They are getting away!

and they did and you'll  have to look at my extra pictures to see more!

Pushkar to Nagaur

We drove out past the gypsy encampments on the outside of the holy city of Pushkar and found women standing beside bundles of green cattle fodder they had brought in on their heads. Customers hoping to gain merit in the sight of their god bought armfuls, ran like hares ahead of some cows giving chase and threw it on the ground before darting away. Everyone sleeps in tarpaulin or plastic tents and the women were cooking breakfast for their families. The drive to Nagaur was along some single track roads where two wheels would have to leave the tarmac each time an oncoming vehicle passed. Despite some difficult roads Yusuf still managed to beat me in spotting various birds, blue bull and some very small deer.

We finally reached Nagaur mid afternoon and immediately found the mela ground where the cattle, camel and horses for show and for sale were gathering. Many families only meet up on occasions like this and had put up tents or shelters beside their tethered animals. Some animals were hobbled but the majority were tied up peacefully and being fed chaff but one or two were giving trouble. We had passed camels being walked and several open trucks on the way which contained horses and cattle, sometimes one beside the other. The horses are staggeringly beautiful, I can't say much about the cattle or camels except they were obviously the pride and joy of their owners! There were tent stalls selling everything from camel saddles and ornaments to ropes, decorated bamboo riding sticks, harness, gaudy recycled plastic bottle fleece blankets (doing a roaring trade as it will be cold tonight) and the most popular tent held extremely cheap clothing that was being gathered up by the armful. The barbers sitting on mats were busy shaving men in turbans who may have been on the road many days to get here and had several days growth to remove. Women with aluminium pans on their heads were going around picking up animal droppings to make into dung patties for cooking. Each woman will have a special area where she will make and dry the patties before building them into storage stacks. Every area of India seems to have a fashionable shape that the woman replicate.

We were going to a cultural show this evening but nobody had arrived at the appointed time, it was outdoors and seating was on the ground so we gave up and had a slap up Indian thali instead. It was interesting to talk to the hotel owner for he will be attending Republic Day rally tomorrow. The locals 'don't bother to go to the fair as it isn't interesting for them for they see it all the time' he said and of course they are living it and it is only the likes of me with eyes out on stalks that will be the audience. He said that Obama's visit had cost the equivalent of their entire military budget to police and those in command are heartily glad he is foregoing the visit to the Taj Mahal in order to go to Saudi Arabia although he will be attending a Republic Day Parade before he flies away. They do seem proud that he has visited them at this time though.