Back in the desert

It seems we can't stay away from desert country. And so we found ourselves swaying to sleep on an overnight train from Delhi to Bikaner in Rajastan, the state of the desert kings.

It looks a lot like Alice Springs around here, with infinite stretches of yellow sand dotted with spinifex-like green shrubs and not a lot else.

There are some differences, of course. There are less road trains and more camels, there's more pollution, and happily there is more harmony between the two major groups in the area (muslims and hindus).

Also, rats are worshipped.
We took a local bus to Deshnok, a village close to Bikaner and famous for the Karni Mata
Temple...also known as the Rat Temple. There are rats EVERYWHERE, asleep, awake, eating, pooing, or just running around erratically. As with all Hindu temples you have to remove your shoes before entering. We spent about ten minutes walking around the small temple, stepping in rat poo and trying not to have them run over (or under!) our feet. In a word, it was FOUL. But kind of interesting.