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Days 104-106: Pushkar is on practically every traveller’s Rajasthan itinerary (it’s halfway between Jaipur and either Udaipur or Jodhpur) but it was probably our least favourite Indian town so far. Situated around a lake which is very holy to Hindus, Pushkar seems to have become crowded with fairly aggressive Hindu “priests” who target travellers in a money-for-prayers gambit which inevitably turns nasty when you don’t play ball. It was here also that the stench of open sewers and cow manure on the streets most assaulted our senses.

One morning, Jerome and I managed to get up early and climb the local mountain just after dawn for a wonderful, cowless, view back to the town and lake. With just a handful of other early risers and a troupe of happy monkeys up top to keep us entertained, it was a great way to start the day.