Pushkar- Where east meets west

If I were given the chance to choose a place proving these famous line wrong; “Oh, East is east and west is West/and the twain shall never meet”; then it has to be that of Pushkar. Oh yes! The famed land straight out of the books of Indian Myth is a place where there is a mutual acknowledgement of both eastern and western sensibilities and cultures. And never do the two try and create any tension.

In an era, whereby the slightest of comments sparks tension among the Indian brethren themselves, the Pushkar Fair, observed on Kartik Purnima annually, at the place indeed proves that communal as well as global harmony is a very much possible dream even today. I was awestruck at the peace that the place proffered me. Amid all the activities that were going on at the fair, I was charmed by how well the non Indians too absorbed the culture and took an active part in the same. Right from the naga sadhus to the Muslim preachers from nearby Ajmer, each had their own moments of supposed moksha-salvation-at Pushkar.

The main attraction that made my trip was the unique cattle fair and competitions like those of best breed of cattle and the like. Traditional henna art, tattooing, horse riding competitions too were part of the Pushkar fair. The journey form Jaipur was a treat with a number of colorful leheriya stoles, saris and duppatta having made a hole into my bank balance. Moreover, I even caught up with tourists from countries like Hungary who were in the Rajasthani safa and interested in visiting the only Brahma temple at the place. In between, I did mange to find some time for the famous gastronomic treats specific to vegetarian Pushkar. From steaming sabzis to puris and finger licking dessert called malpuas, the cultural divide nagged at me no more while I shred a plate of jalebis with the friend I made from Finland! Before Pushkar, I never experienced what it means for the entire race of earthlings worshipping and enjoying together without a thought for what nationality or caste we had!

Plan your Holiday the right way

The festive season is in and most people must be planning to take a break from their busy schedules to look out for recreation. Going out on a holiday means fun, enjoyment and spending time with family and friends. However, though in a holiday mood, you should not forget to do your homework. Plan the trip appropriately in order to avoid any kind of mismanagement. Here are a few tips that may come handy this holiday season.

Plan well in advance: It is always better to plan a holiday well in advance so that you have enough time for preparations. It is even more important, especially, if you are planning to travel via public transport such as train, bus or air flight as you may not get the tickets for your desired dates later on.

Gather information about your holiday destination: It is a good idea to gather enough information about your holiday destination at the time of planning the vacation. The first and the foremost thing that you need to find out is the climatic conditions of the place you are about to visit. This information is essential to pack the right clothes. You must also know as to which locations out there are worth visiting and which ones can be avoided if there is a time constraint. Also find out about the various deals being offered by different hotels and if possible book a hotel online as soon as the plan finalizes rather than looking for one after reaching the destination.

Packing essentials: It is recommended to make a list of all the items that you may require on your holiday. It is easier to pack the bags once you have the list handy. Make sure that you do not carry a lot of clothes; it is always better to keep the baggage light while on outing. However, do not miss out on the essentials as it may spoil the entire holiday mood.

Leave Early: Since this is a holiday season, chances are that you may find traffic jam on your way to the airport or railway station. Also, once you reach these places you might get stuck at the security check counter. The parking lots are also likely to be full, thus causing even more delay. Therefore, it is essential to leave your place well in time, keeping a margin for all these.

Avoid Shopping: Once you have reached your holiday destination, it is recommended to roam around, do site seeing and have fun. The one thing that can be and should be avoided is shopping. One major reason for this is that the prices of various commodities are comparatively higher at such places, especially during this festive season and secondly, you will have to travel with an extra baggage unnecessarily.

A tour to Las Vegas

Las Vegas is known to be one of the most beautiful cities of the world. With its economy booming at an ever-increasing speed, it’s a hub for tourists from all parts of the world. Established in the beginning of the 20th century, the city is situated in the United States. Though the climatic conditions here are not very pleasant but that does not stop tourists from visiting the place. The city is high in spirits with tourists pouring almost all round the year.

Being the kind of person I am; fun loving and frivolous, I decided to plan an excursion to this beautiful city. Las Vegas, famous for its casinos and restaurants, always drew my attention and I finally took a break from my busy schedule and set out to visit the place along with a few close friends.

Since the city is flooded with a large number of casinos, hotels and restaurants; it was essential to find out about the ones that were worth a visit and affordable as per our budget. Most of the popular casinos, hotels and restaurants are located in Las Vegas Strip. We surfed through the details of a number of hotels including, The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Stratosphere, Four Queens, Golden Nugget and Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel.

Full of lights, fun and frolic; it seemed that the city never slept. The city offers much to people looking out for entertainment. The casinos at Vegas offer a mind-blowing gambling and gaming experience. We tried our luck in gambling; though we couldn’t manage to win but the experience was so exciting that we ended up making a gamble quite a number of times. Gaming, in these casinos was a different experience all together. New, innovative and exciting; the games captivated us so much so that we played them until the wee hours in the morning.

Not just the Casinos, Las Vegas is known for its fine dining and shopping places. The place has a fine way of encouraging its artists by exhibiting their works on the first Friday of each month commonly known as the “First Friday celebration”. Me and my friends were lucky enough to attend one such exhibition as we had planned the outing in the beginning of the month. We also visited a few famous theme parks of the city.

All in all, it is a great place for all the fun seekers and people looking for re-creation. The days spent here would always be cherished.