Day 69_to_73
Again we are a day behind than Eloy and Mark, but Samuel, Mario and Martin are going like us to Amritsar (India!) today, so we met at the border. The paperwork is not really difficult, just tedious. After few hours we cross the Pakistani Wagah border (it’s famous because they performance a flag lowering ceremony here every evening), and we reach India.
It is really hot and humid again, and we are all wearing the complete motorbike gear. Here, the paperwork takes more time, and they want to check everything on our luggage. Here is when I end up explaining what a tampon is to an Indian police officer … Finally they allow us to continue. We are already in India!! Unbelievable!!!
The roads and the traffic are not really different from the ones in South West Pakistan, the way of driving is quite similar, but here a bit more agressive … and crowded! Again, I feel like someone important waving to everyone that wants to greet us from cars, motorbikes (here instead of Suzuki we find Honda and the famous Royald Enfield!), buses…
As we approach Amritsar the traffic gets worse and worse… there are vehicles everywhere and it’s really stressful. After around an hour in the middle of a jam (the whole city is in a jam) we reach the hotel. We are overwhelmed, nervous, and completely sweated and deshydrated, Tià almost passes out. Crossing the city has been awful, once we almost fall, but at the end Tià could save it.
In the evening, after a well-needed rest. We go to visit the Golden Temple. This temple is not only a central religious place of the Sikhs, but also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. Everybody, irrespective of cast, creed or race can seek spiritual solace and religious fulfillment without any hindrance. It also represents the distinct identity, glory and heritage of the Sikhs.. I thought Amritsar was just another border city, so I was not expecting what I see there! For entering all of us have to cover the head, and leave our shoes and socks behind. Then, we have to descent some steps (that simbolizes that we are leaving our ego behind and out of the temple) and we have to cross a little pool with our bare feet. Then, this wonderful temple appears in front of us.
After walking a bit around the city, we go back to the hotel. Here is where we really split the group. Everyone is going to a different part of India! Just Eloy and Lucy will stay one more day with us.
Next days we’ll visit already alone a bit more of this interesting city. Some views from the city…
Then, we go to the Durgiana Temple or Silver Temple (named after the silver doors of its sanctum, on which are embossed the incarnations of Vishnu and other deities). Again, we have to leave the shoes and socks outside; but this time we have to walk for a while on the street! no carpet for us… just a carpet of cow shit!
Then, we go to the Jallianwala Bagh, wich is a public garden. It houses a memorial of national importance, to commemorate the massacre (on the occasion of the Punjabi New Year, on 13th April 1919) of peaceful celebrators including unarmed women and children by British occupying forces.
We plan to ride to Chandigarh next day, because there there is an official Triumph workshop there, and the Bonnie needs some love after the fall, riding through the desert, rivers…
The road is fine most of the time, just sometimes there is people working and we have some “off road”. The traffic is as usual in India, INSANE. But at least today we don’t find a lot of people driving; we left early in the morning to avoid it (at 7:00 we were leaving Amritsar, we didn’t want to be trapped on the infernal jam again).
Chandigarh is a surprise, we just knew about the city because of the Triumph dealer and it results being a new builded planned city (Le Corbusier, 1966). It seems almost European!
The views from our hotel:
During the afternoon Tià goes to the workshop, they are really nice and proffesional. They will fix the motorbike and then, they allow us to park it there as log as we need for free!!!
We spend the next day preparing all the stuff for the next two weeks as backpackers, we are excited! We have to go again to the Triumph shop to leave there all the motorbike gear and luggage. Meanwhile we cannot go and visit the city, because it’s rainning a lot! Hello Monzon, nice to meet you! It’s the first time that we see storms like this… in few minutes everything is flooded!
The motorbike is so shiny that we haven’t recognised it!!
Requiem for the Russian trucker’s flip flops… I’ll change them for a new pair from Decathlon. Sorry, but they are way too big for me!
Buying a ticket train is not an easy thing, and it’s suposed that you need to do it with weeks in advance. Otherwise we are lucky and we find 2nd class tickets (with air conditioning!) to New Delhi for tomorrow! Hello Backpacking! Here we go!