Bus jouney to Bikaner was not quite like the one from Abu as this bus was seriously rammed full. I ended up on the middle of a seat with three of us sitting on 2 seats, not comfortable at all and given journey was going to take approx 8 hours I was not looking forward to it!! Luckily however one person got off about 1.5 hours into journey so not to bad thereafter. Not sure how I ended up cramped on a seat given I had paid for my own seat...... Anyway this bus stopped all along the way picking up and dropping off the bus was continuoussly packed with people just stadning in the aisles for the entire journey!!

When I got off the bus at Bikaner once again there was a couple chaps waiting for me and my hotel from Jaipur had phoned through my arrival. To be fair though this hotel was really nice and the owner was so freindly and helpful. I would sit on roof top terrace and it is where is house was so his two young children would be plaing in the restaurant and him and his wife would strike up conversation. One of his kids must have been 6 I reckon and spoke fantastic english as did all the family, once again very well educated people which seems to be either end of extremes in India, either people are highly educated or not educated at all!!! Really enjoyed my stau here as it felt more like I was a guest of the family then staying in a hotel. Brilliant.

Went to Karni Mata couple days after arriving in Bikaner which involved a local bus jouney to a nearby town. I though this journey would take about 30 mins, but in fact took 1.5 hours. Anyway when arrived the temple did not disappoint. There were rats everywhere, it was very much a home away from homes with so many rats. It reminded me of the time spent in the flat above Dominoes Pizza!!! Anyway rats were scampering about but you must avoitd stepping on them otherwise you have to donate a gold rat to the temple......uh oh. Anyway if a rat crawls over your feet you are said to be blessed. I was standing watching a congreagation of rats in a corner when a couple came over to investigate me, one ran over my fett (yipee I am blessed) then one began to nibble on my toes, after another one began to clamber up my leg I decided it was time to vacate this particular area of the temple!!!

That is my trip to Bkaner complete, sole reason I came here was for this temple, so now happy I have seen. Made a nice change having something so differant inside the temple, as although the temples, palaces and Forts in Bikaner are pretty spectaculor it does get a bit samey and repetitive after a while. It is on that note I have now decided to head back to Delhi to book myself a trip up to Manali in the Himilayas, for a change of scenary..... and weather. There is snow up there so cold me thinks, however the views on offer should be breathtaking so it will be worth it.