As the ride to Pushkar was going to be long, we had an early start in the next morning. We headed to the train ready for our last adventure at 4 a.m!
Once we arrived outside of Pushkar, we had about a 45 minute drive from the Ajmer station. As it was one of our last drives, I was frantically trying to take some last minute photos of the chaos! I wanted to remember all parts of India. Especially, the driving!
Pushkar is one of the oldest existing cities in India located around Lake Pushkar. According to Hindi theology, the lake was formed by the tears shed by Lord Shiva upon the passing of his wife, Sati. As such, the lake is considered to be holy, drawing crowds daily to bathe in its sacred waters.
No. I did not bathe in the sacred waters.
In addition to the lake, Pushkar is also famous for its camels! Especially, its camel fair which is the largest in the country and brings in over 50,000 camels from across India to be traded or sold!
Unfortunately, we were not there for the camel fair which is in November. But luckily, they do host camel safaris through the desert year round.
After we checked into our hotel and had some lunch, we ready to go!
Well, I thought I was. By the time I got down to the camels, concern swept over me. Is this safe? What if the camel goes out of control?
I found the laziest looking camel and chose that one!
Before I knew it, I was hoisted up on the camel and high in the sky! I held on tight for dear life!
Well at least until I remembered that I wanted to get some pictures along the way.. I mean.. We weren’t even moving yet…
Then it was go time!
We headed away from the hotel into the desert. It was bumpy ride at first but after a while I got my bearings. This was so cool! I love riding a camel.
We took a stop along the way for the camels to get something to drink. Apparently, mine was not thirsty. Our guide told us that the camels can go a whole month without drinking water!
Totally incredible. I guess those humps are doing their jobs.
Eventually, we took another break from riding to view the sunset and have a cup of Chai. It was also a great opportunity to get some good shots of the camels. They have so much character in their faces!
Then, we were back on for our last stretch into the city. Overall, it was such an amazing way to spend our last day together.
After, one last dinner.. And one last lunch the next day …
We boarded our final train back to Delhi.
It was such an incredible two weeks that none of us will ever forget. Intrepid did an amazing job planning an itinerary that showed us all parts of Rajasthan including major highlights like the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort, to the small villages in between. Led by our amazing trip leader, Sukhi, we took local buses and trains, and had the opportunity to stay in Heritage castles and forts! We never felt like we were missing any real experiences you can sometimes miss on a tour.
We got to see all sides and all colours of India.
It was the end of our tour but not the end of India for Kevin and I just quite yet.
Last stop – Goa!