The coach will be here any minute now

Of course I had to give in to it at one point: taking a coach. After my positive experiences with the trains, I now chose the luxury 2x2 coach from Jaisalmer to Ajmer, where I would take a local bus to Pushkar (the final destination of this journey). Reservations have to be made for this coach and there would be no Hindi music or TV on board, so I didn't expect any problems. The second condition was vital for me. Hindi music sounds like the killing of a cat. I normally can't cope with such sounds, but I couldn't stand it at all after having heard lots of cats miaow recently. Just when you think the cat has finally died, they start on the next one so to speak!

Departure time 5:00pm, planned arrival time 5:00am. This may sound early. Actually, it IS early, but in these temperatures it is really a good time to travel. When I arrived at the coach stop, all I could see was some wreck at the side of the road. I was looking for a metal recycling company that could reduce it to a tiny cube. Alas, it was the coach I was to travel on… I'd better get on it, then!

Until Josphur it was not too bad. I entertained the other passengers simply by being there. Once I had sat down, I failed to notice any longer that the fabric had been torn off the seats and that the windows were not straight and could not be opened anymore. The journey was fast. In Jodhpur I took a coach which would take me to Ajmer. Meanwhile, the clock had struck eleven and it was getting quite dark. I really wonder what we were crossing. During less than a quarter of my journey I could actually feel the chair underneath me. The other 75% I spent somewhere in between the roof and the floor, between the window and the chair in front of me. I was bruised all over! (How I love these fun fair attractions…)

My neighbour, a typical Indian man, seemed not to be bothered by any of this. Within seconds he had managed to find the softest spot on the coach. That was me. He lay splashed out against me, asleep. I tried to get some sleep myself, so a little later I found myself lying against him, too. Next, I wondered if he was dreaming about the Kama Sutra when he started moving his hand over my upper leg, or if I was just dreaming this. Well, I wasn't dreaming. I resolutely put his hand back where it belonged, that was: with him. I had to repeat this several times until I was finally ''liberated". "Ajmer" the driver shouted. Along with three men I got off the coach.

I did not know a lot about Ajmer, but I was certain about one thing: this was not Ajmer. This became clear immediately when five riksha boys surrounded me and were all very keen to take me to Ajmer in exchange for 300 rupees. I told them I was not mad and that I did not want to go to Ajmer for 300 rupees. What was I going to do, then? they asked. I did not have anywhere to go to, did I? No, I didn't - but why should I? I took my rucksack, lay it on the ground and sat down on it. I had all the time in the world; I could wait until it would be light again (by the way, it was now 3:00am). The three other men had their own problem. They could not get hold of a riksha because none of the boys wanted to take them. So, everyone had a problem, and mine was the slightest of all.

The most clever one of the three finally came up with a plan. Would I mind paying 15 rupees and sharing a riksha with them? That was a deal! Finally, 6 (!) of us (including the driver) drove to Ajmer in a riskha cab (which normally takes up to 3 passengers only). When we arrived at the coach station in Ajmer, the local bus to Pushkar was already there. I received help from all sides, for everyone seemed to feel terribly responsible for me. I keep feeling surprised about the number of people on board of a coach like this at night. It's no wonder they should sleep so much during the day! Finally I arrived in Pushkar at 5:00am. There were quite a few riksha boys there, too. I left them there; took my rucksack, found a nice spot and immediately fell asleep, exhausted.

Forgot to take my triangle with me

The next morning I was woken up at 6:30am by a riskha boy who told me the day had started. Unfortunately, I could not change anything about this. I found a hotel, had breakfast, took a shower (I've never felt so dirty in my life before!) and later I explored the little town.

I should mention to you that Pushkar is a holy place. It is the centre of the Brahmas and the hippies. Also, according to the stories I'd heard, it should be soooo reeeeeelaaaaaaaxeeeeeeed that you could get high there without using drugs. I was quite curious to find out if this was true. It turned out to be the opposite: I was 'bullied' into the shops by shop assistants and it was such a commercial place that I did not really feel relaxed there. Later, I was thrown out of the Brahma temple because I refused to accept flowers. Well, I might not take flowers, but I do show respect - but you lot want to take as much of my money as possible and I am not prepared to give it to you. Then this man became furious, even though I had not even spoken the words, only thought them. I am not going to sing 'Let The Sun Shine' and then hassle people for money myself, am I?

Sunset Café is the place to be. Out of curiosity I visited this café around four in the afternoon. You just don't know what you see in there. An ever increasing number of people, mainly hippies, sit down on the stairs, dance, eat, blow and wait for the sun to go down. I was sorry that I'd left my triangle at home, for I could have easily joined in! But the sunset I watched there was marvellous.