MOTHER & DAUGHTER JOURNEY: Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, India (PICS AT LAST!)

OUR NEW FORM OF TRANSPORTATION CIRCULATING THE FAIRGROUNDS.

Me and My Shadow...?

The reason we came to India was to attend the world renowned fair.

The horizon is laced with camels as far as I can see.

I want to be one of the 200,000 people who attend the worlds largest camel fair, auction, race and cultural event every year! I love it here:)

The hustle and bustle of the traders, camel jockeys, cultural artists, craftsmen (SHOPPING-SHOPPING-SHOPPING!!) and tourist was exciting!

As people from India and other countries arrived in Pushkar, massive campsites appeared daily. Tents and man made shelters were built side by side with their families, friends, workers and animals (camels, cattle, horses and etc).

Camel Dressings for sale or trade

Sheering the Camel's Hair

PUSHKAR WAS MY CITY OF LOVE AND ALLOWED ME TO FALL IN LOVE WITH INDIA

BATHING IN THE HOLY WATER OF PUSHKAR LAKE

I'm not sure how they really feel about me taking this picture. Is that a smile I see? I didn't think so.

Smiling at the beginning of Moms first camel ride!

Trying to take photos of each other while riding camel back

Mom and her private trainer

Over 50,000 camels and thousands of herds of cattle are expected this year alone. Not to mention the controversial hot air balloon that recently arrived. The tourism department spent 50 lakn. (whatever amount that is?) It must be amble, as Pushkar has drawn flak from traders and various other organizations for failing to provide amenities such as water, firewood for keeping warm or lighting. This uprising includes negative publicity from media throughout India on how the government lacks responsibility to arrange public sanitation(toilets/outhouse). The motto appears to be if you got to go... Just go.

Literally public toilets!

Me, well, I'm easy.
I wouldn't have known the difference. It just adds to the adventure of something new. I cant deny it. I had to go. Haven't you?

My new Camel Chai friend "Moon" ,
who brought me and my lantern luggage home via motorcycle
through the back streets of Pushkar as the sun set.

I find safety in the kindness of most local people and peace within the odd charm of Pushkar's positive energy. The old back streets, the holy lake where people bath in the open, and never ending ancient Rajasthan temples. Drinking Chai with my new found friends has become my past time. A little shopping... a little Chai. Yummy camel milk!

Creative homemade Lanterns
Did I mention we bought 7?

I drove Mr. Moon crazy... I loved to hear him say it. I wanted a recording and I told him again and again,

"SAY IT AGAIN!" and he would reply in his charming accent "You Drive Me Crazy!"

I knew he wasn't alone, If I had a dollar for every time I heard this, I would be rich!

Raj was our 1st Pushkar friend and Mom now has a ?

So many fun things to buy

COLOR ME RED RAJ!

As I have said before, What girl doesn't want to play dress up? And so Raj, Mother and I had a grand time.

THE BLANKET I CARTED 5 COUNTRIES

A pictures worth a thousand words!

If only I could buy a baby camel and bring it home! 20,000 Rubies (if I were a local) sounds like a fair price to me. They are so cute and innocent. One hump or two? We joke. (The grown ups don't look so innocent)

Baby camels crying for their mothers

As we rode camel back through the fairgrounds and across the fields that stretched over acres of land, we could hear the echo from the thousands of auctioned off baby camels crying for their mothers. It was a heart wrenching howl. But one I could handle. Perhaps, the lack of motherhood made me stronger.

Moms face, well, I'm not sure how to read it. Her crinkled up nose, big bottom lip and lack of deep breaths could show some form of compassion, pain or constipation.

(If you've been with us this trip, And as you read our updated recaps, you will come to know our new nicknames. "Puker" and "Pooper"! Who's who is still to come.)

But Mom has looked like this since we arrived in India.
Well, maybe within 30 minutes outside the main city of Delhi, New Delhi that is.

Mom's toe tag, "Just ship me home"

She has made it clear, no hospital here! life or death, no way!

If she has to go to the hospital, even here, she is going!

In the early morning, when she was still sleeping,
i took the international transfer tag off my backpack.
I slowly walked over to her toe sticking outside the sheet and tagged it.

Her eyes were secretly peeking, slowly watching me as I removed the tag from my bag.

She said "I just knew it!" as I tied the tag to her toe:)

Her toe tagging attitude is similar to her feelings of Agra.