Tickled by a bull...

So the Delhi belly has finally struck - it's not tooooooo bad but my tummy seems to definitely be in mild protest of the third world food hygiene!

I have a slice of toast for breakfast and throw the backpack into the bus taking us to Pushkar. On first impressions it seems that we have a crazy driver but after we reach the next stop he calms down marginally and I spend the next 4.5hrs listening to the sounds of Finley Quaye and The Civil Wars watching rural India pass by the window. On the bus there is a young English couple who are both film makers, backpacking here for 6 months who we introduce ourselves to and hear their stories of travels so far including how he had been attacked by a monkey.

Arriving in Pushkar and it immediately feels different to the other places we have visited in India so far. The constant honking of horns has gone (still the occasional one), it's less crowded with wide open spaces and the luscious green scenery is beautiful with little pollution. There seem to be more cows (sacred) and less litter. Pushkar is one of the five holiest places in the whole of India and somewhere Hindus make pilgrimages to. Brahma was said to have dropped a lotus flower on earth and Pushkar appeared. As well as having one of the only Brahma temples in the world there is a sacred lake where people come to spread the ashes of their loved ones, wash and get blessed. Due to the sanctity of this place there is no booze, meat, eggs or kissing and you must remove shoes from 30ft away from the lake. We are also here at one of the most special times of the year - during a festival called Dussehra Mela when Hindus commemorate when Rama slayed Ravana (a Demon King).

After a quick swim at the hotel we head into the town and straight to see the lake. It is so calm and tranquil. Holy men in orange / white robes wash, read newspapers and sit bare legged dotted around. The milky white wash temples and stone buildings surround the water and steps lead to the waters edge which has remnants of today's colourful offerings floating on top.

There is a sizeable western community here and it's a big hippy destination so also dotted around the lake, next to local women in saris washing in the ghats, western folk sit bare foot and cross legged meditating. No doubt we're in a very special place.

Foreigners are welcomed to take part in the rituals and tune into the spirituality of the place (whatever your religion) and Ricky organises for a priest to come and meet us for our very puja own (prayer). We sit solemnly in a line repeating his mantras, offering holy rice, holy sugar, holy yellow colour and red colour with flowers to the gods asking for good karma to be given to us and our families. The priest blesses us and we are given the familiar red paint dot on our foreheads and a red ribbon around our wrists which we are told must not be broken until it falls off. It was such a special ceremony and performed as the sun was setting - I can see why people find comfort in these rituals and flock here.

We head straight from the blessing to the festival site where we meet the film making backpackers along the way who come along for the ride. It is a huge open space with thousands of people gathered, some in stands sat on concrete bleachers and some stood up near a stage where various dressed up people sit on thrones and senior temple officials tell the story over the sound system. There is a 20ft effigy symbolising the demon king and kids run around everywhere. We nestle in amongst the locals and I sit down next to a man with his son (9) and daughter (5). They say Namaste and before long I am in a tickle competition with the little girl. Fireworks begin to go off nearby - super close to the crowd. I can't believe how close the kids are getting as a guy sets one off after the other. One falls sideways and narrowly misses the nearby watchers. There is no regulation, anyone can purchase and set off which makes me a tad nervous especially as another one goes off and the sparks fall and a boy runs off clutching his face!! I keep a safe distance and watch is amazement (again appreciative of health & safety regs in Europe!!). Before not too long the large effigy is being set alight and fireworks crack from it's sides. It ignites and the shell underneath the decorated paper facade crumbles quickly prompting festival goers to run and collect pieces of the ash as keep sakes.

Dinner is a delicious Indian style pizza amongst fairy lights on a traditional table sat on the floor. We head back to the hotel on a tuk tuk and make a stop for snacks / drinks ready for our hike tomorrow. As I'm stood paying for my water and dry biscuits a large bull appears and adamantly nudges me out of the way of his path. Ricky grabs it by the horns and corrects its path! It was quite a forceful hit so I say thanks to Ricky for saving me to which he replies "Don't be silly he only tickled you" :)

Another perfect end to the day is spent having an Indian drink, chatting on the roof by a campfire with Ricky's music playing.