The Golden Temple

Hello all.

I tried to write to you yesterday, but the server went down. So please forgive me if this post is bit short; I don't know if I can really be bothered to write it all again!

I arrived here in Amritsar yesterday at 8am, and got a cycle rickshaw to the Golden Temple. Having signed into a dorm where I have a bed and a locker to keep my stuff in - free of charge - I had a cold shower which was absolute heaven! Then I went out to explore the Golden Temple. It's not as impressive as I'd imagined, but then again I was tired and hot (it's sooo humid here) so maybe I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. I also think it probably looks more spectacular at night, but when I got back from the border closing ceremony last night, I was so tired I just threw some more cold water over me and fell into bed.

The border closing ceremony was really good fun - it involved a lot of shouting and dancing, and people running to the Pakistani side carrying Indian flags, and then the guards in their ceremonial uniforms quick marching about and kicking etc. before the flags were lowered to signal the closing of the border. It was like a big festival - people were selling DVDs of the event, along with indian flags and visors, and even bags of popcorn! I took a shared taxi there and back, so ended up chatting with a sikh family, through the son who was the only one that spoke English!

In between the temple and the border, I took a wander around this part of the city. Bought a couple of pairs of 'jutti' or punjabi flat shoes, some bangles and a really good mango milkshake!!! I found a really nice cafe to eat lunch in (oh I forgot to mention I partook of the free community kitchen food here for a late breakfast, it was really good), and booked myself a decent bus to and hotel in Chandigarh for later today.

I have to admit that so far, travelling on my own hasn't been much fun. I think it's probably because I've become so used to having Celia there with me and being surrounded by kids most of the time; it's suddenly very lonely on my own. And it makes me an easier target for pushy touts and men who may well just be interested in where I'm from, but you never know. Although I had been warned that Punjabi people are very friendly, and it seems to be true. I even get random women saying hello and shaking my hand in the middle of the market! There aren't nearly as many westerners here as I expected, and I think that is also playing a part in making me feel like I stick out. I was hoping to just be able to blend in with the tourist crowd whilst travelling, and so far that hasn't really worked. The other people staying in my dorm room don't speak English either, so it was a very quiet morning getting packed up and organised.

I did have one small success today - on my walk around the local streets I found the garden memorial that commemorates the martyrdom of hundreds of Indians shot during a peaceful protest by the British. It's really beautiful, and I only wish it wasn't so hot, because I could quite easily have spent an hour or so just lounging on the grass.

I have to leave to get my bus in half an hour (1pm), although it doesn't actually leave until 3. Can't quite fathom that one myself either, but I have nothing better to do and at least then I won't miss it, plus will probably get somewhere with either a fan or ac to sit.

TTFN x