Swimming pool, shopping and sunsets

Location: Pushkar
Country: India

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Spent Rosh-Hashana in Beit Chabad, I would say that there were about 250 people there, quite a special thing to see. I think I mentioned last time, the Beit-Chabad here is still in the process of being built (they were promised that it would be ready for Rosh-Hashana, but I guess local labor, not too reliable), but they managed to arrange it quite nicely. We had all the prayer stuff and a small meal.
I was a little disappointed as I thought the atmosphere would be more special with all singing and stuff, but didn’t quite go that way.
I was concerned about the fact that there was no guard at the door and was thinking of what a perfect and easy opportunity it would be for a “pigua”, when I shared my thoughts with another girl she gave me a strange look and said living in Israel has traumatized me. I thought it was a very logical thought.
Due to many requests received from my loyal readers, I am attaching a picture of me in my chag cloths, no comments on the issue will be accepted.

I have spent almost 2 weeks in Pushkar, has been very nice and relaxing, can’t say that I have been doing too much.
I am staying in the nicest guesthouse I have been in so far. As I have mentioned, it has a pool and loads of trees all around, very nice atmosphere. Most the travelers staying there are a bit older, not straight after the army, so I can find more people to relate to and it isn’t as noisy.

The room is simple, but I have come to a conclusion that as long as the room is quite clean, has no flees, has a fan and an attached toilet and bathroom with hot water, it is enough for me, I really don’t need more than that.


The day usually starts with me sitting by the pool reading for a while, in the waking up process.
Then usually go have a musli at my favorite restaurant, which also has a TV.
Yes, after going cold turkey and having no access to a TV for a whole month, there is finally a TV I can watch, oh to the joy. I managed to re-watch the entire last season on “Friends”.
There is one problem and that is that most people want to watch stupid Israeli films all the time, so I was forced to watch a couple (“mivtsa savta” is just so dumb!!), but it was well worth the sacrifice.
Then it is either sitting by the pool, or shopping or Internet.
In the evening I go to the lake and watch the amazing sunset, and there are a couple of drummers there playing while the sun is going down.
Then supper with someone or other and hanging out at the guesthouse.

It took me about a week and a half till I managed to get myself to go do some proper shopping, Pushkar is known as the place for it.
The market is really long and I made myself walk through all of it, I almost ended up with buying nothing but then I found this really great shop and bought my self a few cloths and jewelry, was very happy with my purchases. Though compared to most girls I bought almost nothing, I think I did very well for me, especially not having my personnel shopper (Tali) with me.


One day I was walking round the town leisurely in the middle of the day when suddenly for no apparent reason, all the shops started closing.
After asking some of my local friends, I was told that two boxes of alcohol were found in one of the temples (alcohol, meat and eggs are strictly forbidden here as Pushkar is a holy place), and it would seem that one of the holy men was involved in the matter.
The police saw this as a cause to shut down the whole town for a few hours on that day and again on the next day.
Was strange and amusing. Don’t know how the matter ended, but there was no public hanging.

They seem to have festivals in Pushkar all the time, it is worse then our chagim period.
One evening was sitting in a restaurant with some people, when we heard this god awful Indian music blaring away on the worst sound system you have ever heard.
Then we saw a stage in the middle of the street with a “show” going on. Basically the show is 2-3 people sitting dressed up on the stage and a narrator telling stories.
The shows we used to do in junior school were of better quality than this.
But it was nice seeing all the little kids sitting there, for some reason totally enamored with the show.


I know I have already mentioned the cow issue in the past, but I feel I should dedicate some more words to this matter.
Having cows walking freely along the street has to be the single dumbest idea I have ever come across!! It is such a nuisance, I cannot tell you.
Now, cows may look harmless but I assure you that they are not. I have heard of several people who received painful nocks from those horns. I see a cow, I get out of the way and let her pass, and it has nothing to do with respect, only fear.
I will not argue the issue here of the Indians deciding that cows are holy (though I would have something to say on that matter), but who on earth woke up one morning with amazing idea of letting them roam the streets??
I mean, wouldn’t the cows be happier in some meadow somewhere?

Had to add this picture, as I find this amusing. They do not have any rickshaws in Pushkar, they have this instead :

I have to say that you feel like a right idiot being pushed along on one of those, but sometimes after a long day of shopping, there is just no choice.

Tomorrow night I am sadly saying goodbye to Pushkar and moving on to Jaislamer.

Tsom Kal Ve’gmar Chatima Tova.