Hotel Raj Continental Amritsar

... car repair place next door and use all guesthouse facilities. No extra charges, how great is that! Turns out this is the same place where Yvonne and Frank stayed 7 years ago. Some things never change ;-)) Mira is not feeling well and I need a break as well, so we decide to stay here for some nights, enjoying Pakistani food, read a book and discovering street life, which is dominated by men. But must admit, does not feel intimidating at all. It is just a way of life here ...

... started gathering by the entrance to the gokden building where the book is thru out the day. I timed it perfectly.......the book came out, it was uncovered and flowers were placed on top of it. Everyone wanted to get as close as possible to the book, so I hung back as I didnt want to interrupt or disrupt them - afterall it is their sacred book and this is the most sacred sight in the Sikh religion. They paraded ...

... the necter I believe, lots of sikhs bathe in this and cleanse themselves.. there is a huge white structure all around so its enclosed away from the outside world, marble pathways take you around and it really is something very special and serene, you have to wash your hands and feet and cover your head to enter as you can see from the profile picture.. it really is beautiful. Will post more pictures soon.. <br><br>One thing that happens alot is young guys taking pictures of their ...

... told us about some big Independence Day celebration they were having at Gandhi Park on the other side of town. It sounded interesting, so after eating, we took an autorickshaw there and found that the celebration had started at 6am and was long over by now. So instead, we went down Lawrence Street, a nearby part of Amritsar where they had a lot of shops. There was even a Burger King, but when we went inside to check it out, we found out that it was definitely not a ...

... Eventually she reached the park and broke down when she saw all the dead bodies heaped on top of one another. Through her tears she had to search for husband's body. She sat with the body all night crying. The next morning she carried her husband's body by herself back to their home. <br>It was so sad, as i read i felt so helpless. i'll always remember her story. <br><br>Bit of a downer there sorry! Good place to visit, next stop Mcleod Ganj....

... I fear I may have alt**ed h** fate forev**. Or more precisely the hair protruding from h** left nostril may have prevented h** becoming a Doctor and relegated h** to the call cent**. Once I clocked it, it easily ov**came the pretty face and green Arabic eyes. She had an English exam tomorrow and wanted to practice speaking with me. OK lesson one: Repeat aft** me, "Do you have any tweez**s?". Reminded me of Austin Pow**s "Moley, moley, moley moley". Switch mole for nose hair and ...

... the young male Sikh who literally cannot stop staring at a white woman. We had dealt with the staring issue of India previously-- in nearly all cases you can tell that it really is a cultural thing. It's not gawking or aggressive or mean-- you can see it in their faces. It's just not considered rude to stare here and it's just something you have to get over because it happens wherever you go. But to date we've had a couple encounters with Sikh guys who stare and do something creepy ...

... real world of organized, grungy chaos that hits you with a brick immediately you vacate the premises! A profusion of beggars, thrusted babies and disfigured lepers immediately pounce, along with an army of chrysanthemum sellers for the nearby temple. I suddenly saw a McDonalds and made a bolt for the doors! I don't know why, but I found some comfort in having a predictable cup of coffee and small bag of chips! The air conditioning was heaven and the predictable food ...

... the Golden Temple this morning. We went early so it wasn't so hot and crowded. We made it all the way into the main building! Amiji says she has not been able to make it that far the last two times she went. Janpal still didn't feel well, so we cut the visit short and didn't go to the museum. By late evening, it was obvious Janpal still wasn't doing well, so Mommy took him to the hospital where a quick doctor visit and ...

... custom. Inside the temple there is a marble walkway surrounding a lake, with a massive gold temple in the middle. Worshipers walk clockwise around the temple, stopping to pray, drink the pool water, bathe, and enter the temple. The sight is amazing. Being the only white people in the temple, we were the second most visited attraction. Lots of stares usually followed by an Indian accented "hello" and a big smile. Several teenagers asked to ...