16/12/2013

Awoke and Tim and Kat had already left for Udaipur. Reluctantly square up my bill, Wonderful was paying 250 a night, despite the owner telling me 300 was his cheapest room. He explain this was because they booked it for 4 nights. Was clearly tosh. Cant wait to rinse the hotel when I get back on Tripadvisor. The rooms were real nice but I just hated the service.

I went to the bus station and hoped on a government bus, a lot cheaper, plus no middle man to pay meaning no pesky commission for the hotel owners! Had a bit craic on with the locals on the bus and they were keen to help me. There was in an ancient two piece red and blue tracksuit from the 80s, with gold rimmed, black lens aviators. Hahaha looked like something from a comedy sketch. No private bus company trying to rip you off this time, just rock up, jump on, frequent service and a cheap fair. Much much better!

Arrived in Pushkar and someone passing on a bike told me of the Poonam hotel, 100rs rooms. I hopped on and checked it out, was nice and clean inside but didn't have much soul. I decided to check out the milkman guesthouse instead first. There was no private rooms, but only dorms for 100rs instead. The place was much more colourful, welcoming roof top garden area, hammocks, and I decided to go for it. Dorms are great way to meet new travellers instead meaning you get the good recommendations on the cheap place in the next city. Met Allassandro, an Italian guy, and Morrito from Japan.

Ventured around the ghats of pushkar and the main street, there was lots of travels around and there was a nice vibe. Got some great pictures. Got one of hundreds of pigeons all sitting on the ghats. Got some mint street food, a crushed toasted potato thing with a chick pea dressing thing, with sauces slung in. Pushkar is a real holly place, so there was large groups milling around, probably on a pilgrimage of some sort. On the ghats twice I was tried to be handed a flower, but I rejected it immediately as I knew there was probs a money making scam in it somewhere. On the night one of the workers came into the room and picked up two turtoises from behind the bed, didnt even notice they were there! They were pets apparently...

17/12/2013

Awoke quite early as the doorm is basically a glass box perched on the top of building, there's thin curtains so the light came flooding in. The room is not segregated as such, so the air from the stairwell can feed into the room, but there were massive duvet blankets supplied so I had a nice snug sleep. Some squirrels started running round the room too, crazy.

The restaurant was full of other travellers but I went to took to the streets to see what I could find, got a nice pot of mixed rice, one sweet (almost like a desert) and one spicy with potatoes and in there for good measure, with a sprinkle of lemon over the top… 10rs. I got two.

Done my research for the next place, where's the bus stand, what times the buses are, reviewed the cheap accommodation in Jaipur, where it is on the map, took pictures of the map, looked at back up accommodation…. I'm always prepared.