Private Car to Pushkar

Just before 8 AM, we were all set to hit the road as quickly as possible. We were eager to get through the 7-hour journey! :) The traffic wasn’t too crazy, but the roads aren’t great, so you can only drive about 100-110 km/h and still arrive safely, especially since there are often animals crossing the roads. We had to swerve quite a bit to avoid cows, sheep, and goats! :) At 3:30 PM, we rolled into Pushkar, a holy city where meat, eggs, alcohol, drugs, and revealing clothing are banned. Still, many people find ways around these rules. No sooner had we checked into our hotel, Kanhaia, for 180 rs per night, than one of the staff mentioned he could get us anything – alcohol and joints. We politely declined the joints, but we’re definitely not turning down a beer! :) Super hungry, we headed up to the rooftop restaurant at the hotel for a bite to eat. It was clear that many people were staying in Pushkar for the easy access to drugs – we saw quite a few folks lounging around with joints. We, however, stuck to ordering food! :) The whole town has a hippie vibe. Pushkar is really popular among tourists, and more than half of them look like old-school hippies with Bob Marley hairstyles and super laid-back outfits. A lot of them seem to be wandering around in a perpetual haze. You can also buy special lassis, special cookies, etc., so you have to be careful about what you order! :) Pushkar is said to be a great place to get clothes tailored, so while we were wandering around the town, we kept an eye out for tailors. After seeing the clothes you can get made in Thailand and Vietnam, we weren’t too impressed, so we’ll hold off on expanding our wardrobe until we get to Delhi! :) That said, Pushkar is very charming. Cars aren’t allowed in the center, so there’s not much traffic – just scooters and bicycles. The town is a real tourist mecca, full of guesthouses, restaurants, and shops. We had dinner at Baba restaurant, where we had a view over the entire city. It’s still amusing to watch the traffic in India, as there are almost as many animals on the roads as there are cars. In Pushkar, the animals definitely outnumber the vehicles! :) Food here is super cheap. We each had two dishes for only 220 rs. You can order dishes from all over the world, so it’s not just Indian food you have to stick to. We had spaghetti (Italian), spring rolls (Chinese), burgers (continental), and thalis (Indian).