Page 12 - india

we took it in stride. Nothing competed
with nightmarish rides up Nepal’s one-
lane mountain roads or through Mum-
bai’s narrow streets in a three-wheeled
deathtrap called a tuk tuk. Nonetheless,
we were relieved as the road flattened out
at the outskirts of Pushkar.
Just when you think things are going
fine in India, you should know better.
A barricade manned by a dozen or so
young men stopped us from entering
the town. Our driver argued with the
grim young leader and then handed over
a small wad of rupees. The barricade was
lifted and we continued on our way. Wel-
come to Pushkar.

Pushkar’s population explodes during
the camel fair and prices increase ac-
cordingly. Accommodations include
simple guest houses, desert tents, some
tiny and very scruffy looking hotels
in the town center, a few heritage ho-
tels, and farm stays. If you plan to go,
it’s best to line up reservations several
months in advance or risk paying a high
tariff for less than stellar accommoda-
tions. We didn’t book until a couple of
months before the festival and paid the
consequences.
As we skirted the festival grounds we got
a preview of coming attractions before
turning down a dirt road that passed
brightly painted concrete buildings be-
fore depositing us into a dirt driveway.
Ahead we glimpsed a cluster of white
tents amid a grove of small trees.
We had arrived at Royal Rajasthan
Camp where we would spend the next
three days in a deluxe tent with its own
bathroom facilities and dine at the camp
restaurant, The Wild Rose (which would
prove that a rose is not always a rose).
The “front desk” was in a open large tent, Despite beautiful 80-degree days dur- Capping off our restless night, we had
where a less-than cheerful guy handled ing our stay, the desert nights are cold. a perfectly awful breakfast at the Rose,
check-in and perfunctorily presented us Even with a small portable electric heat- which sported food-stained vinyl table-
with a lei of fragrant marigolds. er Sabu had arranged, we froze on both cloths coated with a fine layer of grit.
nights. Festival and campground noise
Roughing it in a tent was appealing after kept us awake, as did our uncomfort- You might think our accommodations
two weeks of luxury hotel stays. Pushkar able, short bed whose hard support rails at Camp Royal Gotcha-stan ruined our
has several of these camps set up just for seemed to push its way through the thin time in Pushkar – but they didn’t. In fact
the festival, but this one came with a ca- foam mattress that was covered with a Pushkar was a highlight of our trip.
veat from our tour master Sabu Ram of velveteen blanket and 12-count sheets The Pushkar Camel Fair was organized
Icon Tours: “About Pushkar accommo- made from pig bristle. At least that’s many years ago for local camel and cattle
dation, it’s not so highly praised and just what it felt like. traders to do business during the holy
known as an OK accommodation.” “OK”
ended up to be a quite a stretch. Kartik Purnima festival, held around

12 Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014