I was pretty sad to leave Rajasthan but the heat was driving us North. Especially sad to leave those camels with their luscious eyes. I loved how they daintily sat down, legs folded just so, to let me off and on. Enough about camels.
Sometimes you get bad advice. Sometimes you make the wrong decision. We were advised to take the overnight bus North. The first leg was an overnight sleeper which was ok. Big comfy flat double sleeper so I actually sort of slept. First stop 5am and a bus change that wasn't meant to happen. I felt better after chai. Chai always makes me feel better. There's something intrinsically Indian about sitting around a huge bubbling cauldron sharing chai with the local travellers at 5 in the morning. Delicious chai and then another magic sunrise. Because of the haze on the horizon you can stare for ages at the smouldering sphere of the sun as it inches its way skyward. The day went downhill from there and travel doesn't always go as planned in India. Multiple bus changes, stops and 22 hours later we arrived in Amritsar. Totally exhausted we found the closest fanciest hotel we could and slept.
I knew nothing about Amritsar and had no expectations. On arrival it looked like another big dirty chaotic Indian city. I was so sure that there would be nothing to see that when we went out to investigate I didn't even take my camera. In a new city I instinctively head to the old part of town and so we caught a tuktuk to the oldest bazaar called Hall's bazaar. Very friendly tuktuk driver. Once he found out we were kiwis he got very excited and couldn't stop raving about cricket and Stephen Fleming. Bazaars fascinate me. The constant streams of people, produce, tuktuks and rickshaws and I haven't seen a collision yet. I found street after alley after lane of beautifully hand embroided scarves and cloth. We rested and watched the flow of life while drinking chai at the corner teashop. Eventually we wound our way to the Golden Temple the holiest temple of all for the Sikh religion. Over 100,000 people visit the temple every day to worship. I saw about 3 other tourists but we were made very welcome as long as we covered our hair and didn't wear shoes like everyone else. We sat in the shade and watched the thousands of pilgrims parade past. I watched the clothes and marvelled at the variety of beautifully embroided and sequinned salwar that the women wear here (sort of like pajamas fit for a ball). The glittering golden dome of the temple was beautiful too but I did really enjoy the clothes more. After lunch we caught a shared taxi to the Wagah border between India and Pakistan. Every evening at 5pm a bizarre ritual takes place at the border crossing. Thousands of people congregate on each side to watch the soldiers march and lower the flags. It's a little more exciting than it sounds. It was a bit like being at a rugby test match between NZ and Aussie. The stands were packed and the crowd was roaring. First the kids were allowed to race up and down with huge flags as fast as they could to the Indian gate and back. Then the music roared and hundreds of women joyously danced in the road. While this was going on similar things were happening on the Pakistani side. Then the soldiers started their strutting and marching. Dressed in formal military garb they goose stepped their way to the still shut gates( and the soldiers on the other side did the same). Some serious posturing went on from both sides. I'm sure they chose their tallest soldiers and they were wearing ridiculous peacock fan hats which made them even taller. The soldiers could kick their legs and hit their own hats. When the soldiers looked like roosters about to start a cockfight and the crowds were were at a fever pitch of patriotism the huge iron gates were finally opened and the flags lowered. Then the gates were slammed with a resounding clang and that was that. Highly entertaining, hilarious even but with some very serious undertones.
We finished the day with some delicious dosa and fresh mango icecream.
So a day that didn't cost a single rupee hanging out with friendly and helpful, quietly religious and proudly patriotic Indians. Great fun and not a single photo which is why you get one of my favourite camel.
Namaste Sandy
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