stopping our motorbikes on the side of the road and going to their home I came to know then much better and really began to sympathize for their plight.


The families live in a Bedouin tent. There were 2 bed cots (no mattress) some animals and about 7 children. The children wore tattered clothing and most were somehow sick- pink eye, boils. However, I must say that aside from their situation they were some of the happiest and sweetest children and I have ever met. As I sat on the cot the oldest daughter Reika gave me a henna tattoo and convinced me to buy some jewelry

As a sign of appreciation for their hospitality we decided to take the sick children to the clinic and some of their conditions were actually quite serious. The boy with boils had to get an antibiotic injection and the rest were given a load of medicine. Although stopping my motor bike on the side of a road and hanging out with a gypsy family was probably not the best idea it really taught me a lot about India culture and the circumstances of many Indian families and the caste system.

Pushkar is a wonderful little town surrounding Pushkar Lake. It is a religious town and upon arrival we were “give”/ forced to pay for through donation a bracelet called the passport to Pushkar. There are a lot of temples here and loads of people who come to the lake to make a Puja (prayer offering). Apparently the lake was created when Shiva dropped a lotus flower and where he dropped it lakes were formed.


Side Note: My camel safari driver Durmu and I are in love and we have decided to get married. The dowry will be one camel, a big screen TV and a sari for his mother ( mom and dad you better start saving up) I think we are going to have to invite his whole cast but don’t worry the Damami peoples are quite nice and I think the wedding will be fun.


Now, I am heading off toe Delhi and then to Paris, Amsterdam and London to meet Meegan for 9 days. I will be back the 28th. See you then.