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Published: August 13th 2010
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Hi all,Brad here with another entry for you guys!!!All i can say is WOW WOW WOW,The Golden Temple is AMAZING!!!
We arrived on a super long 20hr train trip from Jaisalmer which included a days stopover in Jodhpur,western Rajasthan.Our train arrived in Jodhpur at the lovely time of 05:00am,and it was raining.The trip from Jaisalmer to this point only 6half hours long.We were knackered so decided to check into a hostel,just in a cheap dorm so we could leave our bags there for the day while we cruised around till our train left at 20:30 that evening for Amritsar.Jodhpur is very cool,a city which is overlooked by an insanely HUGE fort.The city is known as the Blue City as most of the buildings are painted blue.We checked out the market which had loads of fresh fruit and veg,and then decided to mission up to the fort which was like a 2hr walk,and it was super hot!!!At the top the views were Amazing...We had a relaxing afternoon,included a nap,couple Kingfisher beers and then the train from hell...
Left that evening for Amritsar,16hr train,packed to capacity,us on the top bunks and the dreaded Delhi Belly/Spewing sickness attacking my poor girlfriend Lindsey Rose
Garden!!!She was not well,so to try help,i unpacked our newly purchased sandwich tupperware box to give to her so she could chuck into that instead of having to pull a Carl Lewis jump to make the toilet!!!Anyways,all good,she felt better in the morning,i was happy as my doctor shift was over,now we could enjoy our next destination,Amritsar!!!We checked into an OK guesthouse,250rps per night,(3GBP),it had a bathroom and own fan..first day(aug 5th) was just spent finding our bearings,having a quiet couple beers from the bottlestore my nose found us, and an early night...up earlyish next morning,guesthouse breakfast and then time to experience something that will remain with us the rest of our lives,The Golden Temple..The amount of people outside was hectic,before going in you have to take your shoes off and cover your head and walk through this like shallow pool of water to cleanse yourself...Walking inside and seeing the temple infront of you across the water was like "HOLY SHIT",you felt like a real calm over your body as you see people kneeling and kissing the floor,people bathing in the water and the continuous chant over the loudspeaker of a prayer with drums in the background!!!The place is really
spritual,the holiest place for the Punjab people...There were so many people,everywhere just taking it all in and doing there thing,saying there prayers etc.We walked around the whole pool surrounding the temple,having our photos taken with like a million Indians who we think had never ever seen westerners,we felt like Posh n Becks,haha...everything in the temple is free,food,accom,and one wonders how much money they actually generate thanks to donations,as where ever you look you see people throwing money into shrines,boxes where ever they can leave it...we left the temple via the museum,which had some interesting stuff to read about,like how strong these Punjabi people faith is,willing to sacrifice their lives for their belief!!!!We walked home via the bazaar street,had a nice(first)soft serve ice cream and some street lunch which was veg samoosas,very nice.
Later that afternoon,Lindsey and I got a 1hr taxi ride with two cool spanish people we met at the guesthouse to the India/Pakistan border to watch the standoff between their armies and the lowering of the flags as ther border closes at 19:00 every night.The border is at the town of Attari and this the only way one can get into nieghbouring Pakistan.It was pretty crazy,there is a
huge granstand which seats about 5000 people on the Indian side,and across you can see the Paki spectators.Its like a rock concert atmosphere,music playing loudly and the locals dancing to some KAK music which they all seem to know the words to.When the parade begins,there is a guy on a mic who screams at the fans and says stuff to gear them all up and support their military guys!!!Both armies do a crazy,walk/run kind of march,the flags get lowered and then its choas to find your taxi to get home..The experience was more funny then anything,haha...back at base that night,we met a cool british couple,Katie and Tom.We sat outside,had a couple drinks with them and planned to meet them in Mcleod Ganj in Dharamasala the following day.We had a fab time in Amritsar,but its time to move on and experience a bus ride where i saw my life flash before my eyes about a hundred times!!!!
Hope youz all getting the vibe,chat soon from Mcleod....Love and Peace,B&L x
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