A quickie. Up by 7am, walked around the holy lake at Pushkar. Had breakfast overlooking the lake then took off our shoes to walk over the holy bridge to the ghats where pilgrims come to bathe in the river. Sat and talked to Raghu, the owner/manager, not totally sure which, of the Rhagav Resort. About the impact of tourism on Pushkar (mostly bad he thought), why he doesn't have fruit trees (monkeys and peacocks eat the fruit), and the growing gap between rich and poor in India.
An interesting note on Pushkar is the number of Israeli tourists (and this is a backpacker hangout). While we first noticed Hebrew books for sale and a Hebrew sign on a shop, it really sank in when all the keyboards in the internet shop had Hebrew letters painted or pasted on them.
We are back in Jaipur, staying in a plush hotel with a beautiful garden and pool that we used this evening. After our spartan but beautiful digs in Pushkar (our room had windows and balcony all around, but the bathroom was basic and this morning I had to get water with a bucket (let's me feel how many Indians live), Joan walked into our room here and said, "I liked Pushkar better."
Gotta run.
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