ah this is pushkar (shanti, shanti!)

so, probably about time I put pen to paper. As you can probably tell from the photos below we are now saddled up with a couple of iron horses. A little bit daunting at first but now we have a couple of days riding behind us it's as easy as falling off the proverbial. Traffic here is not as mad as you'd think once you escape the megalopolis of Delhi. but Indians are clearly reading from a different copy of the highway code than we are used to at home. Extensive use of the horn prevails and it all seems to work, somehow. Obstacles include: cows (loads of those buggers), goats, monkeys, humans, tractors, camels, elephants; and that's just in town. Fortunatley we are riding Royal Enfields which play a very distinctive tune and have most people scurrying for cover before you have even turned the corner.

Pushkar is a delight. Abouit 500 clicks south of Delhi, it is a desert town synonymous with pilgrimage as the lake here is said to be extremely holy. Something about Brahma and a drop of water falling here - I am yet to study the Bhagavad Gita to learn the full tale...How this translates to modern day Pushkar is by way of hundreds of guesthouses dominating the lake shore, providing backpackers with the opportunity to tune in, drop out for a while. I have managed to miuss most of this however, as my bike as been in t'shop for the last few days with some engine troubles. This has involved extended periods of tea drinking - both on my and the mechanics part - occassionally tiunkering with something and awaiting some part or other to arrive from the next biggest town. Things to do not get done in a hurry here. In fact any attempt to define the period of time required for a certain job usually ends in frustrated tears and an extension of said time period for many hours - hindi word of the week: shanti, literally meaning slowly, relax, chill out you uptight westerner we'll have it done when its done.

Hopefully today though the bike will be back on the road, and Holly and I will make our way south.