This past weekend we once again headed west Saturday and Sunday for the second year in a row. Yes, the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan is worth a repeat. We led good friends John and Lindsay on their first Indian train adventure and thoroughly enjoyed watching their reaction to 20,000 camels. Last year we went on the second weekend after all the camels and horses had been traded. This year we hit opening weekend and didn't regret it for a second. The highlight for me was watching the camel races on opening day (2nd picture above). Wow, what a life experience.
The fair is really an off shoot of the South Dakota State Fair with animals, food, henna painters, snake tamers, shows at the grandstand, Ferris wheels, and camel saddles. As you can see in the pictures we experienced our first Indian camping experience, which consisted of a luxury tent set up in the country. We even rode a camel cart into town. The bathroom accommodations provided for comic relief and yes we took a shower Sunday morning after our bucket of warm water arrived sharply at 8 am. I hope I never forget these life experiences!
Highlights of the train experience include our Uno marathon during our 7.5 hour train ride from Ajmer back to Gurgaon. Final scores included Jodi: 10 games, John: 9 games, and Ben & Lindsay coming in with 4 games each. I won't mention how many games we played before Lindsay joined the winning team. A Pushkar train record was also broken Sunday evening around 6 pm India Time. Last year Ben and I introduced the first annual Ritz cracker eating contest. The rules involve one person sticking as many Ritz crackers into their mouth at one time and then chewing and swallowing without blowing them all over the train cabin. Yes, it sounds a bit lame, but is very difficult to complete. John Luth broke the previous record of 8 crackers formerly held by Ben Stabe in 2009 by successfully consuming 10 Ritz crackers in one mouthful. We have the entire thing on video if anyone wants to purchase a copy. Yes, 13.5 hours on the train in two days is a bit much to take in a camel fair, but the memories are priceless.
In no specific order the unforgettable moments include:
1) Pushing the car in Pushkar after it died on the side of the ride. True "Push Car" experience! The locals found it quite funny that three Caucasians were pushing a 1989 Ambassador taxi.
2)Ben living out his dream driving an Ambassador car.
3) Playing Uno at the Ajmer train station with a crowd of 15 Indian men huddled around us watching our every move.
4) Watching Lindsay's reaction to 20,000 camels while almost falling off the camel cart.
5) Watching John photograph Lindsay while kissing a camel with a naked Indian child hugging his right leg. We have pictures to prove it!
In deference to Ben's 2009 record, the "Ritz" crackers this year weren't officially sanctioned and branded Ritz crackers and, I must admit in the spirit of full disclosure, potentially smaller than actual Ritz crackers.
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