It was an early start from the hotel. We left plenty of time to get to the train station expecting it to be chaotic (and with memories of the stressful time we had catching our overnight train in Vietnam). Turned out to be all very easy with the train even leaving on time.
As we rolled out of the city centre and into the suburbs you started to get a feel for the enormity of the poverty. There is rubbish everywhere, everything is broken, half built or half falling down – it’s difficult to know which. But every now and then there’s a field of crop/veges which wouldn’t look out of place on the outskirts of Christchurch.
The winter fog meant we couldn’t see far but it was nice to sit back and relax after the hustle of Delhi.
We found a tuk tuk driver as we left the train station at Amritsar and thought we’d need him to find another to fit all of us plus our luggage. But no, the tuk tuks in Amritsar are a bit different. Our luggage went in the back and on top, five of us piled into the back and Bryce, half hanging out the side, sat next to the driver. The motor was a ‘pull-start’, kinda like starting your lawn mower and it sounded similar too.
There was a wedding on at our hotel and as we made our way to our rooms we caught glimpses of some of the women dressed in their colourful saris. Then as we were leaving to go into town the bride was walking down the stairs, surrounded by what appeared to be her parents and her bridesmaids/girlfriends. They let me take a photo but secretly I was hoping they’d invite me to the wedding reception.
We came to Amritsar on the recommendation of our friends Richard and Josie. The two main attractions are the Golden Temple and the Wagah Border crossing between India and Pakistan. We are so grateful for their recommendation – the Golden Temple , Harmandir Sahib was an absolutely highlight.
The Golden Temple is the most important pilgrimage site for Sikhs but it is also an open house of worship for people of all faiths. The shrine is the most visited place in the world yet, even with the crowds of people, it felt calm and welcoming.
We were something of a novelty and had people constantly asking us where we were from or wanting to take their photos with us. One guy even got me to hold his little boy for a photo – who knows where the snapshot will end up.
Beautiful hymns ring out around the temple and as we stood in line to enter the Temple the people around us joined in. At the same time lights started to light up the buildings and the evening prayers began. Without realising it we had timed it right to experience this spiritual place and I felt privileged to have the opportunity to be there.
I’d done a bit of research into places to eat and just about every street food website mentioned Kasar Da Dhaba in the Old City. I’m not sure how we could have got there without google maps as it was down a few narrow, somewhat dodge, alleys that you won’t walk down on your own. The food was worth the walk and by the time we finished there was a queue out the door and down the road.
Back at the hotel we thought we’d have a beer and found a bar right next door to the hotel. Just one small problem…. men only! I sometimes forget that not every country had a “Kate Shepherd” to help put things right.
Tuk Tuk from train station to hotel
Indian wedding party
The Golden Temple – Harmandir Sahib
