INTO THE DESERT

AFTER ENDURING A FOUR HOUR BOTTOM BEATING BUS JOURNEY FROM JAIPUR THROUGH WINDING ROADS INTO MOUNTAINS, WE ARRIVE AT A SMALL VILLAGE CALLED PUSHKAR. THE BUS CAME TO A HALT AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE  THE DESERT. NOTHING BUT TENTS, THE ODD CAMEL AND A CHAI MAN WITH BRASS AND CERAMIC POTS. WE THOUGHT IT WAS A PIT STOP BUT NO, HERE WE ARE. INTO THE DESERT. 

THIS MAN CARRIES A TIN COLLECTING RUPEES AND STANDS REGAL AND PROUD. 

POETRY.

BOSS MAN. 

PUSHKAR INSTANTLY BECOMES ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES IN INDIA. THIS PLACE IS THE MAGIC DESERT. ARAMBOL INCARNATED IN DESERT. THE LAKE OF PUSHKAR IS SURROUNDED BY 52 BATHING GHATS WHERE PILGRIMS BATHE IN THE SACRED WATERS. INFUSED WITH BOHEMIAN TRAVELERS AND GENTLE LOCALS, THE LAID BACK EASE OF LIFE HAS A SOFTNESS THAT COMES FROM LIVING IN A HINDU PILGRIMAGE. THE STORY GOES BRAHMA DROPPED A LOTUS FLOWER ON THE EARTH AND PUSHKAR FLOATED TO THE SURFACE. THIS IS EXACTLY THE WAY THIS CITY FEELS. AN ORNAMENTAL VISION IN FULL BLOOM.

JEWEL OF JAIPUR

COCONUTS FOR BREAKFAST. YES.

I LOVE RIDING THROUGH THESE STREETS BUMPING AROUND THE ROCKIEST ROADS IN TUK TUKS, DODGING ONCOMING TRAFFIC, PEOPLE, COWS, PIGS, BOULDERS... WHATEVER. WAVING TO THE KIDS ALWAYS GETS THEM INTO A KIND OF HYSTERIA. THIS SCHOOL TUKBUS  MAKES MY LIST OF COOLEST THINGS I SAW TODAY.

I HAD NO IDEA CAMELS WERE SUCH REGAL, PEACEFUL CREATURES UNTIL I MET THESE BEAUTIES. A LITTLE HEAD RUB WILL SCORE YOU A KISS. STRANGE A LITTLE GROSS AND WAY TOO CUTE.

BUMPING AROUND IN LUCKY'S TUK TUK TODAY WE TRAVERSED ACROSS THE BUMPIEST, ROCKIEST ROADS SOURCING FABRICS AND FEASTING ON A VISUAL SPECTACULAR OF THIS JEWEL THAT IS JAIPUR. 

MY FAVORITE AREA TO PASS THROUGH IS CALLED 'THE UNTOUCHABLES', NAMELY SO DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL OF POVERTY CLASS THAT LIVE HERE. CHILDREN PLAY ALONGSIDE PIGS SHUFFLING THROUGH RUBBISH, OLD WOMEN SIT ON STOOPS WEARING BRIGHT SARIS, MEN SHAVE AND BATHE THEMSELVES ON THE SIDE STREETS... WHATEVER GOES IN THE SLUMS. I LOVE PEERING INTO THE DECAYING BUILDINGS TO CATCH A MOMENT OF LIFE IN THIS REALITY.

DEPTH, CHARACTER, POVERTY, BEAUTY, INTENSITY. THIS IS INDIA.

MORNING LIGHT & SHIVA

OUR ANGELS OF THIS CITY OF JAIPUR... ALI AND LUCKY 

ALI RUNS A LOCAL TEXTILE FACTORY, AN AMAZING MAN WHO DONATES AS A WAY OF LIFE AND DOES AN AWESOME AUSTRALIAN ACCENT.

GOLD DUST. HAND PRINTED ONTO FABRICS. STUNNING. 

BROMANCE. 

THE WORKERS FROM THIS TEXTILE FACTORY COME FROM POVERTY HOMES AND PROCEEDS OF THE SALES GO TO THE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY IMPORT ALL OVER THE WORLD INCLUDING PIECES WHICH SELL AT MAJOR LUXURY BRAND STORES FOR 10X THE PRICE.

COMMENCING THE ART OF SARI!

......READY TO TAKE ON BOLLYWOOD......

TODAY WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE DAY OF MY LIFE. SERIOUSLY. WE WERE BIRTHED ONTO THE TRAIN TRACKS AFTER BARELY WIPING THE RESIDUE OF AN 18 HOUR TRAIN JOURNEY AWAY FROM MY MIND AND FACE, SWEPT UP BY ALI, A LOCAL WHO RUNS RICKSHAWS WITH HIS FRIEND LUCKY. TOGETHER THEY ARE A-TEAM, TEAM JAIPUR. THESE CATS WHISKED US FROM PLATFORM TO ACCOMMODATION TO TEXTILE MAKER TO GURU TO MOUNTAINTOP OVERLOOKING CITY LIGHTS TO WATER PALACE BACK HOME TO BED. IF EVER THERE WAS A DAY TO ECLIPSE ALL OTHERS THIS WOULD COME CLOSE. 

CREEPING INTO THE NIGHT

 

HEAVEN IN A BUNKER BED..... I STILL HAVE NO IDEA HOW I GOT UP THERE.

THIS SHOT IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO INTENSE. IT LITERALLY FEELS LIKE JAIL LOOKING IN AND OUT OF CABIN, BUT MUCH LIKE ANY EXPERIENCE BECOMES STRANGELY ENDURABLE AFTER A WHILE.

THE MORNING AFTER. A SWEET LITTLE CHAI TO SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT & SHANTI ONTO MY DAY.....

OUR LITTLE LEOPARD PRINT TIBETAN BUNDLE OF JOY. LOVE NEST. KATIE AND I HAVE BECOME SO USED TO SHARING SMALL SPACES I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO SLEEP ALONE AGAIN.

WE FAREWELLED OUR FAMILY IN BOMBAY TO EMBARK ON AN 18 HOUR TRAIN JOURNEY INTO JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, IN THE NORTH OF INDIA. SLEEPER CLASS IN NON A/C CONDITIONS WAS THE ONLY AVAILABLE TRAVEL, WHICH TRANSLATED AS BUNKERING UP WITH A 50 INDIANS IN OPEN CABINS ALLOWING 24HOUR ACCESS TO BUSKERS, BEGGARS AND WALLAHS. QUITE LITERALLY A CIRCUS TRAIN JOURNEY ENSUED. CULTURE SHOCK AT IT'S FINEST. MEN YELLING, CHANTING, SINGING 'CHAI WALLAH!! CHAI WALLAH!!' ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, SELLING EVERYTHING FROM SNACKS TO TOYS, RANDOM DRUMMERS BEATING AT OUR HEADS, BEGGARS SLIDING ACROSS FLOORS, CIRCUS BABIES WITH BRIGHTLY COLORED FACES ROLLING AROUND THROUGH HOOPS FOR RUPEES AND LOLLIES. WE POACHED A FEW PILLOWS FROM FIRST CLASS AND COCOONED OURSELVES IN A WEB OF PASHMINAS TO FALL INTO A SURREAL SLEEP OF CHANTING AND TRAINS WHIZZING BY.. WHAT A TRIP!!