At the very beginning of our trip, one of the other travellers mentioned that while in Northern India they had gone to the Pakistan/Indian border and it had been quite an experience. What went through my mind at that time was 'NO WAY am I going near the border of Pakistan.' Not only because it just sounded like a bad idea- but also because my older brother's only request about my three month trip to India was "Please don't go to Pakistan." It seemed fair. Not surprisingly, right after the conversation with the other traveller Ang said "I would really like to figure out how to get to the border." Of course she would.
Without much discussion, probably after being worn down by India- I found myself on a flight to Amritsar- which not only hosts the Golden Temple- but is also the closest point to get to the border of Pakistan. By then we had talked to several people that said the border between Pakistan and India closes each night with a dramatic ceremony and bleachers for people who wanted to watch. Similar to a football game- they even sell popcorn!
We took a taxi about 1 hours out of Amritsar and when we got close to the border there was definite India pride. I wish I knew the number of people that came to watch- but I would guess about 5-8,000 people were there and there was in fact, bleachers and popcorn. We walked up and were not even sure we would find a place to stand or sit- but eventually were ushered through the "VIP" entrance (not sure why)- and found standing room. People were going crazy! Flags waiving, shouting...it was very patriotic. There were policemen trying to control the people standing up vs. sitting, but it soon was very comical because nobody was listening to them. The guards of both countries march up and down doing these RIDICULOUS kicks- which will definitely become part of my next dance routine- as well as marching/running at a really fast pace with puffed chests towards the gate. The Pakistan guards are doing similar acrobatics and their stands are cheering also. Ang leans to me at one point and says "Should we start the cheer 'We've got Spirit'?" Eventually they close the border for the evening with the slamming of the gates on the India and Pakistan side and everyone cheers. I've heard you can YouTube a decent video of the entire ceremony. It was a great experience and technically I didn't "go to" Pakistan.
We also saw the Golden Temple while in Amritsar- it is a famous pilgrimage for Sikh's in India. It was a huge white temple, packed with people and my favorite part was the kitchen. This temple hosts a community kitchen where 35,000 people are fed everyday! It was a really cool organized chaos to watch. People streaming into the kitchen to get plates/silverware and eventually into a wide open room where they sat in rows while people scooped food onto their plates. They then filed to empty their plates which are eventually washed by hundreds of volunteers at washing stations. There are people cutting garlic on the floor- preparing food-it was quite the process! For many reason, the first being hygiene, we did not partake in the food- but it is an extremely charitable act to feed that many people for free everyday!
We left Amritsar yesterday and took a long train and bus journey- complete with a flat tire on the bus- to Dharamsala. Dharamsala is tucked away in the Himalayas and is where the Dalai Lama lives! It is a quiet mountain town and we are finally cold for the FIRST time in India. There are also many Tibetans that live here and they have the most amazing dispositions. So many smiles! It is a bit calmer than other parts of India and a good place to be our last stop in the country. On Friday, we fly to Nepal! Ang will be able to spend 1/2 her birthday in India and half in Nepal....that is a once in a lifetime experience!
Today we had a very late start to our day and roamed around the town. We even stopped at a coffee shop that felt a bit like home! I still can not get over my stomach bug- which is driving me crazy! I finished my antibiotics yesterday and continue to eat bland foods. Maybe Nepalese food will fix it.
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