to stay in the local school perhaps ? They couldn ’ t understand why white tourists preferred sleeping on the ground when they could surely afford a hotel .
As magical as it was to meet the locals and share this moment of discovery and kindness , it soon became clear that we wouldn ’ t be left to sleep unless we took some drastic measures . I feigned being very tired and demonstratively crawled into the tent . Everyone understood that Aidan would now have to look after his wife and left him to it .
We were just dozing off when we heard a car engine interrupt the quiet night and we frantically got dressed . Moments later headlights illuminated the tent , we opened the zipper to find a huge crowd watching as two policemen got out of the car . They told us we could not safely camp here since everyone knew of our presence . To us that had seemed the best insurance policy , but they were adamant that we must leave . We set about packing up while they impatiently waited , insisting on escorting us back to town . A frantic ride through dust and potholes later they dropped us off at a hotel , not leaving until our passports had been registered and we had been shown to our room .
The police surely only had our safety in mind , but the experience had left us feeling trapped in a hotel we hadn ’ t chosen , forced to pay whatever their room charge was . So from then on we only wildcamped if we could be sure not to be discovered . We pitched our tent deep in thornbush thickets or drove into mini canyon-style holes under the cover of darkness . But mostly it was not worth the hassle and we would find cheap and cheerful hotels with safe parking for the bikes . Thinking back on it now , we should probably have left our tent at home .
When we finally arrived in Pushkar the camel fair was in full swing . The much anticipated festival happens around the Kartik Purnima full moon , which usually falls in November . Families from all over India arrive to trade camels , horses , cows and other livestock , camping with children and animals in a colourful mele across the fields around the otherwise quiet town . Many combine the events with a dip in Pushkar ’ s holy lakes and a visit to the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma , the creator .
Hindu legend tells of Lord Brahma killing a demon using a lotus flower as his weapon . Three petals dropped , creating Pushkar ' s three sacred lakes . Later Lord Brahma performed a ritual by one of the lakes for which he needed his wife . She was unavailable and Lord Brahma requested a suitable consort to take part in her stead . When the wife did arrive after all to find another in her seat as Brahma ’ s wife , she was jealous and banned all worship of Lord Brahma . She later conceded to one location here in Pushkar .
Guessing that we would likely not be allowed to join camp in the fields , we dropped our luggage at a simple and spotlessly clean hotel and immersed ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the fair . A self-appointed guide showed us around , leading us up a hill for a great view over the entire fair . Tents built from sticks , cloths and tarps were dotted around as far as the eye could see . Between them people in traditional garb sat in groups , chatting , making tea over tiny fires while children ran around and camels rested , munching on piles of feed .
The camel trade was in full swing , and our guide explained that the man being dragged on a tyre by a camel was showing off his animal ’ s strength and skill to potential buyers . Many camels were painted with black paint , some with geometric patterns and dark rings around their eyes , others with humorous mustaches
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