Amritsar

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We caught the train from the hectic Delhi railway station to Amritsar. We took the more expensive Shatabdi express and it was actually really quite good! All the food and drinks were free. Looking from the window of the train we took loads of pictures but really they only seek to highlight further poverty. Amritsar station was a choatic experience, those pesky rickshaw drivers do like to follow you around especially if you don't know exactly where you're going. 'But why don't you trust me?', because I don't know you!! Anyway, we actually managed to take the free bus to the famous sikh Golden temple despite being told it had burnt down etc. We walked into the temple and straight into the free accommodation! It was very basic and the polish girl in our room had a bed bug allergy which was really nasty and mice on her bed, but who's complaining, its free!!

The Golden Temple is really really busy but actually very peaceful as know one is trying to sell you anything inside the walls. There are 'gurus' chanting the sikh holy book 24/7 and the temple really is solid gold! There was also free dhal and chapattis. Seriously if you're going to become religious, be a sikh, I mean free accomodation and food, how good is that!! Amritsar is really hectic especially if you try and walk anywhere which ended up with Steve falling in the sewer (YUK!!) but you've got to laugh when your husband falls in a sewer!!

The highlight of India came for Steve on a journey to the Pakistani boarder to see the closing of the boarder gates. There is tons of theatrical marching and chanting, all very Michael Palin, Steve loved it!!

We someohow manged to book train tickets to Jaipur which is when my nightmare started!!

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Photos

Our accomodation
We were really lucky to have a bed, many pilgrims slept on this floor

Comments

[Kulvinder Singh]

Very interesting blog
Well done for travelling to ATQ on ur own and giving a vivid account and pics.