Time to Un-relax!

Many short breaths... that's the opposite of a long deep breath that you take when you need to relax right? I desperately need to UN-relax! I'm back in Delhi, once again visiting my Austrian friends after 2 weeks in Pushkar, Rajasthan and I am tired of relaxing, tired of being lazy, having nothing to do! I know some people aspire to be able to relax for the rest of their lives, perhaps on a beach somewhere, wiling away the hours with a lemonade (or something stronger) in one hand and sand between their toes... I can't imagine anything more boring and unsatisfying!

I don’t know if it’s a side effect of growing up in an American society, but I have realized I have a deeply engrained desire to always be doing something. Sure, I love 'time off' just as much as the next person but there is a limit. Plus, my time off usually involves some kind of activity, hiking or jogging or exploring or at least a couple good friends...

I am now going on 6 weeks of travelling on my own which has included some exploring, studying Hindi, hiking, temples, palaces and forts, waterfalls, horses, Saris, television appearances, camels, trains and motorcycles and jeeps and busses, too many men/boys, lots and lots of reading, writing, drawing, darling little kids, swimming, drama and I finally got in a good run today for the first time! It hasn’t been enough though. My second week in Pushkar, I desperately wanted to do something productive. I went to the pool with my Hindi materials and noticed the pool hadn’t been cleaned yet. 'I should go for a swim later when they clear it' I thought and then it occurred to me, I could clean it myself. I hunted down the pole with the net on the end began the task only to discover I actually kind of enjoyed it - clearly it had been too long since I had that accomplished feeling you get from work. The staff of the Hotel, who at this point I considered friends, were pretty surprised to find me cleaning and jokingly assigned me the job for the rest of my stay :).

There were some highlights during my two weeks by the holy lake of Pushkar. A town with magnificent sunsets, an oasis surrounded by desert sands, overrun with Israeli tourists so much so that many of the signs are in Hebrew and graced with the presence of more ash covered sadhus and 'priests' performing pujas for a price than days in the Hindu calendar.

I accompanied two of the staff, Ajay and Kuldeep, along with 8 Israeli tourists on a jeep safari to their native village for a glimpse into small town life and some 'non-veg' food i.e. mutton. Pushkar, being a holy city with the only temple dedicated to Brahma, the creator god, has forbidden the consumption of meat, eggs and alcohol completely. Therefore, a mutton dinner was something fairly special - and delicious! :) My jeep did not have a windshield so with my spot in the front seat, as we flew down the road, I felt as though I was being pummeled by a thousand oven mittens - so fun! A bird swooped down and collided with one of the Israelis in the back. Kuldeep rescued the shell-shocked winged one and fed it water from his hand. We passed massive collections of hay pulled by tractors, wagons laden with vegetables pulled by donkeys and any number of wooden carts with various products pulled by men, women and children. One woman balanced an enormous basket covered in brightly colored material on her head with her Orna (headscarf) pulled down to conceal her face but flying freely behind her. I will never forget that image of a graceful, faceless rainbow with a hot air balloon hat drifting down the lane. That evening after dinner, I even got to ride one of the horses bareback for a while through the fields although the spine was quite prominent so it was, ahem, very uncomfortable! Saddles next time. :)

I hiked to all the surrounding peaks and was rewarded with wonderful views of town. I met some interesting fellow travellers - Germans, Irish and Israelis. I meet very few Americans. I attended a birthday party in the neighboring city of Ajmer and for the first time, spent time with, for lack of a better word, 'westernized' Indian girls, which was a culture just as intriguing to observe. I was introduced to a man that runs a factory that exports clothing all over the world and I designed a top that we worked on bringing to fruition, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time.

I must admit, I got involved in some illicit activity as well. I helped sneak some eggs into town for use in an egg-curry and effectively became an 'egg-smuggler'. I hope the authorities are not keeping tabs on this blog! ;)

All in all, I enjoyed my time in Pushkar, but as I mentioned earlier, its time for some action! Luckily, I have my dear friend Steele visiting in two weeks and we are going to delve back into Rajasthan for guaranteed adventure! :)