Amritsar and a train ride to remember
Loading Map
Amritsar,
Punjab,
India
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Just a short entry today to say what a wonderful wonderful wonderful place this was. The golden temple complex itself was an irrestiable place to explore with a series of halls for dining and praying and relaxing interwovened with lots of shaded canopies where pilgrims hide from the days scorching sun. The temple itself is set in the middle of a man made bathing pool with ghats/steps the entire way round it.
In the centre the golden temple itself glimmers during the day and then when the sun begins to set (i spent the entire day there just soaking in the atmosphere, talking to people and shaking lots of hands) it turns a shade of pink and reflects beautifully against the glistening water surrounding it. The golden temple can only be accessed via a small walkway that goes over the water connecting the temple to the rest of the building, you are able to walk upto and around it along with hundreds of other swarming tourists and pilgrims which is an experience itself, a hundred metres feels like a mile when your crushed into a line of people at 37 degrees!
The train ride that took me from Delhi to Amristar itself was great, i took the plunge and opted for a second class train ticket which i had previously been "warned" off by various other travellers and indian train users, oh use the AC class they said, the second class is full of beggars and thieves and the peasants.
Well maybe the train i got on was an exception to the rule but aside from a few lads who like anywhere in the world wanted to play the "stare at you cause im dead macho and this is my terrority" game, which is easily won just by laughing and winking at them it was fantastic! The people i met were so friendly and geniune, everyone wanted me to meet their family and know where i was from, the usual line of questioning, an etiquette for conversation in india it seems is:
Name - age - Wife? - job - where are you going - where have you been?
Once you get beyond this though, it can seem a bit tedious at times some of the conversations were riveting, and i ended up spending 3 of the 7 hours basically babysitting the carriage of kids (aged from about 2 to 11), some of them just wanted to play, the little boys wanted to play fight, everyone wanted to read my book ( we had a good time reading english aloud, then each kid would get a big round of applause for their effort). It was a world away from the stuffy almost english atmosphere id experienced in AC class. Something id definately do again.
Anyway the next stop along the line is Mcleod Ganj, where i am now updating my blog, its the home of the tibetian government in exile and a magical place to be without a doubt.
Love to all as always xx
