Taking the Local Buses

JULY 1, 2017 - THE BUS TO PUSHKAR

The adventure has really begun, now. I have traveled to a new city. And by city, I mean town: Pushkar, a religious city of about 14,000 on the outskirts of the Thar Desert (or so my guide book tells me -- with all the lush greenery on the mountains, you would never tell).

I took a Rajasthani state bus to Pushkar. Despite it being called the “express” bus, it made many local stops. The seats were torn up, and the concept of doing a thorough clean between each ride is not a thing. There is no AC, but the open windows (barred so you don’t fall out) and door (not barred) provide a nice breeze when the bus is moving...and when the bus is not crowded. The driver sits in a cabin in the front, which may or may not be a private section -- sometimes the ticket counter joins the driver up front; sometimes, when the bus is more full, passengers throw bags or themselves upfront, too. I’d like to say I was traveling India in style, but really, I was traveling India for a $2.00 (not bad for a 4 hour bus ride).

There does not seem to be much of a system for how one boards an Indian bus. The station in Jaipur is a series of parking spot. If you thought the Spanish were bad at labeling, you have not been to India. I was told my bus would arrive at Platform 3…...but there were no markings to indicate whether Platform 3 meant a platform or a parking spot. I managed to find the right bus which was, surprise!, unmarked. To compensate, the driver half-heartedly called out the stops, but only did this a handful of times. He became more enthusiastic as he was pulling out of the parking spot and onto the road…..apparently you can still board a bus a it’s driving out of the bus station…..or, really, at any point along the few blocks around the bus station.

After about 3.5 hours of pleasant driving, we arrived in Ajmer, the city closest to Pushkar. At this point, the bus became a local bus and was suddenly swarmed with people. All the seats were filled….and so was the aisle...and the little driver’s cabin in the front….and the stairwell to the door (which was always kept open to let in the breeze). As we drove along the roads, people would hop on. It didn’t matter that the bus was seemingly full. People assumed that since they wanted to get on the bus, they could, even if it kept moving. Somehow, we always found space for them….even if a few folks were practically hanging outside the door. It was like this, but without people on the top or hanging off the back (apparently that doesn't really happen anymore - the movies lie!)