Amritsar Bound

The train journey to Amritsar was due to take 5 1/2 hours departing at 7.20am, so there was a rush to get to the station by cab and find my name posted on the outside of the correct carriage of the train. I discrovered i was in carriage E1 right at the end of the train which was one of two 1st class compartments with AC. As expected the train pulled out of the station bang on time and proceeded slowly towards Amritsar.

The journey was broken up by the continuel service of the staff aboard with breakfast, tea/coffee, papers and snacks along the route. All this made the traveller feel at ease amongst the luxury of soft armchair sized seats.

The scenery outside was a mix of idyllic countryside with cranes flying into the shallow pools and farmers tending crops within their fields. However, it was not all like this as the small towns that we passed through demonstrated the huge device between the rich and poor - There were outlying walled housing estates with modern looking blocks and terraces, then smaller dwellings clearly with no amentities and then cramped dwellings with narrow streets layred with rubbish of all kinds. Stray dogs roamed the streets and people were seen to be sitting amongst the garbage sifting for recyclable materials, i cannot imagine the quality of life that these people have to suffer...

One thing that did catch my eye is that on many of the isolated farms there were both animals and basic farm machinary (Only saw one combine working and that was very old) but there were regularly motorcycles which were clearly the families main mode of transport after the animals of basic tractors - this could be a sign of the wealth moving into rural areas.

Arrival in Amritsar was a pleasant experience as it was a smaller station that Delhi and far less hectic - there was time to take your bag and dismount the train without the need to push through throngs of people and the porters were instantly on hand to help those in need, whippping the large bags off one man and placing them dilligently onto his head where he wore the badge of a porter - the red ring cloth, the bag must have weighted 10k but the ported just one handed it onto his head and away :) I however had a travel pack so as a typical back packer carried my own luggage and when approached by the rick shaw owners i stated that i only had a few meters to walk to the hotel and pointed to it across the street at which point they gave up the hard sell...

The Hotel is the 'Grand Hotel' and costs 1200r per night. As i chose a cheaper style room and commited to 5 days i recieved a free breakfast each morning :) The owner of the hotel is in the Lonely Planet guide and i have to say they were absalutely spot on when they described him and the hotel - it is a little piece of tranquility in a mayhem of traffic. I quickly settled into the room here and paid for a trip to the Pakistan Border at Attari.

The Border itself is just a fence but at Attari there is a ceremony every night which includes loud, prolonged commands and gesturing from each side of the border. On the Indian side there was a huge crowd who enthusiastically called to the very few Pakistan observers that India was great. I stood in with the main crowd and did not go to the usual VIP seats for westerners - you got a real feel for the atmospherre of the event and everyone of all ages took part.

The uniform of the border force is spectacular with a headress like a preforming bird of paradise and they strut like a bird also, raising their legs above their heads and then stamping their feet down. On this day i would say that the Pakistan soldier won the day as he managed to raise his leg so high that i saw his foot behind his head 0_0

After this spectacle it was off in a shared taxi back to the centre of Amritsar, the Old Town to visit the Golden Temple. First there is a need to walk the final 500m to the shoe storage then it is a quick 20m to the main gate.

The site that beholds you is enough to stop you in your tracks - The Golden Temple comes into view as you enter the gate and descend the stairs and i can honestly say that the sight brought tears to my eyes and i was AWE STRUCK. I and many others stopped for a moment to take it all in, the slow chanting from the Guru Granth Sahib rolling around the inside of the Temple complex, the slow and respectful movement of the people in a clockwise direction and the gleam from the temple itself. I sat by the side of the pool and contemplated life, thinking about what it meant and sending a small prayer for my brother.

I would recommend a visit to Amritsar and the Golden Temple to anyone of any faith as it is open to all. A truly spiritual place.