Arriving in Bikaner we venture around the city visiting havelis, Junagarh Fort, and the old city. Havelis are old decorated mansions, although pretty, if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. 
Then we tour Junagarh fort and its exhibits and finish with a rickshaw ride around the narrow streets of the old city. However, our main interest lies in Deshnoke, the location of the Karni Mata Temple. The big attraction here is the rats, yes rats, as they are believed to be sacred. Legend has it that Karni Mata was the incarnation of the goddess Durga and that after the drowning of her step son she pleaded with Yama, the god of Death, to save him. Yama finally agreed and allowed him and all of her male children to be reincarnated as rats. So as with all temples the shoes must come off and be left behind before entering to maintain purity even though there is rat droppings and stale food everywhere. More intrigued than disgusted we walk around the temple watching the rats scurry about and drink from the bronze plates filled with water and milk.
Then we tour Junagarh fort and its exhibits and finish with a rickshaw ride around the narrow streets of the old city. However, our main interest lies in Deshnoke, the location of the Karni Mata Temple. The big attraction here is the rats, yes rats, as they are believed to be sacred. Legend has it that Karni Mata was the incarnation of the goddess Durga and that after the drowning of her step son she pleaded with Yama, the god of Death, to save him. Yama finally agreed and allowed him and all of her male children to be reincarnated as rats. So as with all temples the shoes must come off and be left behind before entering to maintain purity even though there is rat droppings and stale food everywhere. More intrigued than disgusted we walk around the temple watching the rats scurry about and drink from the bronze plates filled with water and milk.
This was the last of our sightseeing in India as we start back to Delhi, overnighting in Mandawa. Unfortunately, the tour agency did not follow through on their word and we did not get to freshen up at a hotel nor did we get to see the sights in New Delhi. Instead we went straight to the airport sweaty and grimy to wait 8 hours before we could board our flight to Thailand. We feel sorry for the poor souls that had to sit next to us.
We describe India like a bipolar nation that refuses to take its meds and the insanity starts to wear off onto you, leaving us in a sort of love/hate relationship with the country. One second you are entranced by the sights of dazzling saris and the scent of aromic incense and spices, then the next minute you are accosted by incessant car horns and tauts all while being suffocated by the stench of feces and motor exhaust. Though the food tastes so good with all kinds of seasonings stimulating your taste buds, it sometimes leaves you running to the closest bathroom
singing Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” And we still haven’t figured out why they bother putting lane lines on the road, since a two lane highway easily becomes four or five. Bodies seem to cling to any moving object, the top of buses, the backs of rickshaws and the sides of jeeps. It’s like being at the circus. We thought Egypt was nuts, but they got nothing on Indians. Cows, unmarked speed bumps, kamikaze pedestrians, and crater size pot holes all add to the mayhem. 
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