Bikaner

I woke up early to make sure I could say goodbye to everyone before they left for Delhi. So after only 2 hours sleep we were all up once again! After some sad goodbyes and the usual promises to see each other again they all left and I was alone In india!

I planned to head for the famous monkey temple just outside the city.
It certainly was as described ... Loads of monkeys in and around a temple! I brought a big bag of monkey nuts and headed in!

I was really worried they would steal my stuff or try and bite me! I never even had the rabies jab, But I think they were just too relaxed in the sun to care about me, although one monkey did try and grab the nuts out of my bag but I kept a good hold on!

I definitely felt sad being on my own back at the hotel but always more things to look forward to and I'm sure I will meet many more people on this trip!

That night i left for Bikaner. I had to take an overnight train which was 7 hours and arrived at 5.30am. I was a bit worried about getting the train at night especial as I had heard how complicated the ticketing system was to work out and of course there could be robberies or even drugging and stealing on trains was common! but after figuring out the very over complicated ticketing system and class type I did make it on to the train and into the sleeper class carriage. The cabins are split into lots of compartments of 6 beds, 3 high bunk beds on either side.

I managed to sleep the entire journey, apart from occasionally being woken up by the ticket man.

The family I stayed with were incredible friendly! The first day they asked there house keeper to show me to the fort and palace. I really am all palaced out now!

It was nice to relax for 3 days and catch up on my sleep. The last week on the tour had been very busy with late nights and early mornings!

The second day I went to the famous rat temple and probable my biggest reason for visiting Bikaner. Over 20,000 rats live in this temple out in the desert, They are seen as holy rats and shouldn't be hurt by humans in anyway. If you kill a rat by stepping on it then you must replace it with a golden statue of a rat!
In the centre of the temple their is a large milk bowl where all the rats gather and drink, if a worshiper drinks from the milk then they are considers to have great karma and a blessing.. Or of course they could die...

The 16th of March was the start of holi so at about 5pm the city seemed to go silent! No car horns! It was like heaven! That night I was taking another overnight train so I went to book the ticket. Every street seemed to have a bonfire being set up with lots of different coloured flowers placed around it. Later that night all the fires were lit signalling the start of holi! I can't wait for tomorrow!!

After a sad farewell I headed on the overnight train to Jaisalmere, a desert city about 100km from the Pakistani boarder and the city I would spend holi in!