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Hey guys
Just got back from the Pakistani border. Which also included a visit to Amritsars Golden temple.
We had an early start from vcamp to there, 5.30am!! After getting there mid afternood, we went t the border with Pakistan at Attari. Its like a footy stadium atmo with peiople chering, singing adn waving flags. Lots of Hindustan chanting towrds the Paksiatni side, who chanted back. There side was not half as busty as ours tho, and it reminded me on Monty Pythons sketch in Life of Brian, with the Peoples front of Judea. if you lok at the pics and VIDS!! you'll see there were only ac ouple spread out compared to the crazieness on the Indian side.
The Golden Temple has to be seen at night for the full effect..so after dinner, we went to check it out! See pics and Vids! You have to wear a scarf or turban (guys) to get in so donned a very nice orange one. If you don't Sikh gurads with speatrs don't let ya in!! Side note about turbans, I was speaking to some indian gyuys while I was chilling in there and they said people really get bad headaches from themcos they are so tight..
Anyhow, we visited again the next day to go inside the temple, where four priests chant all day (they get chjchanged of course!). Cos we were western they let us go in the back way, not on our prompting as well...they wanted us to! Thetemple is gilded in gold and was built in the 17th century...very impressive sight. We had a few hours there, so I sat in thweshade taking it all in and talking to Inidan blokes about the culture etc...
A lot of Indian blokes like to have their pics taken with westerners so we were contsantly stopped fro group pics as well.
Close to the temple is a place where the Brit army massacered 2000 peacfully protesting indians many years ago, they've made it holy ground now and its famous for its bullets holes that are still to be found in the walls, check out pics. Needless to say if anyone asked where I was from whilst walking round, I replied Canadian or Irish!!!
I'm back in Mcloed again, seeing Dalai Lama again tomorrow. I've left the charity now and will be heading to delhi on the overnight bus tomorrow. I've booked a hotel to stay off the streets, cos of the recent bombings again (twice in 2 weeks). I then ctach a night train to Varanasi (treated myself to a 1st class cabin :)) and then chil there for a coupel of days. I'm lookin forward to my morning boat ride on the ganges! I'm then flying to Kathmandu on saturday and pick up my Everest base camp trek on the monday...my boots don't seem to have arrived yet, so will have to buy a pair in Kathmandu. The charity I'm working for are gonna show a few good palces and they've kindly agreed to look after my main bag while I'm trekking.
I'm lookin forward to gettin out of India for a bit (5wks) as it can egt quite heavy sometimes.
Will update again after Varanasi, in the meantiem, enjoy the pics and vids!
Pete
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