One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine... Ten... Yep all there!
As usual though, your parents are always right. If you play with fire you're bound to get burned! Just a small one on my thumb, no biggie. (Don't worry Dad, I'll get back on that horse!)
Our hotel owner invited us to share in their Diwali ceremony of offerings and prayers to Hindu gods (Ghanesh, etc...). The air was full of incense, there were candles, fruits and sweets everywhere. Always sweets! I found it to be a really nice gesture, since this is the most important holiday on the Hindu calendar. Think of inviting total strangers, who's beliefs are unknown to you, to your table at Christmas or Thanksgiving. That's how it felt to us.
Then it was on to the fireworks. Not sure if we mentioned it before, but a big part of Diwali is lighting candles and setting off fireworks. The night sky is pretty much full of them. People setting them off from their roof tops, in the streets. Everywhere! Those of you that have seen the Canadian travel series "Departures" will be familiar. (Great show BTW... Thanks Corey!)
What is it about blowing "stuff" up that turns us all into kids? (I wanted to say boys, but Dy was having waayyy more fun than I think she expected) Seriously! Our host in Pushkar is a pretty dignified man. Well dressed, talking about business, explaining his Hindu beliefs etc... But give him some cherry bombs some matches and a fuse to light and he's running and giggling like he's 12 years old. We had so much fun on Diwali night with mostly senior men, and a boat load of fire crackers. Some of explosions were so big you felt it in your gut. Check out the short video montage called "playing with fire" on our you tube channel nomadicNewmans. The video is pretty dark, but the explosions and audio are pretty funny!
I called it a cherry bomb because that's the only term I know. But those things (in his right hand) were serious business!
These men were seriously laughing so hard after lighting the fire works off. It was really very infectious!
Earlier that day...
Pushkar is a holy city for Hindus. There is a small holy lake smack dab in the middle of town that is used for rituals and cleansing. We spent most of the day walking around town just soaking it all in. We had something to eat at the "Ganja" restaurant which seemed to be strategically placed right across the street from a "cloudy café" (wink wink, nudge nudge) that's was full of really mellow and happy people! Lol!
Look through small street level temple to the lake.
Dy hangin' with a local. Jim, I think the first of many.
Gurudwara Siekh Temple
We're now in the car on our way back to Delhi, about 10 hours drive. We'll say good bye to the "Golden Triangle" tomorrow as we board our train for the 26 hour journey to the south of India.