The Guest House

Story and pic by Maggie
Pushkar
Tuesday, November 8

Mahesh seen from a nearby rooftop restaurant. Our balcony was the one on the right side on the second floor, and we also had use of the front balcony, where the smaller sign is hanging. From there we could look down on the action in the main street.

I guess this is the real deal. I was well warned that it was going to be very basic. In some ways, it’s better than I expected, with marble floors and half-tiled walls, and a small balcony off each room. The breeze flows through, and the ceiling fan works well, making my room cool and fresh in the middle of a very hot, dusty day. But the room doesn’t come with towels or sheets or blankets for the bed. Now I know why Anne has brought a collection of sarongs and scarves, things to lay on and wrap over surfaces. Anne and Dave brought their own pillowcases. I didn’t know about that, but I do have my silk sleep-sack and one sarong, so I’ll survive. The bathroom, well, I have the urge to buy some cleaning spray and a couple of cloths, so that I can clean it more than the boy did who took a rag to it when we arrived. My bathroom has a toilet, but no toilet paper and no soap. Anne and Dave’s has just a squatter, so I’m the lucky one.

We had lunch at a place called Pushkar Inn’s Hotel, right on the lake. A young German couple had just gotten a room there, and we had a look. It looked quite nice, simple but relatively clean. They got towels when they asked for them. The garden was well maintained, a serene hang-out space. There was a gas lawn mower at the ready, something even Dave had never before seen in India. I enquired; there are rooms available at 1500 rupees a night, the approximate equivalent of $30 Canadian. I’ll see how I feel in a couple of days, but it’s nice to know there’s an option if I want to move, as we are here for eight nights. Our guest house costs less than $20 a night, not too much to sacrifice if I leave it.

The sign for the place claims to have wifi, which I’m not sure is true, but I see strong signals from several next-door cafés. We can get a meal and get the code. I do love being connected.

Through the window comes the reverberation of chanting over a loudspeaker. The first night in town, that same speaker was bellowing at people to remove their shoes in the vicinity of the ghat. Holy towns have their rules.

(Update November 9: The wifi at Mahesh is great. I sanitized my bathroom. I’ve adjusted, again. All good.)

(Further update November 20: Since leaving Pushkar, the bathrooms in our rooms have been beautiful. Whew!)