Virtual Experience
Eat & Exercise
I was asked for my favorite Thanksgiving food. Well, there is not a favorite food but rather Thanksgiving favorites which include: my mom’s tender and juicy turkey with homemade gravy along with her ravishing rib roast, seafood dressing, greens with smoked turkey neck, macaroni and cheese, my Aunt Alice Mae’s famous cranberry salad and a homemade sweet potato pie and apple or cherry pie with Breyers vanilla bean ice cream. Why be so detailed? Just making suggestions for anyone who is still coming up with their Christmas dinner menu. 🙂
My Thanksgiving was spent in Pushkar, which is located in the state of Rajasthan northeast of Delhi. Pushkar, a religious Hindu cite, is a dry and vegetarian city and the later had my taste buds watering for what is mentioned above. The Thanksgiving meal was a Margherita pizza (olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) with finger chips, or as we know it in the west – French fries. Most of my meals consumed this weekend involved pizza and as one menu entitled the section “Home Sick Food,” which is a baked potato with butter and cheese. For dessert, the desert outdid itself with a delicious apple crisp alamode.
The exercise for this adventure involved a lot of walking which required skill, as to not step in “fuel” that had yet been prepared. And in case you would like a hint deciphering “fuel”, it is code for cow dung and perhaps camel too as both were seen being collected. On Saturday morning I joined Sharon and the Currey’s for a hike up the mountain. As we walked through town trying to find the entry point we broke into song, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” I will admit that midway through I had a mini conversation with myself that questioned those lyrics. 🙂 Needless to say, the views were spectacular and I am glad I accepted the physical challenge.
Pray
Humbling indeed is the experiences of witnessing how so many people do so much with so little. One of my favorite songs, which I have deemed my Thanksgiving anthem is Walter Hawkins, “Thank You.” I share the following lyrics from a continued heart of gratitude.
(It could have been me) thank You,
(outdoors) thank You,
(with no food) thank You,
(and no clothes) thank You,
(or all alone) thank You,
(without a friend) thank You,
(or just another number) thank You,
(with a tragic end) thank You, oh.
(But You didn’t see fit) thank You,
(to let none of those things be) thank You,
(’cause everyday by Your power) thank You,
(You keep on keeping me) thank You;
thank You Lord for all You’ve done for me.
The words penned in 1 Chronicles 16:34 summarize my perpetual praise, “Give thanks to God – he is good and his love never quits.”
Love
What I loved for sure were the magnificent colors. I say that and have to pause to place this disclosure: this experience was sensory overload! When trying to choose the photos for the video, I had to look through the 300 plus photos I took not to mention those taken by Nancy, Sharon of dentsadventure, and iBeck (The Currey’s)! What I also loved about this trip is the ample dose of medicine for the soul. We laughed at ourselves often. 🙂
Teach
I have to admit, I did not pre-research this adventure and relied on the suggestions of my friends for daily events. Events that included riding on a camel cart, a camel (both experiences involving bejeweled animals), hiking up to a temple, a visit to a ghat (entrance way to the lake that is considered holy by Hindus), viewing camel dressage, and walks through the city and countryside. On the last day, Sharon and I experienced what some would consider a trip to the zoo. We saw camels, cows, monkeys, wild pigs, and a dog, cat, turtle, and peacock. We even saw a monkey jump on a pig! How crazy is that?
Below I have listed some facts about the Pushkar Camel Fair which is described on one website as, “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the colour, spectacle and carnival of one of the last great traditional melas, which brings livestock, farmers, traders and villagers from all over Rajasthan…It is one of India’s most highly-rated travel experiences, a spectacle on an epic scale, attracting 300,000 people and up to 20,000 camels, cattle and horses.” Another Pushkar website describes the fair, “The fair is synonymous to a cattle fair, as mass trading of cattle, such as camels, horses, cows, goats, and sheep, take place during these five days. After the selling and purchasing of popular breeds, parading of the well bred and decked up cattle take place. Although various animals are traded, camels rule the roost. The camels are washed spanky clean and adorned with various cloths to form interesting patterns. Stalls selling jewelry and other finery for camels are set up. Silver bells and bangles around their hoofs jingle when they walk past the golden sand dunes. A ritual involves piercing the camel’s nose. With over 25,000 camels exchanged, the Pushkar Fair is arguably the world’s largest camel fair.”
*The Pushkar Fair begins on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, which falls in the month of October-November and goes on for five long days till Kartik Purnima.
*Livestock owners from all over the country come to the camel fair to trade their camels as well as other species.
*The time when thousands of devote Hindus flock to the holy lake of Pushkar and take a dip.
*Competitions for:
o Best-decorated camel
o Camel riding, which is like bull riding
o How many people can fit on this camel (literally)
*Art, jewelry, and textile sales (often viewed were promotions for Kikasso, “India’s Picasso)