Returning to Delhi for the third time, Hannah and I vowed to transform ourselves into delhi-ites, despite the upcoming Diwali festival that was coinciding for those days.
We managed to visit Connaught place, ride the Delhi metro and manoeuvre the train station with ease and confidence... Diwali, however, was a different story and after some expert advice from the locals we decided to enjoy the festivities from the safety of a rooftop restaurant. It was the most spectacular fireworks display I have ever seen and it was one of the most chaotic. On the street, children were dancing among fireworks while their parents mingled together, teenagers were setting off bombs amongst the oncoming traffic and the residential dogs of the main bazaar were going mental. As we dodged the stray fireworks that came shooting our way, I couldn't help but think that we should possibly be heading to the nearest Emergency department to lend a hand to the Indians that had lost theirs. It was like a happy war zone...that continued until 3AM!!!!
The other highlight of Delhi was the arrival of our friends from home, Hilary and Megan, turning our travelling duo into an epic wolf pack. As first timers to India we were unsure of what their reactions were going to be but as Hilary shimmied her way down the main bazaar exclaiming 'I f*#king love this!!!!!' and dodging cow poo, we knew it would be okay. It was interesting to see what the girls found hilarious and crazy in those first few days which we had come so immune to in the past couple of months.
Our first stop as a wolf pack was Pushkar for the annual camel festival. We arrived into the Ajmer train station and then had a one kilometre walk to the bus stand to catch a bus to Pushkar. Whilst walking through the middle of town, we encountered a dead man lying on the street with maggots coming out of his nose. It was disturbing for us but everyone else (well, the indian people) just ignored him as they walked past carrying out their daily lives. The impression I get, as a foreigner in India, is that life here seems so expendable and undervalued and it makes me quite sad. From the dead man on the street to the people who ride motorbikes with their infants and toddlers and no helmets. I am no good with words so I can't really describe how it makes me feel... But just sad. I value my life and everyone in it so much but the mindset here is, not the opposite, but different.
There is a lot of good though... Don't let me put you off!
For one, the camel festival. What a hoot! I had never seen a camel before and now I have seen hundreds. I mean it - Hundreds.
We rode camels, enjoyed desert sunsets via camel,held picnics on the back of camel carts, learnt the price of camels, watched camel hair cuts and camel nose piercings all the while declining the hoards of children wanting our money.
We also shopped. And shopped. And shopped.
However, my favourite part of Pushkar is yet to come...
And it has nothing to do with camels...
Or shopping..
But BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS!!! Dun-Duna-dun!
Not only was it the most exercise I have had in 2 months (and that includes the trek to base camp) but the moves were sassy, there was plenty of hip thrusting and it just so turns out, our teacher thinks we have what it takes to make it in Bollywood.
We danced to the slumdog millionaire soundtrack and have since been showing off our new choreographed moves to anyone who will watch...which is practically every indian we met.
Indian cooking class - tick
Bollywood dance class - tick
Is it time to party yet?
We managed to visit Connaught place, ride the Delhi metro and manoeuvre the train station with ease and confidence... Diwali, however, was a different story and after some expert advice from the locals we decided to enjoy the festivities from the safety of a rooftop restaurant. It was the most spectacular fireworks display I have ever seen and it was one of the most chaotic. On the street, children were dancing among fireworks while their parents mingled together, teenagers were setting off bombs amongst the oncoming traffic and the residential dogs of the main bazaar were going mental. As we dodged the stray fireworks that came shooting our way, I couldn't help but think that we should possibly be heading to the nearest Emergency department to lend a hand to the Indians that had lost theirs. It was like a happy war zone...that continued until 3AM!!!!
The other highlight of Delhi was the arrival of our friends from home, Hilary and Megan, turning our travelling duo into an epic wolf pack. As first timers to India we were unsure of what their reactions were going to be but as Hilary shimmied her way down the main bazaar exclaiming 'I f*#king love this!!!!!' and dodging cow poo, we knew it would be okay. It was interesting to see what the girls found hilarious and crazy in those first few days which we had come so immune to in the past couple of months.
Our first stop as a wolf pack was Pushkar for the annual camel festival. We arrived into the Ajmer train station and then had a one kilometre walk to the bus stand to catch a bus to Pushkar. Whilst walking through the middle of town, we encountered a dead man lying on the street with maggots coming out of his nose. It was disturbing for us but everyone else (well, the indian people) just ignored him as they walked past carrying out their daily lives. The impression I get, as a foreigner in India, is that life here seems so expendable and undervalued and it makes me quite sad. From the dead man on the street to the people who ride motorbikes with their infants and toddlers and no helmets. I am no good with words so I can't really describe how it makes me feel... But just sad. I value my life and everyone in it so much but the mindset here is, not the opposite, but different.
There is a lot of good though... Don't let me put you off!
For one, the camel festival. What a hoot! I had never seen a camel before and now I have seen hundreds. I mean it - Hundreds.
We rode camels, enjoyed desert sunsets via camel,held picnics on the back of camel carts, learnt the price of camels, watched camel hair cuts and camel nose piercings all the while declining the hoards of children wanting our money.
We also shopped. And shopped. And shopped.
However, my favourite part of Pushkar is yet to come...
And it has nothing to do with camels...
Or shopping..
But BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS!!! Dun-Duna-dun!
Not only was it the most exercise I have had in 2 months (and that includes the trek to base camp) but the moves were sassy, there was plenty of hip thrusting and it just so turns out, our teacher thinks we have what it takes to make it in Bollywood.
We danced to the slumdog millionaire soundtrack and have since been showing off our new choreographed moves to anyone who will watch...which is practically every indian we met.
Indian cooking class - tick
Bollywood dance class - tick
Is it time to party yet?
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