Pushkar Mela- PushkarCamel Fair
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2009
1
37
70
Trip End
Dec 27, 2009
Where I stayed
Shree palace Hotel
Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The herders camped out in the sand, with their families, under tents, and carts, and sometimes just under the stars. These are poor hard working desert people. I was particularly fascinated by the horsemen. They are good horsemen and are proud of it. They raise a breed of horse here called the Marwari Horse. The area was formerly called Mawar, hence the name of these horses. They are beautiful animals. They have a unique feature. Their ears actually come together and touch at the tips. The men were all examining each others ponies and there was some serious horse trading going on here. We would wander around among them each morning and evening. I would just try and stay out of the way. As some of you know, I have a rather mixed history with the horse species. (Run over by huge mare at age 2.5 at Evergreen State fair, dangled from a stirrup at full gallop for 20 minutes at age 7, I could go on, and on, but I'll spare you) When I see a horse today, I look both ways and move very carefully, just in case another disaster is about to occur.
Camel owners hire out their animals and carts to give tourists a ride around the desert. We walked the area each morning and evening to avoid the midday desert heat. We had fun watching all the people, their animals, and the various activity in the desert, before returning home each night for a cold shower.
Comments
Oh, there is someone else in the world w/ equinophobia. I have had many difficult and potentially end-of-life experiences with these large, small brained animals too.
Great sunset photo with Camel. You could be up for a job with
National Geographic! You "two" are incrediable!
Tom,
The pics in this batch are your best so far. Some of them are downright brilliant. What's with the horses bent ears? And what is behind the snake charmer phenomonon? Is it purely entertainment?
Don