February 3-4 - Riding Days

Sunday February 3 - we rode out of town taking full advantage of the relative tranquility of Sunday morning traffic.

It was 119 km that day mostly through countryside and a variety of roads - mostly good.

Typical misty scene - we've seen large areas of these delimbed trees and other areas of similar trees with full foliage - no experts among us who know what kind of tree or why they are delimbed but presumably people know what they are doing and have done it for many years. Goats and sheep and cows can be found almost anywhere.

Every day motorcycles come alongside and slow down and engage in conversation, invariably friendly. Four on a motorcycle isn't uncommon; three is typical, two sometimes; one seldom. Helmets hardly ever. Cellphone in hand, almost always, often speaking on cellphone while driving motorcycle (even in busy city traffic), or frequently holding their camera to get selfies with us as they drive past. 

Our destination that night is Roopangarh. We enter the old town through the gate and are immediately on a very narrow street. Your old 1956 Oldsmobile would absolutely not get through.

 

tailor shop on the street 

We were rather taken by the well kept colourful buildings just a step off the main street

  

Half a mile and we arrive at Roopangarh Fort, our accommodation for the night. We had an enormous room with beautiful marble-chipped floor. No heating in the place, and with so much stone and overnight temperatures still getting into single digits, it wasn't the warmest place, but it sure had its character.

The patio outside the dining room, old fort behind

Temple viewed from the patio

Monday February 4 - a short day - just over 60 km on the bikes - a bit of rest for tomorrow when we have a longer ride. 

First thing was to get back down that narrow street and navigate all the cows and dogs and garbage. We were heartened, however, to be held up by garbage collection on this street.

Then out in the early morning mist...

...and a colourful long-tailed shrike, also called a rufous-bellied shrike.

Long-tailed shrike

We're staying just outside Pushkar of hippie fame. We detoured off the advertised route to look a bit around town. There was a bit of a carnival atmosphere as they were celebrating the black moon festival (black moon = full moon). The hippie culture persists... one or two of our group tried a 'special' lassi containing cannabis and reportedly found it overpowering. Not for us.

mosque

selling cattle feed 

sugar cane press

Hindu temple

another example of colour immediately off the main street

and colour on the main street as well

The custom in the black moon festival is to cleanse oneself in the lake and have the whole family blessed - it is significant ritual for Hindus.

a shrine at the top of the stairs... obviously enjoyed by monkeys

Then off to the hotel and prepare for nearly 130 km tomorrow.