Pushkar, India
Sarah and I woke up at 6am hoping to get an early start photographing, but both snoozed till 8am on our cozy tent under heavy quilts. I know my body has been going a million miles and hour and it felt good to surrender a bit to it. I am in desperate need of some yoga and exercise right now though. We have not been able to find yoga ANYWHERE on this trip thus far. At least the food is healthy and all vegetarian and amazing and delicious. I have switched from coffee to chai tea (shocker) and I feel goodJ
We met a team of four photographers sharing a tent here from Dubai. All about ten or so years older than us and we all geeked out together regarding our army of Canon cameras and they invited to join them for the day on a photo adventure which they had organized a driver etc. We accepted, because they speak Hindi, and it was way safer to travel around with men through the packed camel fair. We ended up having such a fun day. The irony is that we came all the way to India and then went on this pilgrimage to Pushkar to take photos of the people and the camels and chaos of the festival and it was the opposite from the second we walked into the fair. I had my hair braided over night so it was curly, we had henna and bindis, and I wore a long flowing skirt with the Morrocan belly dancer skirt that jingles that Leigh gave me at Burning Man and Sarah and I were stopped every two seconds like we were celebrities and asked to have our photos taken with people and their wives and children and just pulling out their cell phones and freaking out over us. SO strange. We were like, “Wait we are supposed to be photographing YOU!”
We rode camels, met tons of people, bought flower offerings sand climbed up to the top of the city to pray at the only existing temple for Brahma in all of India. From there we walked down to the lake’s edge at sunset to give offerings to the lake for our life, love, luck, and families. I took my time with my offerings and really sent energy to every member of my family. My heart felt full and I emptied it there. I released parts of my energy and heart there and asked for a ton of love and energy…and some clarity.
A holy man grabbed my hands and started reading them. He said I have a clear heart and a better heart than most. He asked me if I believed in LOVE…a really strange question, and I answered, “YES” very much so. So much so that I am willing to wait for it. He said that it was coming for me and that I would find a good life partner and that this life partner would be good for me. He said I was going to have two kids. He said I would be very lucky up until I am about 80 and then would have some health problems, but then I would get over them and be lucky and healthy again.
We all trekked back on foot to our Camp in time for Rajasthani dancing and dinner. I joined the musicians and belly danced and played some instruments (or attempted to) and just got lost in dancing and music. It was the first real exercise I have had, but it was such a release for me. The tribal Indian drums and music I am obsessed with. The energy here at Pushkar is strong. There is a reason why so many thousands of religious pilgrims from all over flock here to pray. There is something really magical about this place.
