After Delhi I headed south on the legendary Indian railway to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The Taj is absolutely amazing, as well as the city ruins of Fatehpur Sikri about 45 km south of Agra. The grandeous white marble Taj dominates the skyline and it glows in different colours as the light changes during the day. Agra doesn't have much else endearing after the Taj Mahal, unless you like open sewers, so after a few days I decided to board the western bound train to Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is fastinating. Though part of India, it was ruled by the Rajputs, kings of princely states until very near Indian independence. Rajasthanis remain fiercely proud and independent. Almost every town and city has its own historic fort, and many old quarters of its cities are painted in a specific colour. The landscape is arid, but people still hack out an existence here. Some of India's most holy sites are in Rajasthan. Liquor, even beer, is not easy to come by in the state because of its deeply religious people. Meat and often eggs are scarce especially in holy cities or towns. To date I have only eaten meat once since I arrived in India. I have been impressed by the men as well. They have the most amazing mustaches I have ever seen. It seems to be a mark of status here.

My first stop was Jaipur, the state capital known as the 'Pink City' for its pink washed Old City. Apparently the old quarter was painted pink for the visit of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband) in 1876. It is considered part of the 'Golden Triangle', comprising Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur - the normal tourist route people follow. I didn't find Jaipur very compelling. It was hectic and noisy - a typical Indian city, and I was starting to feel that the only reason that Jaipur was part of the Golden Triangle was that a triangle has three sides. Just north of Jaipur, however, was the small town of Amber. It was a wonderful little town nestled in the golden sparsely wooded hills surrounding Jaipur, and it has a palace and the impressive Jaigarh Fort, perched on a high hill overlooking the town.

After Jaipur I headed for Pushkar, one of India's holiest Hindu sites. Again Pushkar is very dry, it desperately grips the outlying regions of the Thar Desert. Thousands of pilgrims from all sects of Hinduism travel to Pushkar every year to bathe in the holy lake here. Apparently there are over 500 temples and shrines in Pushkar. Gandhi and Nehru's ashes were springled in the lake too, so Pushkar remains a deeply spiritual place for modern India. I am staying at a guesthouse right on the lake. It has a beautiful roof top view where you can enjoy a warm cup of Masala Chai in the morning and gaze up into the surronding temple topped hills. I have found it a good place to unwind, and to meet people. I even tried Yoga the other morning next to the lake. The Yogi knew it was my first time but seeing that I am as flexible as a 2 x 4, he took it upon himself to tell me I was "like an old man." At night and early in the morning (430am) a Harre Krishna monk sings and echos across the lake. The song is always the same, it is just "Harre Krishna" and "Harre Rama" over and over again. You get used to it, but you do lose sleep.