Thursday, 30 October 2014, Pushkar
As Pati and BeeBee checked into their B&B, they discussed various options for learning their way around the Pushkar camel fair before it officially opened on Friday. The option they chose was a camel cart ride from 4 to 6 pm. They also discussed a possible visit to the market with a trusted member of the B&B family, at 7 pm after their ride. For the camel cart ride, they would be picked up by the camel cart on the road outside their B&B, taken to the fair grounds and driven around the camel, cattle, and horse markets, and then driven back. The camel cart is similar to a flatbed trailer, with two large inflated tires. The bed of the cart is probably wood, but covered with comfortable and colorful blankets. That is all the comfort for sitting, because the cart does not have shock absorbers or places to hold on. There is a colorful canopy above, which probably helps when the sun is out and hot. The camel is harnessed in front, and the driver controls the camel with two lines and verbal commands. Usually the driver can sit in front on the right, when automobile traffic is not bad, or when the road or path is easy to navigate, but otherwise he walks ahead of the camel. Pati and BeeBee's camel's name was Rama. They did not learn the driver's name. He only knew a few words of English. The camel may have known more but wasn't talkative. The cost for this exotic ride was 2400 rupees, or about $40 USD for both of them.
Just after 4 pm, they walked out to the road where the camel, cart and driver were waiting. BeeBee had imagined that the cart would be only big enough for the two of them, but it was possible to seat 9 in relative comfort, as they saw in other carts later. As they had approached the cart, they were able to observe where those large quantities of water that camels drink eventually end up. With some difficulty, they climbed aboard and seated themselves in front, with BeeBee just behind the camel. The camel flicked his tail, Pati and BeeBee ducked, but not quickly enough to avoid the camel's "special blessing." BeeBee found that the drinking water she had brought was perfectly suited to cleaning her glasses (which had mysteriously developed spots on them).
They started out and soon joined the end of a small procession of camels with riders. They all wound slowly through the fair, observing camels, cattle, horses, sellers' stalls, and hawkers. Everything was fascinating, and more animals arrived by the minute to join those already there. They had thought they would be safer from persistent hawkers by being inside the cart, but no place is safe. Being on the cart also marked them as having money to spend. At one point, when the driver stopped (looking for his boss), a group of men began to play terrible music and dance together, demanding money from Pati. The driver advised Pati, with a shake of his head, not to give money and tried to send the men away. They became angry with the driver, but left to harass other people.
Finally, they had seen enough. It was getting dark, so they headed back to the B&B. They had left shortly after 4 pm, and it seemed that they would be getting back shortly after 6 pm. Their route back included a shortcut on a well-traveled path through the sand to get to the paved road. At one point, the path narrowed, with a drop-off to the left and a bank to the right. The path was just barely wider than the cart. Suddenly a large SUV appeared in front of them. Backing up for either vehicle seemed very difficult, but easier for the SUV. Angrily, the SUV driver demanded that the camel cart move aside, toward the dropoff. The camel cart driver jockeyed the cart closer to the edge. The SUV took a run at the resulting space, but it wasn't enough, and the SUV kept stalling in the sand. More angry words. More shifting of the cart. The cart tipped somewhat, but the canopy snagged on a small tree there and held. Pati, on the front left corner, hung on tightly. BeeBee shifted to the right to help balance the cart. The SUV took another run at the space and succeeded this time. He plowed away through the sand without any offer of help to the stuck cart. Fortunately, there was another camel driver behind them, and both of them together with the camel got the cart back on the path, Pati and BeeBee looking on from the ground.
They finally got back to the B&B, well after dark. Pati thanked the camel driver and paid him his agreed-upon fee of 2,400 rupees plus a 100 rupee tip.
Pati and BeeBee decided they had had enough excitement for the day and would go to the market another day.
As Pati and BeeBee checked into their B&B, they discussed various options for learning their way around the Pushkar camel fair before it officially opened on Friday. The option they chose was a camel cart ride from 4 to 6 pm. They also discussed a possible visit to the market with a trusted member of the B&B family, at 7 pm after their ride. For the camel cart ride, they would be picked up by the camel cart on the road outside their B&B, taken to the fair grounds and driven around the camel, cattle, and horse markets, and then driven back. The camel cart is similar to a flatbed trailer, with two large inflated tires. The bed of the cart is probably wood, but covered with comfortable and colorful blankets. That is all the comfort for sitting, because the cart does not have shock absorbers or places to hold on. There is a colorful canopy above, which probably helps when the sun is out and hot. The camel is harnessed in front, and the driver controls the camel with two lines and verbal commands. Usually the driver can sit in front on the right, when automobile traffic is not bad, or when the road or path is easy to navigate, but otherwise he walks ahead of the camel. Pati and BeeBee's camel's name was Rama. They did not learn the driver's name. He only knew a few words of English. The camel may have known more but wasn't talkative. The cost for this exotic ride was 2400 rupees, or about $40 USD for both of them.
Just after 4 pm, they walked out to the road where the camel, cart and driver were waiting. BeeBee had imagined that the cart would be only big enough for the two of them, but it was possible to seat 9 in relative comfort, as they saw in other carts later. As they had approached the cart, they were able to observe where those large quantities of water that camels drink eventually end up. With some difficulty, they climbed aboard and seated themselves in front, with BeeBee just behind the camel. The camel flicked his tail, Pati and BeeBee ducked, but not quickly enough to avoid the camel's "special blessing." BeeBee found that the drinking water she had brought was perfectly suited to cleaning her glasses (which had mysteriously developed spots on them).
They started out and soon joined the end of a small procession of camels with riders. They all wound slowly through the fair, observing camels, cattle, horses, sellers' stalls, and hawkers. Everything was fascinating, and more animals arrived by the minute to join those already there. They had thought they would be safer from persistent hawkers by being inside the cart, but no place is safe. Being on the cart also marked them as having money to spend. At one point, when the driver stopped (looking for his boss), a group of men began to play terrible music and dance together, demanding money from Pati. The driver advised Pati, with a shake of his head, not to give money and tried to send the men away. They became angry with the driver, but left to harass other people.
Finally, they had seen enough. It was getting dark, so they headed back to the B&B. They had left shortly after 4 pm, and it seemed that they would be getting back shortly after 6 pm. Their route back included a shortcut on a well-traveled path through the sand to get to the paved road. At one point, the path narrowed, with a drop-off to the left and a bank to the right. The path was just barely wider than the cart. Suddenly a large SUV appeared in front of them. Backing up for either vehicle seemed very difficult, but easier for the SUV. Angrily, the SUV driver demanded that the camel cart move aside, toward the dropoff. The camel cart driver jockeyed the cart closer to the edge. The SUV took a run at the resulting space, but it wasn't enough, and the SUV kept stalling in the sand. More angry words. More shifting of the cart. The cart tipped somewhat, but the canopy snagged on a small tree there and held. Pati, on the front left corner, hung on tightly. BeeBee shifted to the right to help balance the cart. The SUV took another run at the space and succeeded this time. He plowed away through the sand without any offer of help to the stuck cart. Fortunately, there was another camel driver behind them, and both of them together with the camel got the cart back on the path, Pati and BeeBee looking on from the ground.
They finally got back to the B&B, well after dark. Pati thanked the camel driver and paid him his agreed-upon fee of 2,400 rupees plus a 100 rupee tip.
Pati and BeeBee decided they had had enough excitement for the day and would go to the market another day.
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| Camel (Rama) with Cart |
What! Only a 4% tip!!
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